Steve and Kelli -
I want to let you know that the balance of your snakes is still with me and have not gone anywhere or anything. I pulled your snakes out of brumation the evening you sent me the email about terminating the breeder loan. Your snakes were not brumated with my snakes or anyone elses, except that I had a breeder pair of everglades and a breeder pair of cape gophers in where yours were brumated. I brumated them in the same place that I did last year. I had no indication from last year that I would see what you and I are seeing. I took the snakes over and placed them in the hibernaculum I had set up over at another persons house. I did that back in December. I have gone over there and replaced the water dishes during the brumation. I have stated it on the forums on occasion that I consider keeping the snakes in as dark an environment as possible to be a keep issue in brumation. Right or wrong that is what I do. So the snakes are in as total a dark area as I can make it. When I replace the water dishes I glance in at the snakes and see if anything might look belly up or if there is any bad odor that would give me a clue to something may be wrong. I don't disturb the snakes. They are usually pretty dormant and just sitting in their individual container. When I received your email about terminating the loan I went over to where your snakes were and pulled them out. I went after work so it was dark by the time I actually got there. When I pull snakes out of brumation I have an individual container for each snake with fresh water and substrate in it. The snakes are usually up to the outside temperature as I have increased the temperature in the hibernaculum gradually before taking the snakes out. I didn't bring the snakes up in this instance as I was planning to ship them to you by the date you requested. I took clean fresh containers over to where your snakes were. There were also 2 pairs of my snakes in there as I had indicated. I didn't take any substrate over as the person where the snakes were had indicated to me that he had substrate there. When I got there I saw that the substrate was pine shavings. I didn't stop at the time and pulled each snake out one at a time and put each snake in a new container with pine shavings. I didn't light the room up real bright as the snakes were coming out of almost complete darkness: at least as dark as I can make it. The snakes were leathargic, but I thought it was because I was taking them out of a 49 to 51 degree environment. I did this until all the snakes were out. I left the snakes over there so they could warm up before I tried feeding them or anything else. This was done the evening of March 1. I went back over Saturday morning, March 5 and placed a thawed frozen mouse in each of the containers. I noticed some snakes were active and some were still lethargic. I didn't place any food item if the snake didn't look to respond to me moving around. I should have taken each one out and examined it real well, but I didn't. I try to feed the snakes as quickly as possible by opening the lid and dropping the food item in. I don't wait and see what happens. The food item is dead so I drop it in and move to the next. I feed my snakes by thawing the rodents out over night and placing them in each snake container before going to work. When I feed the snakes and go to work, I look back in each container when I get home from work. Anything that wasn't eaten is taken out and disposed of. I don't take any mice out of one snake container and put it in another. I don't refreeze them either. If it isn't eaten by the time I get home, I take it out and dispose of it. Any snakes that don't eat will get another food offering the next scheduled feeding day unless something special warrants me trying again sooner. I went back Saturday evening and pulled out any rodents that weren't eaten. I didn't think anything yet or at the time. I noticed over the weekend prior to the day you wanted the snakes shipped that I had some lethargic snakes that hadn't eaten and at the time didn't look real good, but not as bad as what you see now. I emailed you Monday and said that some weren't eating. I still hadn't noticed any mites. I don't know why, but I didn't. I went over Tuesday evening I believe. I think it was Tuesday, but if it was Wednesday then I stand corrected. What you see when you got the snakes I shipped is what I saw. This was the first time I noticed that something was happening of the magnitude of what you see. I wasn't sure whether to ship or what as I shouldn't ship anything with mites or any other problems as I am supposed to contain them where they are. Your snakes and my 2 pair are still over where they were brumated. I thought if I didn't send any snakes and just mentioned what was going on that you wouldn't think it was the case. That's hypothetical on my part, but that is what was going on in my thinking. I decided to ship you some of the snakes so you could see what I was up against. I ship the snakes I did. I shipped the pair of Mexicans that Steve had collected himself and the F1 Allan Kardon Mexican pair. I was thinking if they weren't going to make it that you would have at least a chance to try. Those were the two pairs I thought were most important to you. I know all are important, but I sent those to you. I shouldn't have, but I did so you can try to help them. I didn't send you the email of what I shipped until Friday morning. I knew when you got the news it wouldn't sit well and at least when you did the snakes would be in your hands shortly. I didn't want you to pace all night when the snakes were in transit. Not saying it was right, but that is what I did. I have a couple emails that you did a post on the BOI. I haven't gone to it or read it. A couple people have told me a few things that were in it, but I didn't go to the thread to see it. Someone said you mentioned not receiving the shipping email until the next morning. That is correct and that is why I sent it the next morning. I paced around my place all night until I sent it. The same person said you mentioned the snakes were sent overnight, but not priority for morning delivery. They were supposed to go Priority. I take the package up to the counter with the most of the airbill filled out. I don't check the overnight delivery box or the shipping weight and a couple other things. I used to check the priority shipping box, but there have been times where Priority is not an option in some areas; only standard overnight. So when I get up to the counter I tell the person what dlivery preference I want. I told the person Priority. I looked at my copy of the airbill and the person marked standard. I didn't even look at it. I was already distraught over your snakes. The balance of your snakes is where I brumated them and I have been checking them several times a day. I soaked them for the mites and cleaned all the containers. The only thing I have come up with is there were mites in the pine shavings I put in and I didn't see anything. The pine shavings have been disposed of. I haven't lost any of your snakes, but a few aren't doing as well as I would like. I'm not sitting back and happy in any way over your snakes. I'm about as shook up and concerned as I've been with anything. It's right at the top. I had planned on giving you a call when I got home Thursday after work and discuss it. When I got home you had left a message. I didn't think after hearing the message, I could say anything or do anything from there. So I've been going over and treating and caring for your snakes several times a day. I don't enjoy having to make several shipments as I am paying for it, but I will be doing that. I have 3 snakes that are probably able to ship this week. They are the pair of Val Verde Texas Bairds that bred and the mate to the Texas I sent you already. I really don't know what to do at this time, except I can't ship all the snakes like that. I feel strong that I should be containing everything right here.
Terry
