I flew home on the day of the Summer Solstice. It was hot and humid in Ottawa as it had been for the past three weeks of my visit. I slept through most of the flight and then heard the announcement we’d soon be landing in Vancouver. I opened my window to the delicious sight of snow-capped mountains as far as the eye could see – the mountains upon mountains upon mountains of the land where I was born. The air was deliciously free of humidity (and of mosquitoes). It was a perfect spring-like day without need of a sweater to cover one’s bare arms. Apparently it was also the first day of real sun amidst pouring rain since I’d been away. I like to think it’s because the mountains missed me…
I just rested for a couple of days catching up with the timezone again and then it was back to work cleaning the house and fussing with the garden. I can’t reopen the botanica or buy supplies for it until the Canada Post strike ends, so I’ll be wildcrafting and packaging what I have local access to in the mean time. I’m planning on expanding the botanica quite a bit, but it will take some time.
To get my wild fix my sweetie Mojo and I headed out and about town to look for a pet toad, but alas did not find any (if anyone knows where to get a small American Toad please let me know!). We did, however, fall in love with a tiny rough green snake, named him Plissken (yes, after that Snake Plissken), and brought him home along with an awesome tall terrarium. Today we went to the garden centre for some plants for Plissken; a ficus tree, a fern, and some small vines. I also hope to add some tree frogs and a toad or two to the terrarium in the future.
Green snakes are supposed to be shy, but he doesn’t freak out when we hold him and he doesn’t hide much. So far he’s been pretty adventurous, even digging a bit! He’s very small, about two feet long and the width of pencil and he won’t get much bigger than that. He eats only insects and doesn’t bite. He has pretty yellow eyes and the most adorable bright red tongue. I’m normally not in favour of undomesticated animals for pets, but his enclosure is so huge compared to his size and he will be honoured as a sacred creature and will probably even participate in a ritual or two or more (snakes are sacred to Big D, Papa, the Ram-Bearer, the Tree, and Old Woman after all).
We also picked up three more carnivorous plants (two sundews and a pitcher plant) at the garden centre to add to all the venus flytraps we already have. When we got home I soaked some coconut fibre for the soil and then went out to the forest to collect some moss freshly fallen from the trees due to rain and wind. I rinsed it out to get rid of bugs and debris.
Mojo transplanted all ten of the little carnivores into the aquarium his covenmates passed on to him and then I added the moss and voila, now we have a lovely giant bog garden of death. It should stay nice and humid in there now, but we will probably need to get a uv light that also heats as it’s not quite warm enough for the carnivores yet.
Otherworldly travels, dreams, witchy thoughts, wildcrafting adventures, and garden updates to come once I finish tidying up the house and finding my bearings again on the other side of the continent.
(Plissken is currently staring at me – he does that a lot)
In general, keeping multiple species together is a very bad idea. I’m currently keeping frogs and toads – separately. Were I to have put them together I’d be down two toads, and two frogs dead from toad venom. Even if the pet store claims it’s safe, or you think an animal is too small to be an issue – nature always finds a way. It’s maddening.
One of the problems is that almost 100% any commercially available “common” toad or frog will be wild-caught, and, well… you can do that for free. The up-side is that Canada has several mega-huge reptile expos – you may want to check those out and talk to people who breed these animals as a passion and hobby. You’ll get a CB animal that has been cared for by people it’s whole life, and will suffer less for it.
When I was first getting into rearing frogs, I got a “Pac Man” frog. Very jaunty, tubby, thing. They get large enough to eat mice and rats, but can be housed in a relatively small container. They are also -very- easy to find captive bred. The same is true of Fire-Belly toads.
Thanks for the advice. We already carefully researched if any species would get along with Plissken and vice versa. He was in a multi-species enclosure when we got him. Apparently rough green snakes only get along with green tree frogs, green anoles, and small American toads and unlike other snakes they actually like another roommate or two. Might end up only getting another snake of the same species though and if I ever find an American toad I can get him his own space to dig holes in.
The only toads we found at all the various shops were fire-belly toads. I’d prefer a non-poisonous one though as we have cats and that’s just an accident waiting to happen! I knew I should’ve brought home that toad I found by the fen at Beltuin… but I just felt too guilty taking a wild thing home.
I’m a little confused? American toads are also poisonous. They have massive parotoid/poison glands behind the eyes. Our dogs had no end of hell with the things when we first moved to the country – after a while they would start to drool if they even saw one. Poor things.
Thankfully, they’re hard-pressed to escape anything taller than themselves, though.
Damn, I forgot about the pea-sized glands. They’re still not as poisonous as the fire-bellies, but maybe I’ll have to keep my toad in its own little space in the bedroom in the cat-free zone…
You really are close to the Underworld in your own way.
I would send Elvis, the new Toad we feed every night, but somethings just aren’t meant to be.
I know I’m saying this for the second time but, Plissken is so adorable!
I’m really wanting to get a snake in the near future. I’m in love with corns, they’re very docile and come in an incredible spectrum of colors/morphs. Like you said, a snake would be considered a sacred creature in my home as well.
Even though they’re not warm and fuzzy they’re still cute and cuddly!
Reading about your trip was great and it’s wonderful that you are now home, fussing about and settling in.
He’s so cute!!!!! I’ve felt very close to snakes since i was little and are considered very sacred in my house . I have a 12 month old ball python right now ( his birthday was this month) and he too is very adventurous and curious. I also have to geckos and a dumpy ( whites tree frog) and when I first got the frog I had asked everybody if I could house them together and I was told that they were too different and that the geckos may harm her, but I put her in there and for five years now they have lived very happily together. they cuddle and everything. So I would recomend what ever you feel is right though some snakes have been known to eat frogs so it wwould depend on his diet.
good luck with Plissken
Congrats on having a snake in the house. I have a lavender corn snake that was given to me when the original owner couldn’t keep her anymore, and I love the energy she emanates. Her tank is beside my bed and I love waking up and seeing her ruby eyes looking at me. Also for my practice, I am very thankful for her sheds.
Sweet little green snake! When I was 3 and 4 years old, I used to find green snakes and wear them as pets. They would twine around my arms and I would walk around for hours like that.
I was in Pet Boutique (http://www.canpages.ca/page/BC/north-vancouver/pet-boutique/3414279.html) the other day on my never-ending hunt for a Mexican Redknee Tarantula and they had a huge toad selection… and by huge I mean like 3 or 4 different species. Maybe they’ll have something you’d like.
OMG is that the relief of the emperor and his wife Xoc in your tank! I go by that as a screen name. What an awesome relief. I know its Mayan, but the plants obscure my view of it.