Q and A with a Drag Queen...3 in a series of a 5 day Blog-a-thon

After a bumpy motorbike ride on the back trails in Bohol, we walked up to the off-beaten and hard to find mini zoo, paid our 10 cent a head entrance fee, and were warmly greeted by a man in a short camoflaged skirt and tight-fitted shirt, whose cross-dressing was equally exotic as the subject that we set out to see. Meet Juanita, priding herself on her ability to give tender loving care to her beloved PRONY, among the largest pythons in captivity.



Juanita: Welcome, welcome, please come in and meet Prony. Where do you guys come from?

Danielle: America. Oh my, it's HUGE. How big is it? And where did IT come from?

J: It came from the forest around here. It was captured on October 21, 1996 at length of 5 feet, weighing 5 kilograms (11 lbs). Now it is 23 feet and 200kgs, or 441 pounds!!

D: Is that monstrosity of a size normal?!

J: No! Her current size is comparable to pythons in the wild who are already 40 to 50 years old. Prony is only 9! We think it's because of all of the TLC she gets.

D: What's a normal day in the life of Prony?

J: Well, she likes to spend most of her days coiled up in the corner. When she becomes restless, we know it is getting close to feeding time.

D: How often is that?

J: Once a month. We just fed it a few days ago. Look, you can still see the pig in it's stomach.

D: Is that what that lump is?

J: Yeah. When it was a baby we fed it chickens. Now it has graduated into pigs and goats. We put a pig in the cage and then Prony whips her body coils around her prey, strangling and suffocating it, while breaking all its bones, then swallows it whole. But you know, she's a picky eater, she just won't eat any old thing.

D: Really, how so?

J: Well, she won't eat the pig if it's sick, spotted or dark. And if it's not alive she won't touch it. She only likes clean white pigs weighing at least 40 to 50 kilograms.

D: It looks like a big bump. If I walk in the cage, will it want to eat me too?

J: No, she thinks she is a human! Since we had her since she was a baby she is so kind and even sensitive. She loves people. I'm the one who personally goes in and removes her shedded skin.

D: How often do snakes shed their skin?

J: All snakes shed their skin in once piece. Young snakes grow quickly and shed frequently, roughly every 6–8 weeks. Large, adult snakes grow more slowly, and shed less frequently, about once in 1–2 years. The rate of shedding varies with the availability of prey. All snakes shed their skins following an injury, probably to hasten healing.

D: So what is in store for Prony's future??

J: We hope that with proper care she could live to be up to 120 years old. Prony is like our baby! She is part of the family, I guess we will continue to keep taking good care of her and celebrating her birthday every year. By the way, do you guys know Kelly Clarkson?