Eleven-year-old Tom Riddle was the perfect patient, never complaining during his checkup today as the doctor poked and prodded — even while his blood was drawn. But he didn’t get a lollipop or even a Spiderman Band-Aid as a treat.
The staff whose job it was to restrain the 12-foot-long patient instead rewarded him with peace and quiet — the perfect treat for a well-fed anaconda.
It’s been three years since Riddle, a resident of the Franklin Park Zoo, has had a checkup. He’s grown about 10 pounds since then; a young snake, he will continue to get bigger.
Riddle, who has been in the zoo since 2007, was named after the villain in the Harry Potter series. (Tom Riddle is Voldemort’s birth name).
Dr. Eric Baitchman, director of veterinary services for Zoo New England, who performed the checkup, said the snake appeared to be in peak physical condition.
To examine the anaconda, which is the heaviest species of snake in the world, Riddle was held horizontally by the zookeepers in the hallway in front of his exhibit while his eyes, mouth, and body were looked over.
“I just did a general physical exam, checked his body condition, looked at the quality and appearance of his eyes and his mouth and his skin, felt his body cavity and looked for any abnormalities,” said Baitchman.
To get the 50-pound reptile out of his exhibit, Baitchman said, five or six zookeepers were sent in to capture and pick him up.
“It’s a lot of effort for them,” he said, “He’s not an aggressive animal. He’s very strong, though, and doesn’t really want to be held.”
Though having his blood drawn may have been uncomfortable, the snake kept still throughout the checkup — even when Baitchman pried his mouth open with forceps.
One difference between a human and an anaconda checkup, he said, is that there is no need to listen to the snake’s heart and lungs. “You can’t ascertain anything from that,” Baitchman said. Anacondas spend a lot of time holding their breath under water and as a result, don’t breathe very much. Their circulatory system also works much differently than mammals.
After the 15-minute exam, the snake was released back into his exhibit.
Baitchman said that he wasn’t nervous at all while working on the anaconda.
“It wouldn’t necessarily be his nature to bite you,” he said. “He would just want to get away.”
