Yazzi the speckled king snake

"Yazzi" has been with me since he was 5 years old. He is now 26 years old and still going strong. 5' long and about 2 inches round. He is a active participant in the Kruisin' Kritters program. I got "Yazzi" 21 years ago from a gentleman named Tom who was 80 years old. Tom had brought "Yazzi" to my vet as he had to give him up because he was going blind and he was afraid that he would not be able to care for "Yazzi". My vet called me and asked if I would take him. When I saw him he was beautiful and very well cared for. I asked my vet if I could talk to the owner about "Yazzi". Tom called me and explained that he had always wanted a snake as a pet but told me that he had to take care of his disabled mother for most of his life and she was terrified of snakes. When he was 75 years old his mother was no longer with him so he at decided to purchase "Yazzi". Tom really loved "Yazzi" and held him often making him comfortable in a humans hands. When Tom turned 79 he found out he was loosing his eye sight and knew he would not be able to care for "Yazzi" any longer, so "Yazzi" end up with me.  Before Tom and I hung up I had to ask him where he found the name "Yazzi", He chuckled every so softly and told me "Yazzi" was the word for his name Tom in his native language. "Yazzi"  has interacted many people old and young  and is one of my favorite snakes.  He did have one big adventure during the cedar fires in san diego in 2003.  I had packed up all the animals to evacuate as the fire was heading east and they were being moved by volunteers to safer places. After it was safe to return home everyone was returning the animals and some one accidental loosened the lid on "Yazzi" enclosure. With all the commotion I never saw "Yazzi" slither out of his enclosure. I was heartsick when I discover the escape. I looked every where with no success. I continued to look for more than a month and finally decided he was gone forever.  He disappeared in the first week of November. One morning on a sunny May morning I was watering my roses next to my house. I noticed that there appeared to be some small black and yellow flowers that I did not recognize. All of sudden the small flowers started to move. I realize it was a snake and then took a closer look and realized it was my "Yazzi" I screamed with delight. When I picked him up I notice he had grown and weighed more and then I realized that he had gone under my house and been feeding on wood rats that scurried under the house on occasion. Since that escape "Yazzi" has been with me and has a home that has special locks so no accidental escapes could every happen again. In closing I want to share a few important things about owning snakes as pets. Reptiles will always be wild animals no matter how tame they seem to be.always be aware when handling your pet. NEVER put a snake around your neck for 2 reasons, most snakes eat warn blooded rodents (There are exceptions though), but most snake that we keep as pets do. A snake could mistake your warn neck as a possible treat. Also if a younger person sees you do that they will think it is ok and try to emulate you and it could cause them harm. It is our duty as a snake owner to set the the standard for the younger owners of the world. Never feed your snake in it enclosure that is their home it will cause a strike response when ever the enclosure is opened causing a possible unwanted bite. Always  feed in another enclosure just set up for feeding. Never hold your snake out to someone you don't know as there are many people who are very uncomfortable with snakes. If you want to share your snake with someone always ask the person before you approach them. This is for the safety of the person and the safety of your snake, you don't someone to drop your pet. In my next posting I will tell you about my fear of snakes for 42 years, how it came about and how I over came it and used that fear to help others.