Kittens’ Skin

 

1/26/24 Kittens' recently shed skin and open jaw

It was time for a haircut, and you know what that means: Another opportunity to sketch the resident snake! A mix-up when I made the appointment meant that I had to wait a while, but I didn’t mind at all – I spent the entire half-hour observing Kittens. Very actively slithering around her tank, she occasionally raised her head in my direction. With her tank full of props and toys, I can never see all of her at once, so I sketched various segments separately. At one point, she suddenly opened her jaw to its full extension – maybe yawning? I was so startled that I didn’t get a look at her teeth.

In the bottom sketch, she was resting her head on her tail,
and it made me think of the classic snake-biting-its-own-tail symbol. 

She had recently shed her skin, which made it easier to see and sketch the beautiful network pattern.

My barber told me that Kittens really loves being handled. Non-venomous, she doesn’t bite (I wish I knew what kind of snake she is so that I can learn more about her). When the owner (of the shop and of the snake) is working, some clients will ask to hold Kittens, and she enjoys the attention. When I think of animals to cuddle, snakes do not come instantly to mind, but I’ve also never known one personally. If the owner is ever there when I am, I think I might ask to hold Kittens. Apparently she gently wraps a few times around your arm, then raises her head to look at you. (Maybe I’ll first find out how long it has been since her last meal before asking to hold her.)