Starve a snake to slow growth??!!! What!!???

[ReptileMania]

I had to share this as sad as it is; it frustrates me to no end to see & hear such things.

Today, I had a couple come into my shop with a container in hand & a story to share. Basically, long story short...they had a cornsnake to which escaped last August. After a couple months they said they assumed it gone so sold off the tank & contents. Well to their amazement they come across said snake in the basement today. (I have not seen in the container as of yet btw). This couple explained how shocked they were to find their snake and now were unable to care for it so they thought they would come to me first.

After a little more discussion we looked at the snake, and surprisingly it looked to be in not bad shape all things considered. Nice shiny skin, clear eyes, all things looked well. I am looking at this snake guessing it to be about 1 year or little more (after eight months of eating who knows what it should be smaller than potential). I then asked the couple, male or female - they didn't know, color? (as to me it looks slightly different than a typical normal) didn't know other than didn't want to pay high price for 'fancy color', and then I asked the question the shocked me to no words - how old? (Remember I am guessing a little over a year).....the man says to me 5yrs, maybe 4yr!!! I was speechless.... I showed them the snake beside us who was almost 2yrs (she is triple their snakes size).

We began talking a little more and it is further discovered that they had owned this snake for 2 years prior to its escape. Upon advice of shop they bought it from, they could 'slow the growth' by feeding it only every 7-10 days!!! This poor snake has never seen anything bigger than 1 fuzzy PER 7 days!!!

It sickens me to think any store selling any animal would tell a customer basically to starve an animal!!!! to slow it from growing!! After talking a little more, the couple realized that they were (in his words) seriously neglecting this snake based on the purchase stores' care instructions.

I am very glad this couple come to my store today instead of letting him go in the coulees (which is what was suggested by the man should I have said I didn't want to take him/her in).

I feel for this poor baby and cannot imagine what he/she has endured. I will post a picture after a few days. I have brought Lucky home with me and will let him/her adjust in before disturbing him/her for photos.

Thanks for reading and letting me share this sad story...but for Lucky it will be a happy ending as he/she will have a forever home with me providing the very best I can.
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