Found A Smelly Ringneck, Is He Sick?

[KrazyWhiteRich]

Hey guys,

I was leaf blowing today and I uncovered a little Ringneck. He was very cold and barely moving so I put him in my pocket and brought him in the house. It's in the 40's here in PA. Once I brought him in I noticed that he stinks. Kinda like a sweaty body odor smell. I then noticed that he has bumps pretty much all over him. I brought him in thinking that he would die outside if I didn't and that in spring or the next warmer day I would release him. I've had balls and burmes years ago but never ran into this problem. My girlfriend wants me to put him outside and thinks that he will die anyway since he is sick.

Here are my questions. What are the bumps and why does he smell? Also, I have him in a glass aquarium. He's about 10-12 inches long. The aquarium is at least 18 inches tall and I don't have anything else in the tank for him to climb. Can he get out? My gf thinks that he can climb the glass. I keep telling her no.

Thanks for your input!

[infernalis]

Pictures???

The stink could be from the musk reflex when spooked.

And I have witnessed more than one small colubrid get itself wet in the water bowl and go right up the glass like spider man.

I have photos of two snakes doing that, just not up for digging them out right now.

Bumps??? pictures will be very helpful, especially if you have macro and can get some good up close and personal shots.

[Revenant]

If there isn't a top, I'd assume the snake could find a way out. I used to keep hatchlings in ten gallon tanks, and I'd find the tiniest of them curled up on the lip of the lid all the time.

Ringneck musk can be surprisingly stinky. You probably spooked him good with the blower.

I don't know about the bumps.

[KrazyWhiteRich]

Here is a quick pic. I may or may not have stepped on him before I found him.

[lady_bug87]

it looks like he got into a fight with something...

[Jay]

Little bugger looks all beat up. If you're keeping him provide a couple hides, fake plants and definatly a lid.

[Kavyrie]

He looks really beat up, almost like something bit him or scratched him and the wounds swelled up. They could possibly be infected, which could cause a smell.

[jaleely]

Looks like a cat got him at one time. Provide him with some heat, let him warm up on his own, not too hot at first *shrug*
Check the scales in the raised areas to see if there's ticks or anything...probably isn't if it's that cold out.
When he warms up, see if he slithers around, to see if there's any paralyzed spots from maybe being stepped on.

And yes, they can definitely clime the sides of the glass. My garters, even my fat female, can shimmy right up the corners and out the lid, and has tried lol

Keep him away from your other snakes, as far as possible just in case he has *anything* that could be transferred to them.
Good luck, keep us updated!

[KORBIN5895]

Here is a quick pic. I may or may not have stepped on him before I found him.

The way you said this made me laugh hard.

I also learned something new about snakes climbing glass walls!

[jaleely]

i know K, i laughed really hard too. I chose to just go with it LOL

and heck yeah, my garters are always climbing, and my corn snake is no slacker about it, either, though now he is big enough to just reach up there. When he was a baby he was a little glass sticker.

[EmbraceCalamity]

Wow. I live in northcentral PA, and I don't think we have those here. I've never seen them, anyway. At first I went full blond and thought you put a collar on it. >.>

~Maggot

[iBaman]

Wow. I live in northcentral PA, and I don't think we have those here. I've never seen them, anyway. At first I went full blond and thought you put a collar on it. >.>

~Maggot

:laugh: this made my day

[KrazyWhiteRich]

If I release him will he die?

[Gungirl]

You never know.. I feel as if it is best to just let this one go in a safe area near where you found it.

[Lankyrob]

At least if he dies in the wild he will feed something else :) Let him go and nature will either heal him or feed him to another predator :)

[Akuma223]

If you can get him happy and healthy in captivity I'd keep it until spring when you can release it if you want. If he dies you can put him outside where something else will make use of his body.

[EmbraceCalamity]

If you can get him happy and healthy in captivity I'd keep it until spring when you can release it if you want. If he dies you can put him outside where something else will make use of his body.I like this idea. I could never turn away an injured animal. I'd take it if the OP was closer to me.

~Maggot