Watchful Raoul

Full house this weekend. Our dog and cat are sharing space with a temporary lodger, our son's Welsh Mountain Dog puppy. May blip him tomorrow. Raoul the snake is keeping a watchful eye on all the furry activity ...

Am constantly fascinated by our pet corn snake. He lives in a vivarium with a heat pad under one half of it, so he can self-regulate his body temperature by choosing which side he wants to be on. He spends hours coiled inside his fake 'rock', but his head quickly appears when anyone is around. He loves exploring dark places, such as under the sofa cushions or in my hair!

He is only fed once a fortnight, and is a week away from the next meal. Is that a glint of expectation in his reptilian eye ... ?