Chapter 163 Colorful Black
Soon, Lei Zhi arrived with the express delivery!
The package was a small cardboard box. Lei Zhi smiled goofily, "Director, I've put the package here!"
"Okay, thank you."
Fang Ye politely thanked him, took out a utility knife to slice open the tape, and looked inside the box, becoming slightly stunned.
Wasn't it supposed to be duck necks?
There were a few duck necks scattered on the top layer, but the main content was a bunch of foam pieces, and it seemed like something was buried beneath them.
A thought suddenly emerged in his mind... could it be...?
He pushed the foam pieces to one side, revealing a net bag buried inside, and within the net bag was a coiled black snake!
Lan Li's body leaned to the side, her curious gaze peering over the barrier of the desk, "Director, what did you buy?"
"Don't look!"
Fang Ye hurriedly warned, but it was already too late!
"Ahhhh!!! Ah Ah Ahhhh!!!"
Lan Li's eyes widened in horror, and she sprang up from her chair, letting out a burst of screams!
Snake! Snake snake snake snake!
As if her feet were on fire, she dashed out of the office with the speed of a 100-meter sprinter, not looking back!
"This..."
Fang Ye shook his head, feeling frustrated.
It was only when he saw the foam pieces while opening the package that he remembered the snakes he had ordered from another zoo might have arrived.
According to regulations, sending live animals by express delivery is not allowed. If one has to ship live animals, they must use a pet courier, which is more troublesome. Express delivery is the simplest and most convenient method, which is why it is the mainstream choice in the country, especially among private individuals.
In terms of packaging, a snake is placed in a plastic box with some rigidity and air holes on the top, or the snake is put in a breathable mesh bag and then wrapped in a layer of newspaper. If there is still space in the box, a bit of foam is added to help keep it steady.
Fang Ye hadn't realized that the box contained snakes, precisely because he had purchased them from a zoo.
In fact, zoos, if they don't particularly cherish the snakes, also send them this way to save trouble. Only if the snakes are more protected, such as those of higher conservation status, will they be packed in a wooden box and transported by large bus.
The main difference from express delivery is that their journey is smoother, with less jolting and turbulence.
Although this mode of express delivery might not be very comfortable for snakes, reptiles have long metabolic cycles. They can go without eating or drinking for days or even weeks without major health impacts, especially as they get older.
If the temperature is slightly lower during the express delivery, they will even enter a state of low metabolism, reducing energy consumption, akin to a cell phone's power-saving mode, which has an even smaller impact on their condition.
Fang Ye placed the net bag on the table and looked at the snake inside. It was coiled up, motionless as if dead.
It wasn't one, but two snakes entwined together!
Their exteriors were black and their bellies white. The light shone on their small black scales, reflecting a fascinating metallic luster. Upon closer examination, one could see glimmers of red, blue, and green.
That is roughly what is meant by "a black with colorful spots."
This was a sunbeam snake, also known as a snake that pleases the client, a timid, non-venomous snake with a gentle disposition.
The most attractive feature is its electric blue, jewel green, blood red, purple-red, and copper colors that appear under light, creating a rainbow-like splendor, which is why it is called a sunbeam snake.
However, the lighting in the office wasn't very effective, and only a hint of the rainbow could be seen.
When Fang Ye was selecting snakes for the reptile exhibition, he took into account the public's fear of snakes, so he chose snakes with high aesthetic value for the first batch.
These included the colorful sunbeam snake, the emerald green tree python, the dragon-resembling rat snake, the striped garter snake, the corn snake which is very popular worldwide, the hog-nosed snake, and the ball python.
As long as one doesn't have a deathly fear of snakes, meeting these snakes would definitely change their impression of them.
After cutting open the net bag, given that sunbeam snakes are non-venomous and do not bite, Fang Ye directly picked one up with his hands, finding the right angle to admire the unique rainbow sheen on its body and exclaimed, "It really is pretty!"
Eye of Observation!
[Sunbeam Snake: ??
Mood: Scared
Health Status: Slightly unwell
Advice: Hydrate]
Once picked up, the sunbeam snake didn't stay still; it wriggled in his hands trying to slip away, stretching out to nearly a meter long, feeling like a somewhat chilled, soft little hand sliding by.
About the touch of snakes, many books describe them as cold, wet, and slippery, or disgustingly slimy, but that's not true; it's eels that are slimy with mucus on their bodies.
Snakes don't have sweat glands, their skin is very dry, and they feel similar to touching a person's skin that is delicately smooth without body hair. Because the temperature of a snake is lower than that of humans, they feel even cooler.
It's about like touching a smooth tomato or eggplant!
A few with keeled scales, like king rat snakes, where you can feel the scales' texture; the rest that are shiny, when touched, are actually quite smooth.
Seeing the sunbeam snake trying to escape from his hand, Fang Ye threw a soothing skill at it; the snake then settled down, staying on his hand, curiously poking its head forward and flicking its tongue toward him.
Fang Ye smiled kindly and stroked the little head of the sunbeam snake, encouraging, "Settle in well with us, and don't you dare die on me!"
He then took a bottle of spiritual water out of his space, poured some into a cup, and offered it to the sunbeam snake. He also brought over another sunbeam snake, so they could both drink some water.
Raising sunbeam snakes is quite challenging! They're known as prone to sudden death.
Though they're not protected animals, they are classified under "Three Haves," which means they can't be kept privately.
"Three Haves," previously referred to "terrestrial wildlife that are protected by the country for being beneficial or of significant economic, scientific research value," now encompasses terrestrial wildlife of significant ecological, scientific, and social value, which covers a broad range, including common species like sparrows, wild pigs, and toads.
Because of their timid nature, sunbeam snakes often need a long period of rest and acclimation before they start eating in a new environment.
Their health status and the luster of their bodies are directly linked; if their scales are wrinkled and white, it's a sign of dehydration, and dehydration is the most common cause of death in sunbeam snakes.
So the first thing Fang Ye did after receiving the snakes, fearing they would die suddenly, was to hydrate them.
After being soothed, the two sunbeam snakes calmed down and drank the water comfortably.
Licking and flicking their tongues, they took a few sips, smacked their lips, then raised their heads for a look. Stay tuned to empire
If one doesn't dislike snakes, they might find this scene quite adorable.
The spiritual water was indeed delicious! They drank it without end.
At that moment, Lan Li's tearful voice came from outside the door, "Sob sob~ Director, are the snakes still here?"
She never imagined that the parcel contained a snake!
With no mental preparation, she was suddenly confronted with such a horrifying scene, leaving her mind completely blank.
After running out and calming down a bit, she thought about calling Fang Ye but realized she'd left her phone on the table in her haste to escape!
With no choice but to return cautiously, she hid behind the door and asked timidly.
Hearing Lan Li's voice, Fang Ye found it a bit amusing and decided to tease her a bit, responding with feigned composure, "Yes, I've put them away, come on in."
Lan Li believed him and emerged from behind the door, only to immediately lay eyes on the very conspicuous snake drinking water on the table. She quickly shut her eyes and let out another terrified scream, "Aaaaaah!"
Then she started to cry whimperingly, really crying.