Runaway snake returned to owners
Cork’s attention was momentarily turned from sliotars to slithers this week when a pet snake went on the run on the city’s northside.
The adventurous reptile was found on Ballyhooley Road and brought to Sunbeam Vets who have a number of sites around the city.
According to Sunbeam vet Isabelle Marino, who specialises in exotic animals and has a special passion for reptiles, the recent warm weather in Cork could have played a role in the snake’s decision to stretch it’s legs – so to speak.
“Possibly! Because they become more alive when it's warm,” she said.
Thankfully, after the snake’s discovery was published on social media, the pet’s owners came forward.
Ms Marino said she deals with a fair amount of reptiles at the Sunbeam Vet site on the Kinsale Road, with lizards known as bearded dragons being the most popular amongst Leeside owners.
“Of course, it's not the same as, like, a rabbit or a dog or a cat, so, but yeah, I do get a certain amount of patients. I have a snake coming today actually!” she told the paper.
“Not many snakes. We have a lot of geckos, different types of lizards, bearded dragons. They're not the most popular,” added Ms Marino.
One of the main issues Ms Marino encounters with reptile ownership in Cork is poor husbandry, with many owners underestimating the amount of care the animals need. She also said the Irish climate is not ideal of reptiles who are typically native to much warmer parts of the world.
She said: “They demand much more than you'd think.
“I think the biggest problem that I see is 99% because of poor husbandry, so they are either not warm enough, or they don't have the correct amount of food, or correct type of food, but that's not just for reptiles, that's for most of the exotics to be honest.
“They need, depending on the reptile, to be at around 25/30 degrees in their enclosure, and for some reptiles, they need half of the enclosure at 30 degrees and the other half a little bit colder. It really depends on the species,” added Ms Marino.
Another problem she encounters is owners who are somewhat unwilling to pay the price of veterinary care when their reptilian pet gets sick.
“For example, if we have a sick bearded dragon and they need an x-ray or medication, people are sometimes scared about the price because they think, ‘Oh, I paid like €30 for the animal; I won't pay €100 for an x-ray’. This kind of thing happens a lot,” explained Ms Marino.
However, there are resources out there for new owners and retailers to help ensure the proper care for these animals. A recently launched website, petknowhow.org, offers a huge amount of information and guidance for those looking to get a pet of any kind and the website comes highly recommended by Ms Marino.