Sometime in the winter of 1992/1993, I had a friend who had a ball python ("Baldy"). Through him and his parents, I convinced my own parents to let me have a snake. On Feb 20, 1993, we went to this rat shack of a pet shop in my hometown and I got Jasper, my first snake. He was an already grown ball python at about 3.5 ft. Through the years, he has been in many different habitats, but he won't grow an inch over 42." He did fast once for nearly 9 months, and then developed a taste for light-colored hamsters, refusing all else. I finally got him to take rats again in 2007, much to my joy. Now, except for a small scab on one of his eyes, he's still going strong.
Recently, my friend (who actually works at the same company as I do) approached me saying that he was moving out of his parents house, and the apartment he was renting didn't allow pets. So he asked me if I wanted to adopt "Baldy," his ball python that essentially paved the road for me to get Jasper so many years ago. Naturally, I obliged, and now I have two geriatric snakes. I tell people its funny that out of all my animals, those are the only two snakes I use a hook with. They're both like crotchety, grumpy old men!
Given Jasper's size and the likelihood he was WC, I guestimate that he was around 3 yrs old when I acquired him in '93, which puts him in the 20-21 yr range. Of course, he could be older than that, but who knows?
I seem to remember Baldy being a smaller BP when I first met him, so I always assumed he was a year or two younger than Jasper. However, despite his vigorous appetite, he often seems more "rickety" than Jasper, and doesn't seem to pack on weight like Jasper does. Of course, I'm not sure on the quality of his care for the past 18 yrs.
Don't have any pics of Baldy yet, but here's a few of Jasper.
Curling up with a few good books
"Standing" out in the yard
