i'm back...and i rescued a snake!!!!...help please!

b23ball23 · 07-17-04, 04:21 PM

i joined the frorums about a year ago and have not posted on this site in quite some time.......well anyway....i saw my dog yesterday and he was chasing something around and was trying to eat what i thought was a stick...it ended up to be a northern ringneck snake. it was slightly injured but still live and squirming!....WEll i saved him from my black lab...and put him in one of my spare 10 gallon aquariums in hopes of nurturing him back to helth.....i know that they eat worms and other small reptiles/amphibians....but i need your help in feeding and caring for the little guy.....his/her name is sparrkky.HAHA....well...please help me out with taking care of this beautiful snake!
(its about 10 inches long)
god bless
-ben
ps: i have it in a 10 gal tank with paper towel at the bottom and some bark/grass pile on one side...i have a water bowl and a homemade hide box
thanks again!

Removed_2815 · 07-17-04, 06:48 PM

Depending on where you live, it may be illegal to take a native herp out of the wild (despite your best intentions, and I certainly understand where you're coming from). The diet for Ringnecks consists of small salamanders, lizards, and frogs, as well as earthworms and juvenile snakes of other species. Obviously, this is a very difficult diet to replicate in captivity. Also, re-releasing herps is a very bad idea as disease transmission in the local populations is a very real danger. I would rather see this individual snake die than spend some time in your care, pick up some foreign pathogen, get released when it has healed from the dog mauling, and wipe out the entire population from some foreign disease.
Your best bet is to let the snake go immediately and let nature take its course. Obviously, I use the term "nature" very loosely, as the introduction of your canine into the ecosystem is not a natural event. Next time, keep a close eye on your dog or don't let him out at all. Same thing to all the cat owners. Most people would cringe at the number of animals that felines and canines take out each and every day...
Regards,
Ryan

Stockwell · 07-17-04, 07:10 PM

Bingo!! Bolton is dead right.... Let it go, or sacrifice it to the flusher in 3 months

b23ball23 · 07-18-04, 12:08 PM

I was able to get it to eat an erthworm I found last night i am going to let him go soon..thaks for the advice...and i hope the little guy makes it.........and i my dog is very afriad of snakes now.......he learned his lesson. Well at least i might have helped him a little!
thanks for the advice
-Ben
o yeah......now i gotta figure out what snake to get now that i let him go.....i'm thinking a rat snake...or a nice cornsnake.
thell me what u think
thanks
-ben

Removed_2815 · 07-18-04, 12:15 PM

Well, I certainly hope I did not imply that your dog needed to be taught a lesson, he was not in the wrong. Any blame lies elsewhere.
I think a corn snake is a fine idea for a pet snake.
Cheers,
R
P.S. Just a friendly FYI, a Corn Snake is a Rat Snake.

b23ball23 · 07-18-04, 08:56 PM

Oh! i never new corns were ratsnakes....haha...I learn something new every day. Thanks for your help!
-ben