Kea is an Okeetee Corn Snake (Elaphe guttata guttata). He was bred by Tulsa Zoo's Curator
of Reptiles, Linda Putnam. He was hatched on 27 June 2002. He came home with Gloria, from Tulsa, Oklahoma on the 21st of December,
the Winter Solstice. What a wonderful, magickal Yule gift!
Corn Snakes are non-venomous. While snakes
make very good pets, venomous snakes are too dangerous for almost anyone except the very experienced people who work at zoos
to handle. There are a great variety of non-venomous snakes who are beautiful and pretty easy to keep, from the relatively
small Corn Snakes to enormous boas and pythons.
Never take a wild snake out of its environment. There are two important reasons
for this. The first reason is that snakes are essential to the ecology. They eat a lot of bugs and mice and other pests which
destroy gardens and can get inside the house. Secondly, they may already be infected with diseases which can be very hard
to cure.
If you are interested in having a snake for a pet, call your local zoo and speak
to the reptile (also called the herpetology) department. They can almost always refer you to a reputable breeder who can help
you find the perfect snake for you. Of course, always do as much research as you can before you get a snake so that you know
what kind in which you are most interested, and what requirements there are for keeping it. There are lots of books
available in local libraries, and, of course, there is always the internet.
Kea eats only pre-killed mice. There are two reasons to this. One is that it is far kinder
to the mice, the other is that it is safer for the snake as well. A desperate mouse can badly hurt a snake, and who could
blame it? Better, by far, for all concerned if the mice die under more humane circumstances.
