i found this snake today, does it need help ?

[brandonh]

i found this water snake today and almost his whole tail is missing up to his vent scales. it seems to be healthy other then its tail, anything i can do or should do ?
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/Brandon1001_photos/SAM_3506.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/Brandon1001_photos/SAM_3512.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/Brandon1001_photos/SAM_3509.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/Brandon1001_photos/SAM_3510.jpg

[youngster]

If it's cut off past the vent there's not much you can do to save it but if the vent is still intact it should be fine other than looking funny :p

[brandonh]

the vent was in fact still on the snake so that sounds like good news to me :)

[infernalis]

that wound looks well healed, that snake does not need any help.

Nice find BTW.

[alessia55]

It doesn't need any help. Wish you'd gotten some head shots though :yes:

[brandonh]

thank you all for your help, makes me feel alot better =]

It doesn't need any help. Wish you'd gotten some head shots though :yes:

i did sneak in a close up of head =]

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk243/Brandon1001_photos/SAM_3511.jpg

[nokturnelle]

When you find injured critters in the wild, it's best to let them be and let nature take its course (unless it's endangered, of course.) It's painful to do so, but the wild is a cruel and tough place and things happen in order to keep that balance. The only times I've ever interfered has been when an injury had been caused by human intervention. Pretty nice specimen you've got there, though. Did he musk on you lol?

[brandonh]

but i disagree to a point cause alot of injuries are caused by ppl who aim to harm them , they should always have a second chance if it was harmed by a person. snakes will always be targets for ppl look at roundups thousands of snakes die for what reason? or ppl who see a snake n beat it with a stick. what about ppl who run them over with cars just cause they hate snakes ?

he did not musk which is odd for water snakes lol

[infernalis]

When you find injured critters in the wild, it's best to let them be and let nature take its course (unless it's endangered, of course.) It's painful to do so, but the wild is a cruel and tough place and things happen in order to keep that balance. The only times I've ever interfered has been when an injury had been caused by human intervention. Pretty nice specimen you've got there, though. Did he musk on you lol?

Maybe we think a little differently, some of the most interesting specimens I have were rescued from perils of nature.

"Sunshine" my yellow garter snake was wounded and infected when I found him, with a little TLC he recovered with nothing but a scar, however he will spend the rest of his days in captivity.

"Carmella" my eastern milk snake was found frozen (nearly to death) several years ago, and she is so chill she will eat from my hands. Again, she will spend her life in captive care.

At the same time, if I find a scarred animal that is well healed up (like this Nerodia) I just leave them be.