Broke my own rule - almost lost 2 snakes

[infernalis]

A few nights ago I messed up bad....(before folks read any further.. Garter snakes are one of the few species that actually thrive well when kept in multiples)

I was in the reptile room feeding snakes, but this time I was in a hurry (bad math.. I know)

All of the feeding boxes had snakes in them and like a dummy, I decided to feed a rather valuable pair of Sirtalis hets in the cage (supervised of course)

The smaller male took his first pinkie and promptly vanished up under his hide..

While he was gone, I tong fed the female (she's quite a bit bigger than her mate) and she promptly inhaled her pinkie. while she was busy, the male returned, so I fed him another.

Apparently he left the first pinkie under the hide where I could not see it:eek:

Flash forward a few minutes, I had assumed that they had eaten all of the food and went about taking care of the others in the room.

While I was doing this, they both simultaneously went for the pinkie that was hidden out of sight.. that's when the worst case scenario played out.. She being the larger of the two had accidentally ingested the male completely!!

When I checked on them there was just a little bit of tail showing from her mouth, and she was stretched a hell of a lot bigger than a couple pinks would have done.. My het albino male was gone! (or was he)

The male did a 180 in her belly and crawled right back out:eek:

I split them up, waited two days and then fed them both (properly in feed boxes this time) and amazingly enough both ate just fine.

The point to the story... if you are running late, feed them some other time, snakes don't need a schedule, that's a human trait..

I should have just fed them the next day.

[youngster]

Wow, slithered right out of the stomach that's pretty amazing!

[shaunyboy]

im really chuffed it all turned out good for you mate

a 180 and crawling back out is one amazing feat :shocked:

if i had read it on any other forum,i would have doubted the story but no worries there wayne as i trust you 100% mate

awsome story pal

thats one lucky male you got there :yes:


cheers shaun

[ladyjustice33]

Wow.....that is amazing. So glad the male survived!!

[SnakeyJay]

Amazing that your male survived... someone i know had the same happen with two corns, but it was 100% his fault. He feeds both in the viv at the same time.. one corn was under fed and 2 ft (he just never fed it, the other one didnt get all the food.) And the other was 5 ft+ and over weight when he was given it. So he starved that one aswell.
Id lectured, argued and even got into a scrap over it all with him. Well he turns away one day and when he looks theyve both got one pinky and one has the others head.
Needless to say he had fun getting them apart......
He finally sold them now so hopefully theyre happier and putting on weight. :D

[infernalis]

I had honestly given up on the male, Our daughter came to me and said "There is a head showing from her mouth"

Son of a gun if he wasn't flicking his tongue like nothing was wrong...

The whole ordeal lasted about a half hour and under the circumstances, getting the camera out was not high on my priority list. (Although I wish I did take some pics)

[brylecc1989]

Wow Wayne. That's crazy!! Glad it worked out for ya.

[Snakefood]

holy crap!!!!!:Wow: Who would have thought that was even POSSIBLE!!!!!

[Lankyrob]

Always good to learn a lesson where noone(thing) actually gets hurt! Glad all is ok!

[UwabamiReptiles]

Glad everything worked out in the end. I would be so stressed out if that happened to me. Now you have a cool story you can tell people.

[TalonNC]

Makes you think...if this was his first time in there...

LMAO

Great survival story...brings a whole new twist to Being in the Belly of the Beast.

[Gungirl]

Really happy they are both ok! It would have been incredible to catch on camera.. I dont think anyone will see that happen again....

[KD35WIN.AS.ONE]

Great read, thanks for sharing.

i agree with your point as well

[infernalis]

Believe me, I thought long and hard (days) before I let this out... Consider that I'm building on my reputation and desire to be taken seriously, and here I go and make a noob error.

However, if I don't say anything, then one day it can happen to someone different, and by admitting my mistake, Others can stop and think...

Like I said, with snakes you can always postpone feeding and do it right.

Most any other pet, ugly things happen if you don't keep a steady supply of food available.

[BlindOne]

that's one of the craziest things I've ever heard, glad he made it back out.

Everybody makes noob mistakes sometimes, don't beat yourself up. Good lesson for all of us!

[Gungirl]

Wayne.. you are highly thought of around here and If anyone thinks less of you for that, then they don't read/know you enough. Everyone is human and we all make mistakes. As long as we learn from them and don't repeat them its just a part of life.

[youngster]

Wayne.. you are highly thought of around here and If anyone thinks less of you for that, then they don't read/know you enough. Everyone is human and we all make mistakes. As long as we learn from them and don't repeat them its just a part of life.

I agree very much. By the way Wayne I don't have a clue about your collection. You should make a thread of all your beauties. (Or at least your favorites)

[TeaNinja]

lol, that is ridiculous. glad no harm came of this slighty horrific and halarious event lol.
I agree very much. By the way Wayne I don't have a clue about your collection. You should make a thread of all your beauties. (Or at least your favorites)

he already has a whole thread of his garters ;)

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/thamnophis/82907-wayne-s-garter-snake-photo-thread.html

[Valvaren]

I think the fact you shared your story makes you are very respectable man! and like people above me said we all make mistakes its human but the fact you were able to accept it and share it in order to benefit others is something you should be proud of! Not many people would do it.

Also give that little dude a high five er tail for me, he has got some balls on him.

[stephanbakir]

Glad hes alright man. mistakes happen. The best we can do is learn from them.

[infernalis]

I agree very much. By the way Wayne I don't have a clue about your collection. You should make a thread of all your beauties. (Or at least your favorites)


Look for them. ;) in my profile, under "statistics" click on all threads started by infernalis.....

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/thamnophis/82907-wayne-s-garter-snake-photo-thread.html

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/thamnophis/86436-infernalis-babies-photos-added-26-6-11-a.html

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/thamnophis/86798-new-melanistic-wandering-garter.html

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/lampropeltis/82867-our-pueblans.html

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/thamnophis/84059-blackneck-trio-updated-pics.html

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/lampropeltis/82861-lampropeltis-triangulum-triangulum-eastern-milk.html

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/general-colubrid-forum/84709-new-black-racer-pics.html

[unknownclown]

wow thats incredible! you got lucky man!
I had a boa handed down from someone that fed him in the same cage as it was in and its head got a bit crushed he lived but had a big ol dent in the side. I used to have pics of him on here not sure if they are still around.
Glad everything turned out alright for ya bet you were freaking!

[infernalis]

bet you were freaking!


Yes I was more than freaking.

And remember I said I was in a hurry.. Well just like getting stopped for speeding, the hurry became moot real fast.

[marvelfreak]

Good to hear they are both ok and thank for sharing. And don't beat yourself up we all made mistake at one time or another. The fact that you admit to making a mistake just makes your advice more creditable. IMO

[ineedsoap16]

Wow. Weirdest feeding story i've ever heard.

[TeaNinja]

if he came out of her stomach with the pinky, then he would be the true king ;)

[TalonNC]

if he came out of her stomach with the pinky, then he would be the true king ;)

Classic.....the imagery

[millertime89]

B**CH that's MY dinner!

[youngster]

B**CH that's MY dinner!

Hahaha :crazy:

[infernalis]

How could I ever prove or disprove what he may have been up to in there, for all I know, he could have taken all her supper before he checked out from motel stomach.

[TeaNinja]

i had that thought as well ;)
who had the pinky bulge at the end?! lol