Bellmore Stories: A Miracle in North Bellmore

Dark Flexie is a corn snake who was purchased over two years ago as a pet and companion to our other corn snake, Flexie.  Flexie is an albino corn snake, colored orange and red so when we saw this black and gray corn snake, its name logically became Dark Flexie.

If you know anything about corn snakes, you’ll remember that they are known to be escape artists.  Having three sons and lots of visiting friends, it became a constant chore to check the snake tank and make sure the top was latched into place.  Well, in June of 2011, the top was apparently not latched.  Dark Flexie had escaped again. The first time she escaped, she evaded us for more than two weeks until she came out for water.  So we thought it was possible to re-capture her again.

The summer of 2011 was spent with many futile attempts to lure Dark Flexie out of hiding.  We even went as far as purchasing three live mice so the smell would entice her.  We were quite anxious about her being on her own for such a long time.  Dark Flexie was bred to be a pet and she was used to being hand-fed frozen mice.  She surely could not fend for herself and live without her heat lamps and humidity-controlled environment.  When winter of 2011 came and went, we accepted that our Dark Flexie most likely perished somewhere in North Bellmore.

Fast forward to April of 2012, while we were away on vacation, the Hodnett family bravely agreed to babysit the rest of our reptiles (a yellow throated plated lizard, a bearded dragon, a Russian tortoise, a corn snake (Flexie), an African clawed frog, a blue tongued skink) and a rabbit.  When we arrived home to find all of our pets so healthy and happy, I called Patti (Hodnett) to convey many heartfelt thanks. 

It was then that she informed me of the commotion I had missed yesterday on her block.  A black and gray corn snake was found basking in the sun in the road.  The snake was much larger than what I had described (based upon both of my snakes being relatively the same size) and it was then that I realized that I had last seen Dark Flexie ten months ago.  Both Patti and I agreed that it could not be our beloved Dark Flexie. Jim, Patti’s husband, was convinced it was someone’s pet that had escaped.  He knew that right away since corn snakes are not found in the wild in New York, he easily picked it up and the snake was happy to be held.  Jim asked for a photograph of Dark Flexie so that he could be positive it was not her.  Being an avid scrap booker and a person who is always taking a quick picture, I easily obliged.  You can only imagine our joy when Jim showed us marker by marker, hue by hue, that the camouflaged snake found in the road was Dark Flexie!

Not only did the Hodnetts help us find our beloved pet, they also nursed her back to health.  Dark Flexie had contracted parasites from eating in the wild.  This story reminds us of how blessed we are.  Our snakes are once again cuddling in their cage (with a new cage lid, though) and we remember how lucky we are to have such wonderful, caring neighbors and friends.

Editor's Note: Betsy Lashin submitted this story to Bellmore Patch. Have a unique story that you would like to share also? Send them to Danielle.desouza@patch.com.