Bookmark - Brown Snake at the Houston Zoo (Animal Series - Reptiles and Amphibians) / Cecil

My brother Allan and I are both snake guys, so sent him all of these bookmarks.  He lives way out in the country where the internet is spotty at best, and besides is a technophobe, so still reads hard copy books and will use them.

Speaking of our affinity for these reptiles reminds me of a speckled king snake we bought together at the Snake Farm between Austin and San Antonio.  This was back in the late 80's before I got married.  We named her Cecil, and she was the best pet snake we'd ever had...very docile, in fact she seemed to enjoy being handled.  Lots of adventures with Cecil.  One time our son Andrew left her cage open during a Cub Scout trip and she escaped, but hung around Allan's Wimberley property for some six months before he discovered her back in her cage one day.  My brother simply shut the door and life went on as usual.

And neither of us expected her to be a part of our lives for the next 21 years, but that's what happened.  As a bonus, since snakes never stop growing she reached record length for the species by the time she passed away of egg retention syndrome. 

Cecil was a prolific snake, also.  Allan acquired another speckled king, but this guy was nervous and snappy, and a little insane...one time he actually swallowed most of his own body before Allan came to the rescue.  A good mate for Cecil, though, as he sired close to 150 offspring that Allan let loose on the property to keep the other snakes - including the rattlesnakes common in the area - in check.  Sometimes we kept those that inherited their mother's more docile characteristics.