Lucy was a jungle carpet python we obtained from a local pet store in June of 2017. She was at least 6 years old when we met her, and we were told that, up until that point, she had been kept in a drawer.
We were intimidated by the idea of bringing such a large snake home—at the time, she was much larger than any reptile we had. But, while we were at the store looking at her, she rested her head in my hand…and, well, after that she was coming home with us.
It seemed the store owner was right about how Lucy was kept. We moved her into a large vision cage and provided her with a couple of hides and a water bowl. Lucy neither acknowledged nor used the hides, deciding instead to shelter behind them. After several weeks of this behavior, she rested her head on top of one of the hides. When she went into shed, she finally used one. After the shed, Lucy continued to use them.
We also discovered that Lucy enjoyed going on walks. With no regard whatsoever for her own size, Lucy adopted the classic python love of hats, and if you were wearing a hat, there was a good chance she would try and climb on it—even if she didn’t fit.
Two significant things about Lucy when we met her: she was a mouser, and she had an enlarged heart. These things have become a particular challenge to us over the last few years. As we needed multiple mice to create a decent meal, and most larger mice are ex-breeders, and fat, we have had concerns about exacerbating her heart condition by feeding them. Fortunately, Lucy was amenable to quail and young frozen-thawed chickens, so we were at least able to vary her diet. We also obtained vitamin E injections from the vet to help with any deficiency she might suffer from obese food.
Unfortunately, varying Lucy’s diet did not stop her heart condition from eventually progressing. Her heart grew larger, and her scales—usually smooth and shiny—grew dry and dull. In November of 2019, Lucy had a seizure (or more likely, an episode of cardiac syncope) that we thought was the end of her life. However, Lucy persevered. We soaked her every few days to moisturize her dry scales, and it seemed to help. We were able to enjoy a whole extra year with her, and spent much of it walking around in the yard looking at plants, or just sitting outside in the sun. Lucy passed away in December of 2020.
Lucy helped introduce many people to the world of snakes. She could shine right through the first impression of “big and intimidating” and make people see the fun and friendly girl she truly was.
