Rocksssanne, the Library’s beloved pet snake, retired in February 2025
Rockssanne came to Round Rock Public Library at age 3 to become the library’s pet in January of 2000.
She is a curious and gentle snake, very interested in the humans around her. She has met thousands of people in her 25 years of service at the library.
Round Rock Public Library is grateful for her time as an ambassador for the library. Rocksssanne has also been helpful in dispelling common misconceptions about snakes.
Rocksssanne is an elderly snake. At her retirement, she was 28 years old. Over the last few years, Rocksssanne’s caregivers noticed she was slowing down.
In 2024, caregivers noted that Rocksssanne exhibited signs of stress more frequently than she had in her younger years.
After much thoughtful discussion, Rocksssanne’s caregivers decided that the kindest response was to let Rocksssanne retire to a quieter place.
She continues to live in the library under the careful and loving eyes of her staff caregivers. Her vivarium is in a quiet staff area.
Her post-retirement behavior seems to indicate that she enjoys the change to a quieter environment.
The library staff thanks everyone who participated in Rocksssanne’s retirement activities. The notes, the art, and the kind words are a beautiful tribute to the importance of Rocksssanne in our community.
About Rocksssanne
Name:
Our snake’s full name is Miss Rocksssanne NoFeet, but we call her Rocksssanne. The children of Round Rock submitted ideas and chose her name when we adopted her in 2000.
Type of snake:
Rocksssanne is a Python Regius, which is commonly known as a ball python in this area, but is sometimes known as a royal python in other parts of the world.
Rocksssanne is a ground-dwelling snake whose native habitat would have been the grasslands and savannahs in the northern and western parts of the African continent.
Gender:
Female
Age:
We are not sure how old Rocksssanne is, but here are some clues:
- We adopted Rocksssanne on January 20, 2000.
- We think she was approximately three years old at the time.
Can you guess her current age?
Size:
Rocksssanne is a little longer than 48 inches. She has been this size for a long time, and we do not expect her to grow much larger. Back when she hatched, she was probably 8-16 inches long.
Food:
Rocksssanne usually eats a nice big rat every few weeks.
Lifespan:
Ball pythons raised as pets are expected to live approximately 20 – 30 years.
Life at Library:
Rockssanne came to the old RRPL building on East Main Street after a remodel of that building provided the perfect window for a pet in the Youth Services office.
When the new library building was built on East Liberty Avenue, Rocksssanne got a larger window. This upgrade allowed her to have a larger vivarium, which is mounted on a sturdy rolling cart.
To keep Rocksssanne comfortable and healthy, she has heating pads under her favorite logs. She also has heat lamps and a daytime light above her home. Her tank has areas of moderate and high humidity, and the temperature is a gradient that runs from the 90s to the 70s. Rocksssanne can decide which section of her home is most comfortable to her on any given day.
Rocksssanne is a beloved community member. During her 25 years of services, she made appearances at library programs, schools, community events, and even on television and Internet videos. Pictures of her decorate the Play for All Abilities Park. We think she is adorable, so we posted many photos of her on the library’s social media pages.
Because she is an older snake, we honor her years of service by providing her with an even higher standard of comfort and gentleness. In 2019 she began making fewer public appearances, just occasional visits with groups and special birthday celebrations, but only when we were certain we could provide a positive experience for her.
Why a ball python?
Adopting a pet is a big decision, and it comes with big responsibilities.
Before we adopted Rocksssanne, we carefully considered the needs of various pets, our staff, and our guests. We decided that we could provide the best home for a snake, a ball python in particular.
Ball pythons do not have pet dander or other allergens. They do not require attention when the library is closed. And best of all, they are friendly, beautiful, and fascinating animals.
Like all ball pythons, Rocksssanne is nocturnal, meaning her natural time to be awake is at night. Even so, Rocksssanne was a favorite with library guests; she regularly had visitors who peered through her window to see her coiled up in her log, snoozing so snug and beautiful.
Rocksssanne Media Library
