Effects on an "unhappy" snake.

[Plissken]

Hi guys. I came up with a question earlier and it intruiged me somewhat.

Whether snakes feel sad or depressed I think is down to your personal perception, but we do know they can feel stressed... my question is, what negative effects can prolonged stress have on a snake?

Let me explain:
I'm hopefully getting a snake on Thursday. He was mistreated by a previous owner and isn't particularly happy, he isn't growing very quickly, etc. Can stress have negative longterm effects on a snake, such as slowing down the growing process?

[Tula_Montage]

I'm pretty sure bad husbandry is the cause of most health related issues...

Stress can cause a snake to not eat etc, but the stress would probably be initially due to the previous owners bad husdandry skills... Thus why the snake is probably not growing.

[PtDnsr]

I believe its along the lines of the snake is stressed so it doesn't eat and therefore doesn't grow like it should. Not sure if it will stunt their growth for good or not. As for the snake you will be getting, my best advice is to give it a tank with plenty of hides (a paper towel roll is great for being able to go accross the gradient without coming out in the open) and leave him alone when you first get him. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

~Katie

[bitsy]

Stress can cause feeding response problems. Also, it can cause dehydration issues if the snake is so wary that it won't come out of its hide. If it has been mistreated, you might expect it to be mistrustful of humans and will possibly have a bad temperament. If it has suffered physical injury, then it could have shedding problems, with incomplete or frequent sheds.

If I get a rescue in, my first action is to get it to my vet for a check-up.

It goes without saying that all new snakes should be quarantined and kept well away from your current reptiles for a minimum of three months - longer if you can manage it. You need to take extra care with a rescue as it could have health problems or mites that would not necessarily have been of concern to the previous owner.