View Full Version : What to do when your snake dies.
Jack4193
08-04-16, 11:02 AM
I have kept snakes for about 3 years now and never had one die. I am just wondering what you do when your snakes die. Do you bury them, throw them away, or what ever else you do?
macandchz
08-06-16, 06:28 PM
jack 4193- i hope you don't mind me asking another part of this question. how do you know if your snake has really died? i know about rigor mortis and all that but i can't help wondering what if he's in his water bowl or something? i don't want to even think about it , but what if???? in my own opinion, i think i would bury him.
riddick07
08-06-16, 06:38 PM
Most likely I would get a necropsy done since I have so many others. I would want to be sure it wasn't anything to worry about. The only reason I wouldn't get one done is if it was obviously something else like an accident where something fell on it or another animal got it something along those lines.
Probably bury it after that or have the vet take care of it for a small fee depending on the size of the animal.
how do you know if your snake has really died? i know about rigor mortis and all that but i can't help wondering what if he's in his water bowl or something? i don't want to even think about it
If you have any doubts about it, just let it sit in the cage about 3 days...you'll have a pretty good idea after that.
bigsnakegirl785
08-06-16, 09:11 PM
If you have any doubts about it, just let it sit in the cage about 3 days...you'll have a pretty good idea after that.
Or try to pick it up, poke it. They generally respond. If you leave it sitting for 3 days you won't ever find out what killed it.
Myself, I generally get a necropsy done because as long as husbandry is on point it's odd for a snake to die, and I don't generally take on rescues.
dannybgoode
08-07-16, 12:54 AM
Has the OP's snake died? Not how I'm reading it-they seem to be asking what people do when their snakes do die, not that theirs actually has.
Agree if it was a young snake then some form of investigation. If it was an old snake (ie was well into the normal life expectancy) I'd just give it a dignified burial.
Or try to pick it up, poke it. They generally respond. If you leave it sitting for 3 days you won't ever find out what killed it.
Myself, I generally get a necropsy done because as long as husbandry is on point it's odd for a snake to die, and I don't generally take on rescues.
It was a joke.
Meaning that it is extremely obvious if you have a dead animal.
macandchz
08-07-16, 08:07 AM
i'm not so sure it would be that obvious if it recently happened. they feel cold anyway and they wouldn't get stiff that fast. are you kidding about a snake autopsy? and how much would that cost? is there such a thing as a snake coma? wouldn't want a zombie snake! HA!HA!
bigsnakegirl785
08-07-16, 10:12 AM
i'm not so sure it would be that obvious if it recently happened. they feel cold anyway and they wouldn't get stiff that fast. are you kidding about a snake autopsy? and how much would that cost? is there such a thing as a snake coma? wouldn't want a zombie snake! HA!HA!
Trust me, it's pretty obvious once you're used to snake activity. I had a rainbow boa die last winter from septicemia, and I could tell immediately upon opening her tub. She had contorted into a coil and one of her eyes looked like a fish eye. She didn't move when I touched her, and they should become stiff in 6-8 hours.
It's a necropsy, and yes, it is extremely important than an owner has one done if the snake's death is not immediately apparent. I cannot stress this enough. I paid $60 for my necropsy, but prices vary and it's cheapest to have the body sent straight to a disease center rather than through a vet.
riddick07
08-07-16, 11:01 AM
I agree it is probably cheaper for most people to send it directly. I use the shelter vet and usually get the discounts that the shelter does since I'm way too involved with the shelter so there isn't really a price difference for me.
If any animal dies unexpectedly a necropsy is important. Most of the time this will tell you if your other animals are at risk. A necropsy is cheap compared to the money most people have put into their reptiles already. It may also tell you if it was something you did wrong in your husbandry so you can prevent it from happening again.
Panntyman
08-07-16, 11:16 AM
You move on
macandchz
08-07-16, 07:38 PM
sorry. i knew nothing about necropsy and i don't want you to think i was making light of a serious topic. i can see the value of having one done.
SnoopySnake
08-07-16, 08:11 PM
I have considered keeping the skins and skeletons when my snakes die, but hopefully that's many, many years down the road.
marvelfreak
08-09-16, 06:23 AM
A dead snake will start to stink in just a couple hours. I put them in a plastic bag throw them out.
Sylphie
08-09-16, 06:30 AM
Well, one of our baby snakes died in winter, and we waited for a warmer temps to bury him. Just pakced it to the bag and into freezer for that few weeks until it was warm enough outside to try digging in the ground.
SnoopySnake suggestion is what I thought about too, but I wasn't able to try doing it myself :)
Mad Max
08-09-16, 07:50 AM
I'd bury mine.
