Homeward Bound (But Make it Snakes)
Bagheera the day she was brought in, cozied up like the most polite cinnamon bun you’ve ever met.
The morning of September 29th started like any other. Blue skies, birds are chirping, there’s… a giant snake on my front lawn?
Maybe it wasn’t going to be a normal day, after all.
A good samaritan from Animal Friends Alliance stepped out of their home to find Bagheera, a 5.5ft, 16lb red tail boa constrictor exploring their front lawn planter.
Unsure of the particular species and best contact for a stray large snake, they contacted the Northern Colorado Wildlife Center for help. After a brief phone call, it was determined that this was someone’s escaped pet. They were transferred to us (NCHS) to complete the rescue.
The weather is getting cooler here in Colorado, which heavily impacts creatures that depend on external heat sources to thermoregulate, like reptiles. Thermoregulation is a mechanism animals use to control their body temperature. Endotherms, like mammals, can regulate their body temperatures internally. Ectotherms, like reptiles, move from warmer to cooler areas (and vice versa) to regulate their body temperatures in order to function properly. You may be familiar with cooler seasons in Florida resulting in it raining iguanas - when temperatures drop, their bodies stiffen and they fall from the trees. Most of the time, they just need to warm up to go on their merry way, but we can’t count on the weather allowing that kind of recovery in Colorado.
Time was of the essence.
This boa in particular had a very sweet and docile temperament, and the good samaritan was able to gently hoist her into a tote bin without incident. She was immediately brought to the Northern Colorado Herpetological Society in Fort Collins to conduct next steps.
Bagheera (as we would later learn her name) received a full veterinary checkup from our licensed reptile rehabbers and Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital team. We found some pieces of stuck shed (which were easily removed), some old scars (likely from a past heat lamp injury), and some mild symptoms of an upper respiratory infection (wheezing and huffing). URI’s are, unfortunately, relatively common in captive reptiles and can be treatable when found early enough.
VTH team cleans out debris found in Bagheera’s mouth.
Once her intake was complete, our incredible community spread the word like wildfire on social media to try to find her owner.
Many folks reached out to inquire about adopting her in the case her original owner wasn’t found, and others offered other resources like the Larimer Humane Society to see if there was anything more that could be done. It was truly an inspirational effort on Bagheera’s behalf, and we were blown away by the support.
In the meantime, our volunteers and board members enjoyed some hangout time with a species we don’t often have in our care, mainly due to space requirements for extra large reptiles. Her mild temperament and curious demeanor were her main personality traits that initially won us over, and as we got to know her it was clear that she had an owner who loved and her and handled her regularly.
Through the power of social media, the original owner was found, and Bagheera went home!
The owner mentioned, “Bagheera has been with me since my childhood. We were tearing apart the house to find her, thinking she couldn’t possibly have gotten outside! I’m so relieved that you all found her and were able to take her in.”
We are so glad Bagheera’s story has a happy ending! We wish all the best to these two reunited friends.
The reality is that with winter coming up, the weather will not be forgiving for escaped reptile pets.
If you keep reptiles or amphibians at home, let this serve as a gentle reminder to double check your tanks to ensure your pets won’t be able to get out on their own. Tank lid clips are a great option for top-opening enclosures, and many front opening enclosures have a space for a lock. If you have a custom built tank, be sure there is a mechanism in place to prevent unintended roaming pets.
Bagheera got lucky, but we recommend all reptile keepers take any necessary precautions just to be safe!
Media teaches us to fear reptiles, especially snakes.
Many folks assume snakes display behaviors that will harm us, and parrot that fear through generations. Stories of snakes chasing people, lining up to “measure” if they could eat us, biting people unprovoked, baring their giant “poisonous” fangs - they are stories we’ve all heard, but hold about as much truth as a strainer holds water. I’m not telling you all snakes are as sweet as Bagheera - in fact, it’s best to err on the side of caution if you don’t know what to expect from an unfamiliar reptile - but they deserve more benefit of the doubt than they’ve been given.
There have been several news sites offering their 2 cents on this story (complete with yet more fear mongering, unfortunately), as well as a video of Burmese python - an entirely different species - eating large prey), and plenty of misinformation floating around.
To this, we say: If you ever have questions regarding reptiles and their behavior, we’d be more than happy to answer and educate!
A special thank you…
…to Animal Friends Alliance, Larimer Humane Society, CSU’s Veterinary Training Hospital, Colorado Wildlife Center, and our amazing community on social media for your part in this rescue!
