While working with my mentor we used to have some (ok a lot) of fun within our store where we were employed. Thinking back now, I think he got the better end of the deal on the fun part during those years. I was new to the herpetoculture trade at the time and to say herpetoculturists have a practical joker side to them would be an understatement. This is particularly true when ‘breaking in’ rookies. With that said let’s talk about ‘Facials’.
It’s another day at the store smell of salt in the air, cleaning enclosures, wiping off greasy finger prints of toddlers and adults alike. For some reason beyond my comprehension; humans have an undying need to rap on the glass that separates them from the animal inside, but I digress. In walks a customer and requests a few feeder mice and I look to my mentor questioningly as I was already wiping the glass. Being the ever faithful teacher, he jerked his chin towards the feeder room. This of course is the silent signal for
“You, you go get the mice while I stand here and talk to customers and make them feel welcome.”
I went and got the mice. Bagging them as taught; doubled brown lunch bag, one inside the other stapled at the top twice to insure there would no escapes on the ride home. I came out of the feeder room and walked to the customer and handed them their bag. The store manager was talking with my mentor and pointing to his office which was across the way from the fish and reptile department where we worked.
I didn’t catch what was being said; I gathered enough to know that my mentor had just received a shipment of some type of reptile. The container and it’s contents were waiting in the manager’s office. Now you have to understand, my mentor doesn’t deal in ‘common reptiles’. So whatever he’d shipped in it was of considerable value. He must have seen the glint of enthusiasm in my eye. It could have also been the infantile drool running down my chin as I dreamed of what could be in the container too.
Either way, he gave me the chin jerk to go fetch said container. About ten to twenty feet out of the department he called to get my attention.
“Hey just open it and bring the animals over that’s fine.”
I almost sprinted and knocked over at least three customers over as I ran to the office. To me this was akin to Christmas morning as a 6-year-old. Once in the office I scanned about for the container. There! A large Rubbermaid tub sitting innocently in the middle of the office with duct tape around the rim to hold the lid in place to avoid any escapees. Oh the joy I felt at being the first person to open this incredible gift!
I squatted down close to the container and with the careful shaking hand of a bomb disposal technician I unwrapped the container slowly. Half dreaming of delectable reptile surprise could possibly be awaiting my eager gaze within the darkness of the box. I pushed the box around to unwrap further and it was heavy.
It actually took a bit a force to push this box around. My mind raced with thoughts of what might lay inside. Some rare tortoise, a large newly discovered morph of snake, oh maybe lots of freshly imported morphs that the world had never seen! The tape was now completely off and the lid ready to pulled off. I took a deep breath raised myself to a position where I could cast my gaze inside…
I pulled the lid back slowly just a few inches, I didn’t want to frighten the newly arrived charges. Staring inside I saw…blackness. Nothing, not one single glint of light from a deli cup lid, no moving off white bag(s). Just darkness. My heart sank to the pit of my stomach as I bent my body over half of the box; one hand flipping the lid back towards the office wall as I did so.
Just as my heart was plummeting into the depths of my retreating stomach it stopped halfway on its journey. My heart was now rocketing back up towards my throat because I had glimpsed what was in the box. Like the Germans in Raiders of the Lost Ark who couldn’t pull their eyes away from the power in the Ark; I was held fast in terror. My eyes caught the all too familiar sheen of reptile scales, problem was the scales I saw were wrapped about 6 rows of teeth shooting at my face like some twisted booby trap from the opening scene with Harrison Ford. The lid was too far away now all I could was fall backwards and pray that the snakes weren’t long enough to reach me.
Courtesy of Neben Blog
After a quick bounce upon the concrete floor and recovering from what was surely a near death experience. I clambered to my feet, brushed myself off as if I meant to fall to the ground, and approached what I now knew to be the Lemarchand’s box from Hellraiser fame. Now standing at full height I creeped forward and leaned warily over the box. Therein lay my death waiting to have its evil way with me once again. Not two, no not four, but six beady eyes staring back at me daring to come another inch closer to the box. 3 adult Sumatran Blood Pythons (Python brongersmai) were coiled back ready to strike again.
This was of course all witnessed by said store manager and my mentor who found this raucously funny. If you enjoyed this story of my horrors please feel free to share it with a friend and have a laugh. If you have a hilarious reptile story drop us a line and we may post it right here.
P.S. Since that time, I have come to know few Blood Pythons (Python sp.) and have found some of them to be tractable and one was even seemingly friendly. Don’t forget to check out the Herpetoculture House 2012 Annual which this year will be an EXCLUSIVE to our subscribers only which will feature Jim Shivers writing about the captive care of Blood Pythons and will have an exclusive printable poster by Nadilyn Beato! The only way to get them though is if you subscribe.