She was thirteen, and had had a good, long life for an amelanistic cornsnake, but I sure am going to miss her beady-eyed, expressionless little face.
I’m surprised I’d never gotten around to taking more pictures of her. I took that one of her being held by a friend’s little sister just after I’d graduated high school, when she was given to me as a graduation gift by my mentor, my high school art teacher. She had been the class pet. He wanted to see us both off and doing bigger and better things.
She wasn’t much of a conversationalist, but she made for a nice terrarium decoration and liked a sun-warmed rock and thawed-out rodent as much as the next guy.
RIP Rubester, I’ll miss you
I did not expect to see that kind of pet! (I hadn’t read the OP when I opened the picture.) Wow she was really beautiful. My condolences. I’m sure you gave her a wonderful life.
Hey, thanks guys. It’s hard to explain to other folks why I’d be so bummed about the loss of a snake–being you know, not what you’d call a super-personable pet or anything… but she was given to me by someone who had a tremendous influence on getting me to where I am today instead of dead in a ditch somewhere. It’s not all that many adults who give an artistic young person the idea and inspiration that life as a professional artist is an attainable and worthy goal.
She’s the first snake to come into my life, though not the only or last, and my love for the little feetless scaly people of the world is what brought about my choice of SDMB namesake.
She was beautiful in a lovely, planted terrarium decorating my livingroom, and always made for a good conversation piece when we had folks over. Cornsnakes are known for being very mellow little critters, and there were a few ophidiophobes converted to at least grudging respect by a little interaction with such a calm and pretty little critter.
I planted her in my lily bed, I figure with her coloring the tiger lilies and stargazers will be a nice way to remember her in the Spring.