Aaron_S
08-09-16, 08:52 AM
Two options:
1. Throw it away
2. Give it to a friend's monitor/snake eating snake if I can get there shortly there after.
Aaron_S
08-09-16, 08:53 AM
If you have any doubts about it, just let it sit in the cage about 3 days...you'll have a pretty good idea after that.
Is this your professional medical opinion?
Is this your professional medical opinion?
It's pretty much what I do with my patients that I'm not sure about. :D
dave himself
08-09-16, 09:51 AM
It's pretty much what I do with my patients that I'm not sure about. :D
Good grief you sound like my neurologist :D
Aaron_S
08-09-16, 10:03 AM
It's pretty much what I do with my patients that I'm not sure about. :D
Can you be my doctor?
Matt: Aaron I don't know what it is.
Aaron: Cool cool. Well while we wait let's talk about recessive genes.
Can you be my doctor?
Matt: Aaron I don't know what it is.
Aaron: Cool cool. Well while we wait let's talk about recessive genes.
Man, I wouldn't even bill you for that....wait....you're Canadian. Are we even allowed to bill you guys??? :laugh::laugh:
infernalis
08-14-16, 06:41 PM
Feed them to my monitors. I had a few in the freezer, had to clean it out.. It was painful to watch lizards eat snakes that were worth hundreds of dollars once, but when they are dead, either the bugs and worms are going to eat them, or the lizards so I fed them to the lizards.
SnoopySnake
08-14-16, 08:15 PM
Feed them to my monitors. I had a few in the freezer, had to clean it out.. It was painful to watch lizards eat snakes that were worth hundreds of dollars once, but when they are dead, either the bugs and worms are going to eat them, or the lizards so I fed them to the lizards.
Where have you been!?
Where have you been!?
Holy cow! no doubt.
bigsnakegirl785
08-14-16, 08:49 PM
Where have you been!?
I've seen him post once or twice in the last couple of years but haven't seen him in the open like this in awhile!
Aaron_S
08-15-16, 08:29 AM
Man, I wouldn't even bill you for that....wait....you're Canadian. Are we even allowed to bill you guys??? :laugh::laugh:
Uhh depends on where we meet. In Canada you can't. In the USA you're welcome to bill me.
Do you legit have to write receipts and ****?
infernalis
08-15-16, 10:33 AM
I've seen him post once or twice in the last couple of years but haven't seen him in the open like this in awhile!
Got sucked into that bull crap world called Facebook... :(
Uhh depends on where we meet. In Canada you can't. In the USA you're welcome to bill me.
Do you legit have to write receipts and ****?
LOL! Only if I don't want to get hauled off for insurance fraud :D
Which I don't
Hi,
Just stumbled on this thread. What if the animal in question is decades old and was your first pet? No worries, my Hispaniolan (or Haitian, or Dominican) Boa, Rudy is still going strong and healthy; at 34 years old. I have thought once in long while if it would be better to just remember through photos, or preserve some part of him in some way (skin, stuff, etc.).
Aaron_S
08-15-16, 02:07 PM
LOL! Only if I don't want to get hauled off for insurance fraud :D
Which I don't
Well I suppose you have a receptionist do it for you but it's so weird considering I've spent 31 years just showing my health card.
serpentgirl123
08-15-16, 02:38 PM
Hi,
Just stumbled on this thread. What if the animal in question is decades old and was your first pet? No worries, my Hispaniolan (or Haitian, or Dominican) Boa, Rudy is still going strong and healthy; at 34 years old. I have thought once in long while if it would be better to just remember through photos, or preserve some part of him in some way (skin, stuff, etc.).
I have one that is getting up there in age, though not that old (34yrs--Congrats!) and thought about this myself. I personally think it depends on the person. For me, I would rather just have memories through pictures and the ashes (like I do for my furry pets).
Though I was hoping to keep him "alive" through one of the offspring, but that is not going to happen as I am 90% sure my boy is sterile. He has never left sperm plugs or anything nor showed interest in anything besides eating, making a mess, and sleeping lol.
bigsnakegirl785
08-15-16, 05:24 PM
Got sucked into that bull crap world called Facebook... :(
Ugh yeah I know the feeling. It can be really bad there, glad to see you here again, though! Hope you're coming to stay. :)
I have one that is getting up there in age, though not that old (34yrs--Congrats!) and thought about this myself. I personally think it depends on the person. For me, I would rather just have memories through pictures and the ashes (like I do for my furry pets).
Though I was hoping to keep him "alive" through one of the offspring, but that is not going to happen as I am 90% sure my boy is sterile. He has never left sperm plugs or anything nor showed interest in anything besides eating, making a mess, and sleeping lol.
