The Vet was upset when I said she ate sushi...

Then I clarified that she was eating Sashimi, which was an entirely different story.

There was a time when Goldie was living on the kitchen table in a backpack. I might have said that in past posts. Every morning, I would open the backpack and she would be free to take a slither on the table. She never got into any trouble except for the few times that she got down off the table and hid in the liquor cabinet.

It was so cute. I knew right where she would be. None of the booze was missing so no harm no foul.

She was free to go where she wanted. I was there and would hear her knocking things over if she went too far. She was sick and not very active. Her injuries were painful and the cool glass is what she liked more than chairs or shelves.

So one day we had ordered sushi, including some sashimi, and Goldie looked so pitiful and hungry. She came out to see what we were eating.

I have never had to worry about the snakes begging scraps. They do not eat people food. Well, they do not eat any cooked people food. Their senses are geared toward hearing heart beat, smelling the live animal or smelling their blood. Those are the things that trigger the snakes hunting instinct.

I held up a piece of salmon (raw) and she smelled it and decided to go for it. As you can see in the first picture, she is enjoying it!

Since the fish did not have bones or a tail, she did not need to wrap around it. When she opened to swallow more of it, I helped her with the chopsticks, just pushing it in a bit further.

When she seemed to have it under control, she just went to hide her head and concentrate on working it down into her stomach. We were all amazed that she would eat with us at the table.

Her scales are a bit rough as she was about to shed. I decided since then that it would be a bad idea to feed her in the same place and way that we eat. Snakes should not be thinking of pray while in close proximity to people. It is painful when they make a mistake and strike at one of your hands. It has only happened one time and it was because my son had just handled a live rat. She could sense the heartbeat, then the heat of his hand, and it smelled like food (rat) so she aimed and struck at him. I may have pictures of his hand. The injury looked like a bunch of little puncture wounds in the shape of a top and bottom V - he said it did not hurt. I pulled her off of him, and he held her after washing his hands. You have to disqualify yourself as food.

When you warn someone about washing hands before handling a snake, it is not just idle words. Those who have been bitten, tend to warn others.

She is now eating raw chicken every couple of weeks and doing much better healing up from her injury. She is gaining weight and is much more active. I can guarantee that my hands never smell like raw chicken when I reach in to take out the snakers. I have not been bit in the tens years I have cared for our current brood.