I don't know what happened. She last away.

[acidonangles]

I got a Snow Kenyan Sand Boa late December. She ate every Monday after I got her including this past one. I go check on my snakes this morning to find her dead on top of the aspen. I honestly dont know what happened. She was her normal self last time I saw her and just. Well I hope it wasn't something I did.
I had her on aspen, with a hot spot of 97 provided with a uth and a headlamp to raise the temps for the tank of the tank to 75. The breeder I bought her said she was from an October clutch and that the rest of her siblings werent eating but her. I don't know if that explains it, if it was me, or something else. My other 2 snakes are doing perfect.
Sorry for the long post I just found out this morning and I'm devastated.

[Scubadiver59]

Sorry to hear about your loss! I don't know about Sand Boas myself, but maybe someone else will have some questions for you about the rest of your husbandry.

Once again, sorry to hear that your new pet is gone. :(

[IDvsEGO]

I am sorry about that. This is one of my worst herp related fears. I just had to go check on my crew to make myself feel OK. I had a similar loss with a gecko and it was tough.

[DJC Reptiles]

I don't think it's something you did, stuff like this just happens and it sucks.

[CameraSkunk]

I'm just getting into Sand Boas myself for my first snake and from what I can tell it seems to me you did everything right. Temps were in line with what I've been told maybe a bit high on the hot spot but as long as there was room to get into a cooler area in the 80s ish then thermo regulation should have been no problem.

I'd say perhaps examine along scales for possible mites? But I have to believe you would have noticed an infestation on the substrait and other places as well if that were the case.

I'd ask the following:
1)Was the snake leaving urate and fecal? If not this could have been a case of impaction. If you eat ... you poop.

2)Was there water available in the enclosure, I know many people state that its probably not necessary for the Sand Boas given the climate but I for one offer the water never the less. I get the feeling that they don't get as much fluid from a FT mouse as they might from a live one. Freezing removes some water. I have to stress this is a personal opinion with no proven facts. I've never actually witnessed my Sand Boa drinking from the water available.

Given you obviously cared for the snake I have my doubts that this is a case of you doing something wrong or neglecting it. There are things we just can't prevent, and unless extremely observant and having seen the issue before (meaning someone who has most likely lost a snake to the issue) would not recognize it. The animal could have injured something in the last feeding. Remember when a snake eats, it compresses much of its organs in the process of getting it down. This is normal but has the potential to be an issue. Probably why they seem to really check out their prey before swallowing. Make sure its well and truly dead.

Best thing to do here is learn from it if you can. If you can figure out what happened, adjust what you can and go again. Not easy to do, especially when you feel like a bad parent but sometimes ... things happen. Its the ones that don't feel bad about it that I would want to see never care for an animal ever again.

[acidonangles]

I'm just getting into Sand Boas myself for my first snake and from what I can tell it seems to me you did everything right. Temps were in line with what I've been told maybe a bit high on the hot spot but as long as there was room to get into a cooler area in the 80s ish then thermo regulation should have been no problem.

I'd say perhaps examine along scales for possible mites? But I have to believe you would have noticed an infestation on the substrait and other places as well if that were the case.

I'd ask the following:
1)Was the snake leaving urate and fecal? If not this could have been a case of impaction. If you eat ... you poop.

2)Was there water available in the enclosure, I know many people state that its probably not necessary for the Sand Boas given the climate but I for one offer the water never the less. I get the feeling that they don't get as much fluid from a FT mouse as they might from a live one. Freezing removes some water. I have to stress this is a personal opinion with no proven facts. I've never actually witnessed my Sand Boa drinking from the water available.

Given you obviously cared for the snake I have my doubts that this is a case of you doing something wrong or neglecting it. There are things we just can't prevent, and unless extremely observant and having seen the issue before (meaning someone who has most likely lost a snake to the issue) would not recognize it. The animal could have injured something in the last feeding. Remember when a snake eats, it compresses much of its organs in the process of getting it down. This is normal but has the potential to be an issue. Probably why they seem to really check out their prey before swallowing. Make sure its well and truly dead.

Best thing to do here is learn from it if you can. If you can figure out what happened, adjust what you can and go again. Not easy to do, especially when you feel like a bad parent but sometimes ... things happen. Its the ones that don't feel bad about it that I would want to see never care for an animal ever again.

I had mites on my boa a few months ago so when I change substrate I use provent-a-mite and let it thoroughly air out and I handled her Sunday before feeding with nothing noticeably wrong. She had clean water at all times and I had seen at least 3 poops that I cleaned. I constantly check temps because I'm always worried it'll change.

It'll be awhile before I get another little critter. I'm devastated. I bawled when I saw her. And again when I told my mom. I know no one can tell me what happened exactly.

[CameraSkunk]

Yah only one that might be able to say for sure is a Vet and that's no guarantee either.

It helps to be able to put it out there though. Felt the same when I lost my fish tank last year, but that I know what happened. The heater failed but it failed into the on position so rather then having a little time to find and correct the issue, I came home from work to a dead tank.

Stinks but this unfortunately is life, appreciate every day we have because you don't know what tomorrow brings. Never the less, my condolences. Seems you did all you could.

[Jim Smith]

If my memory serves me right, there have been some instances in the past where Provent-a-mite caused some snakes to suddenly die for no apparent reason. It is not common and may be related to other issues that the snake has or perhaps the age of the animals, but it has happened in the past. Here's a link to one other person that had an experience similar to yours. Just one possibility. http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/thamnophis/110188-provent-mite-can-killer.html

[Magdalen]

Sorry to hear about your boa. Honestly doesn't sound like anything you did. I had something similar happen with my hognose (also a case of never working with that breeder again).

[acidonangles]

If my memory serves me right, there have been some instances in the past where Provent-a-mite caused some snakes to suddenly die for no apparent reason. It is not common and may be related to other issues that the snake has or perhaps the age of the animals, but it has happened in the past. Here's a link to one other person that had an experience similar to yours. Just one possibility. http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/thamnophis/110188-provent-mite-can-killer.html

It could have been :/ I guess I'll stop using that. Any alternative to it?

[Jim Smith]

For the one time I had mites in some of my snakes, I used predatory mites which worked great. I tried all the chemicals including Provent-a-mite with no luck; the mites kept coming back after a couple of weeks. I finally tried the predatory mites and it could not have been easier. Just sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of the material that the mites are in onto a plate in your enclosure and let them do their thing. They hunt down and eat all of the snake mites AND THEIR EGGS. It usually takes about two weeks for them to complete their work, after which, they simply die off from starvation. If I ever get snake mites again, I will absolutely go for the predatory mites from the start. Here's where I got mine from. Stratiolaelaps scimitus (Hypoaspis miles) - Fungus Gnat, Thrips, Snake Mite Predator (http://www.biconet.com/biocontrol/hypoaspis.html)

[craigafrechette]

I'm super sorry to hear if your loss, losing animals is heartbreaking.

I, luckily, have no first hand experience with mites, but if I remember correctly I read somewhere that PAM requires more than one treatment and often only kills the mites themselves and not any eggs they may have already laid.

Again, I'm not sure on this, but it may be worth looking into. I'll be doing my own independent research as a learning experience.

Condolences.