Albino Litter Born Today - Tips Please

Can't find the link I had. It was a little different then that pdf though. More reptile focused.

Sorry you had to go through with it John, but it's best for the little ones. Like you said, they aren't suffering anymore.

Sorry you had to take a loss with the little ones but its all part of the hobby.
Thank You for doing what is right,there are already enough scumbags
out there selling junk animals.

Q:
If a boa will sit and let a rodent eat it alive,does anyone really believe
the "ice crystals" thing has ever held any true merit?

Yep! I had MILD frost bite on my index finger and it hurt like hell for quite a while even after the damage to the epidermis was well into healing. Can't imagine how painful a severe case would be.

A Q 4 U: do you think that when an animal balls into a defensive position that its not feeling the rat biting it? Not reacting ain't the same as not feeling.

Being cold blooded,reptiles no doubt register temp sensations
differently then mammals.

Long before the "crystallization" begins the reptiles system is
already shutting down,No?
With-in the cool down process are not all functions progressively operating at minimum levels,
(Nero/motor function which includes respiratory etc)

Without signals from the brain there is no "life",where is the "pain" being registered(experienced/felt) in a system that is shut down?

Don't really want to help get this off topic further then we have, so I'll just say, I think a little different then you do. I liken that train of thought to being no different then those who think using "cold" as an anesthetic is OK.

But you know I love ya anyway Tom!

No doubt Brother,its all good,not that I side one way or the other
necessarily.
Its the points I bring are never posted for discussion.

Taking everything forum posted as the gospel
as the majority of BCI in culture far beyond repair,mirror images of their keepers in a high percentage

Culling means "KILLING" whatever route one chooses to settle it within them selves is for them.

I guess I'm one of those "jerks" flooding the market then, because I would have given those snakes a chance to live, and made sure they could survive pain and stress free. If so, I would have adopted them out as "pet only" animals to carefully screened people.... I think people "cull" (I HATE that term) beautiful animals with defects a little to quickly and to callously for my taste.

My thoughts are - if it isn't in any obvious pain or stress, can eat, and produce urated and poop well, why not give it to someone who wants a special pet?? I've found a few great people that LOVE to have the "underdogs" and have NO intention on breeding them; they simply have a strong love for the otherwise unloved group of snakes...

that's my 2 cents

And if they should fall on hard times, and have to part with them, is the next guy going to honor your agreement with first party? There just is no "sure" way to keep that stuff out of the gene pool.

You might also change your mind if you see one of those eyes rupture. How could that be deemed comfortable, or painless?

Just saying.

I actually was given three of the now 1 eyed snakes that went through the "rupturing" phase of becoming eyeless, and to me, it seemed more "itchy" then painful, as they were rubbing it against furniture, my hands, etc. and not pulling back or doing anything that would resemble wincing.

People who have taken "special needs" or "as-is" snakes from me have filled out "contracts" whether in person or via online documents stating the animal is to be returned to me (shipping at my expense) should they ever decide to part with the animal. Is that theory fool-proof 100% of the time? certainly not, but nothing is in life.

I'm a bleeding heart, though. About half of my animals are rescues, the other have are breeders. They are kept completely separate, but are treated with the same love and respect. My rescued animals, no matter how beautiful, are always left as non-breeders. Heck, I was surrendered a mojave that someone told me I could totally breed in the future if I wanted, and she's got kinks over 80 percent of her body. She's one of my favorite outreach ball pythons, because she's so outgoing, isn't headshy, and she allows me to talk to the kids about different things that can "go wrong" with snake "health" - ya know?

So, I guess I'm a hopeless romantic that things can still go right in this world... I'm kind of still stuck in the mindset the the right people are out there to give these less than perfect animals the perfect home. I wish I would have spoken sooner, so I could have offered my home to them

Irritating, itchy...to me that means discomfort.

Don't get me wrong either. I rehabbed sick, neglected and abused reptiles for over 10 years because I have a big heart. And an empty wallet because of it. HA HA HA