Her full name is Flare Junior, as we got her after Flare went missing just a few days after we got him. Anthony was seven, and had wanted a snake for over a year, so we got him a snake. Anthony started getting an allowance and was responsible for all the food costs and half the supplies; we covered the vet bills. Anyway, Flare went missing (design flaw with the tank lid) so Junior came home; a few days later Flare turned up - incredibly the cat had not killed him - so we had two snakes. Not the plan, but there it is.
Father's Day we found Junior curled up around a clutch of eggs - surprise!! Junior was a girl (snakes, like birds, are difficult to sex) and immediately moved into a separate tank from her brother, Flare. The eggs turned out non-viable, which is probably just as well.
Over the years a lot of people handled these gentle corn snakes (elaphe guttata guttata), some even overcame their fear of snakes thanks to their harmless movement and fascinating characteristics. Junior was very popular at show-and-tell in the 4th grade, and because she was a girl, some of the girls in class were comfortable holding or petting her. My mother can even be in the same room as them without freaking out any more, but the thought of touching one is of course ridiculous.
Snakes make great pets. They are quiet, odorless (if you are responsible about keeping the tank clean), require feeding every fortnight, and are happy to be handled (especially in cool weather) or ignored. Females can be temperamental before laying eggs, but that is a short season. Our dogs and cats have never had more than a temporary interest in them.
Rest in peace, Junior. We'll miss you.
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