Credits
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Original Article: Kreaturenprofil: EDEN!
Translator:
Image: Sharan horned Viper.jpg by Oronbb
Image License: CC-BY 4.0
Image License: CC-BY-SA 4.0
Image: Teich hinter Möbel Boss in Frankfurt (Oder) by Jörg Schulz.jpg
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Important: A Note on the Critter Profile
This Adoption and Critter Document is now in our Archive, since out friend Eden has now been adopted! (YEAH!) However, since we recently exchanged emails with the new owner, this document came back out of our archive.
— Robin Wilson
Critter Profile: EDEN!
Overview!
This isn't Eden, but the snake in the picture doesn't look too different! :D
Name: Eden
Species: Cerastes wilson (Wilson's Wyrm)
Primary Caretaker: Prof. Embla Epstein; Terrestrial Team
Diet: Chicken, rats, boiled eggs, apple slices (Eden loves apples!)
Housed:
Outdoor Enclosure East, Wilson Wildlife Centre Boring, Oregon, USA (Old)
Large Enclosure 1, Wilson's Wildlife Center Sjhlfels am Rhein, Europe (New)
Creature Features!
'Eden' is our name for a snake belonging to a unique and previously undiscovered species. We asked our Herpatologist, Prof. Epstein, and she said that's she's sure Eden is the only example of his/her kind. We're not sure whether Eden is a He or a She, so most of the time we simply called our snake-friend Eden.
Eden looks rather like an oversized 2 meter long (6.5 foot to us Americans) Western Hornviper, but has a few features that make Eden look like a younger version of a kind of dragon called a Lindworm. Eden has prominent horns, and small stumps that look like underdeveloped limbs. Purely from a medical point of view, they do not cause any problems, but it can be unusual to see these pelvic spurs.
History!
Eden was found by a group of children in a cornfield , or rather, in what used to be a cornfield. The quirk of our winding friend had transformed it into a simple nature reserve, complete with rough trails!
The Supervisors examined the little rascal for a while, but decided that keeping Eden wasn't worth the cost of draining ponds and cutting down forests every week. Apparently, they also thought Eden would make it cheaper for us to maintain enclosures!
Special Needs and Accommodations!
Eden is very independent. As long as you give Eden enough space, Eden will settle there comfortably.
We've had to temporarily keep Eden in Sjhlfels am Rhein, (You know why, Yan) and when we checked in, Enclosure-19 had tripled in size! If we need to transport our scaly friend in an enclosed space, make sure to include a cave, or our friend will create one.
Because of the wind and rain, we can't just leave Eden outside all the time, so we installed a small heat-lamp in Eden's living area.
Don't forget to give Eden apple slices every now and then - our serpent friend loves apples! We don't know why a snake would eat fruit, but Eden does. A special treat is to dip them in honey and milk first!
Eden is unusually affectionate for a reptile. Whenever we come in with a bucket of tasty rats and chicken eggs, we hear a rustling in the bushes, then suddenly find Eden wrapped around our legs! And the best is yet to come - our little Eden hums!
One of our employees joked that our scaly friend sees us as "prey" because we always bring food, but Eden's never actually tried to eat any of us.
Notes on Eden!
You should be careful not to get bitten while feeding Eden. Although never aggressive, Eden is a little short-sighted.
Take care to put Eden in a large living space, ideally one open to the outside. The last time we used an enclosed space, we gained an indoor tropical forest, and all of our animals got hidden by the trees!
One of the impressive "nature reserves" created by Eden.
The pond was a little overgrown by the time we relocated Eden.
The water in the ponds and floodplains Eden creates is clear of vegetation at first, but Eden doesn't maintain them unless they're connected to an actual stream or lake. This means we have to go in every now and then to do some upkeep.