Jennah and Lotus do almost everything together. They wake up together, go to class together, venture on roadtrips together, and even go out to the bars together. Lotus has many qualities of a good companion and friend; she’s loyal, loving, observant, and sweet. She’s not too clingy, low maintenance, never snaps, and is a great listener. The only downside is that she might crawl all over your man if you don’t keep an eye on her, but she can’t help it! That’s because Lotus is a beautiful 7-month-old ball python, Universty of Oregon student Jennah Stillman’s pet and loyal companion.
Jennah and Lotus’ friendship began at the beginning of the school year. Having grown up in Northern California, Jennah remembers having always loved reptiles. Once she heard that one of her hallmates from freshman year was selling baby ball pythons, she knew she had to have one. Like any responsible potential pet owner, Jennah talked with him about the maintenance, care, and lifespan for a ball python snake and a few months later, Lotus became a new addition to her home.
While pets can be fun to have around the house, they also can require time and money, two things that many college students are short on. While Jennah agrees that having a pet in college might not be for everyone, she assures that snakes are fairly easy and cheap to care for. In contrast to
domestic pets, such as dogs and cats, snakes are opportunistic eaters, meaning that they only need to eat every 2-3 weeks, and can last up to 3 months without eating if they have to. Other than food and water, snakes only require a moist environment, a terrarium and a heat source, such as a heat
lamp, all of which can be easily found from previous owners on Craigslist.
“Snakes are different. They don't need the constant TLC that mammals do. Granted, the more you hold your snake and interact with it, the more friendly and relaxed it will be.” They do require lots of love and attention, something that Jennah has no problem doing. To keep Lotus in a warm misty environment, Jennah admits that sometimes she’ll even take her in the shower with her. “[It] isn't as weird as it sounds!” She explains, “I just hold her in one hand and just being in the warm, wet shower is really good for her! It’s cute.”