What species and what age is he? I had a breeder tell me once his male boa constrictor didn't start leaving sperm or breeding until he was 7 years old. They can certainly take their time!
I also would prefer remembering them through pictures, as I tend to take many of them. lol
serpentgirl123
08-15-16, 06:37 PM
Ugh yeah I know the feeling. It can be really bad there, glad to see you here again, though! Hope you're coming to stay. :)
What species and what age is he? I had a breeder tell me once his male boa constrictor didn't start leaving sperm or breeding until he was 7 years old. They can certainly take their time!
I also would prefer remembering them through pictures, as I tend to take many of them. lol
He is a "common" normal BI/BCI and pushing on his 17th year. Also he is a big boy and I no longer have a suitable female of that size any more (gave her away a few years back). He is a touch over 8ft long and so finding a female of similar size if not longer/bigger (if he were interested lol), not so easy.
I was lucky in the size department as his mother was close to 10.5ft and his father was about 8.5-9ft and unfortunately died in a fire at the store about 10yrs back.
travesty
08-15-16, 07:33 PM
When my snakes die they will be preserved as wet specimens or otherwise. I've got a couple from DOR's already and it's not hard to do. It seems like the logical thing to do when it comes to being somewhat sentimental.
bigsnakegirl785
08-15-16, 07:56 PM
He is a "common" normal BI/BCI and pushing on his 17th year. Also he is a big boy and I no longer have a suitable female of that size any more (gave her away a few years back). He is a touch over 8ft long and so finding a female of similar size if not longer/bigger (if he were interested lol), not so easy.
I was lucky in the size department as his mother was close to 10.5ft and his father was about 8.5-9ft and unfortunately died in a fire at the store about 10yrs back.
That's so weird, and you've had him sexed? Females average about that size, it just takes a long time to grow them that big, so people aren't too willing to give up their females of that size. An 8' male would definitely be hard to breed, though, you wouldn't be able to use a 4-5 year old female for sure, and that limits your options, or increases your wait time by several years.
serpentgirl123
08-15-16, 08:50 PM
That's so weird, and you've had him sexed? Females average about that size, it just takes a long time to grow them that big, so people aren't too willing to give up their females of that size. An 8' male would definitely be hard to breed, though, you wouldn't be able to use a 4-5 year old female for sure, and that limits your options, or increases your wait time by several years.
That is why at first I didn't think much of it, given most males don't get that big, but he is definitely male.
He was sexed three (technically 4) times. He popped female as a baby (I didn't do it--reptile shop keeper did) but I got him rechecked after he had surgery (minor infection on his nose) and his hemipenes came out. The vet is the one who called me about it and got to see him sexed myself when I came to get him. She sexed him right then and there 2x with a probe to be sure.
Since he never threw plugs or shown interest in any of my females (one who was his size but aggressive as all hell--had since she/he were 1 month old), I have a sterile/unwilling male. Oh well lol :) My other younger males (under 7) threw plugs since 2.5yrs old (never bred any of my snakes as of yet) even just being near the females' cages. So I am even more willing to bet, my older male probably is sterile.
Even if he did breed, less people would want boas that had genes to potentially get over 8ft+ and being just a normal (my favorite of the collection), not much call for him/his genes.
bigsnakegirl785
08-15-16, 08:54 PM
That is why at first I didn't think much of it, given most males don't get that big, but he is definitely male.
He was sexed three (technically 4) times. He popped female as a baby (I didn't do it--reptile shop keeper did) but I got him rechecked after he had surgery (minor infection on his nose) and his hemipenes came out. The vet is the one who called me about it and got to see him sexed myself when I came to get him. She sexed him right then and there 2x with a probe to be sure.
Since he never threw plugs or shown interest in any of my females (one who was his size but aggressive as all hell--had since she/he were 1 month old), I have a sterile/unwilling male. Oh well lol :) My other younger males (under 7) threw plugs since 2.5yrs old (never bred any of my snakes as of yet) even just being near the females' cages. So I am even more willing to bet, my older male probably is sterile.
Even if he did breed, less people would want boas that had genes to potentially get over 8ft+ and being just a normal (my favorite of the collection), not much call for him/his genes.
That last point is probably pretty true, especially since boas average 20-30 babies a litter, and I've heard of them being as big as 60....
On the other bright side, at least you're not having to clean up sperm plugs left in random places. haha
serpentgirl123
08-15-16, 09:04 PM
That last point is probably pretty true, especially since boas average 20-30 babies a litter, and I've heard of them being as big as 60....
On the other bright side, at least you're not having to clean up sperm plugs left in random places. haha
True lol. But he is such a sweet animal and laid back, I wouldn't have minded too much lol ;)
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