• Hello!

    Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.

    Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....

    Please be certain that the location field is correctly filled out when you register. All registrations that appear to be bogus will be rejected. Which means that if your location field does NOT match the actual location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected.

    Sorry about the strictness of this requirement, but it is necessary to block spammers and scammers at the door as much as possible.

Found snake dead this afternoon

C

cejean

New member
After having him less than a full week, I went in to check on Chester and found him dead in his tank this afternoon. I'm not sure what to think or feel at the moment. All I can think is I hope it wasn't something I did or didn't do that caused it. I got him from Petco since my husband refused to even consider ordering online. Believe me, I wanted to. I even had the breeder picked out and knew which snake I wanted to order. Anyway, that didn't happen and we ended up at Petco a week ago tomorrow. They claimed to have fed him the previous Sunday, so I was waiting until this Sunday to let him get used to his new home and kind of keep to the same schedule. I believe that may have been a mistake. Maybe I should have tried feeding sometime midweek?

His tank was a 20 gal snake kit we'd bought previously and had set up. I was using a red night light heat lamp to provide heat until the thermostat I ordered comes in the mail to regulate the uth I have. The tank was staying around 75 on the cool side and 85 on the warm side. He had 2 hides, one on each end of the tank, several branches, and several plants to play on. I'd seen him out and about a few times. I only got him out and handled him once and he seemed ok but I've never owned a snake before so I have no idea if he was acting normal or not. He moved around really slowly a bit, then just kind of froze up and didn't move anymore. I carried him back to his tank and he crawled back into it slowly but on his own power. That was two days ago.

I took everything out of the tank and disinfected it in bleach water. I think I read that was ok to do. We're going back to the store tonight and exchanging him for another one since it's still within the 15 day period. I told my husband that if this happens again I don't care what he says, I'm not buying from there again. Is it possible this was caused by something I did though and not just bad luck? Please give me some advise because I don't want this to happen again if I can prevent it.
 
So sorry you lost your baby. Sometimes these little ones aren't meant to make it. I know your husband is against ordering online, but you would have a better chance of success with a baby from a breeder.
The problem with animals from huge chain pet shops is that sometimes the conditions they come from are not the best, to say it nicely. I can say that there is a good chance that this little one never had a chance no matter how much of a great keeper you are.
Breeders tend to care more about each and every baby they produce, and will do everything they can to make your experiance be a successful one.
 
I'm so sorry for your loss. It's terribly traumatic, even when you've only had your babe for a few days. There's very little you could have done to a healthy hatchling in the time you owned it, which would have killed it. Certainly delaying feeding by a few days would have no impact at all. They can sometimes refuse food for weeks at a stretch and remain in good physical condition.

The things I can think of as your main potential risks are heat or chemicals. If the tank was too hot and he couldn't get somewhere cool enough, that could be fatal - although this would probably have triggered intense activity first rather than the slowdown which you seem to have seen. Any household or personal chemicals are potentially poisonous - cleaning products, air freshener, scented candles, cologne, anti-perspirant, fly spray, mould treatments...

If you can rule out those factors then I'm afraid you've just fallen victim to the situation where some hatchlings simply don't make it. In the wild, the majority of eggs don't hatch - they form part of the food chain. In captivity, we control incubation and probably hatch many Corn babes which wouldn't have lived in nature. Some will live happily and healthily for months before succumbing to a health problem which only becomes apparent as they grow larger. Some appear healthy at first but then pass without any kind of warning.
 
Sorry to hear you lost your new friend As stated some just don't have the rite hand. It sounds like you had things correct. And know it wouldn't be anything you did in less then a week. I sure hope you get another one and not give up on having snakes. On a brighter side petco should have a 14 day return policy. I would use it to get another one if its your only option.
 
I am so sorry that you lost your baby. Like the other two said, I don't think you did anything wrong.
 
Baby snakes can go weeks without food. He didn't starve to death in your care.

When you pick your new baby, choose one that is big and strong. Fat, even. If the store feeds him, do not transport him home for at least 48 hours after feeding, preferably 72.

I'd ask if there is one from a different shipment, or one that has been at the store for a while and taken several meals.
 
I am so sorry for your loss. It hurts, no matter how long you've had the snake. And it is natural to blame yourself. But like others have said, there is very little you could have done in a week, to cause its death. Still hurts I know.

Find another, from a reputable breeder, if you can.

Again, not your fault. Keep telling yourself that.
 
I am sorry you lost your baby, if they will give you a refund and your hubby will allow I will send you a baby for the cost of shipping. I have two that stayed here and would love to see one of them get a great home.
 
I am so sorry for the loss of your baby :(. I had a similar experience with my 5 year old female. I purchased her from a very reputable breeder, and had her for around 6 months. Sometimes there is no explanation for a snake's sudden death. I would definitely not buy another snake from the pet store. most pet stores I have been to keep their reptiles in deplorable conditions. I would recommend looking around for any reptile shows or conventions in your area. Or you might want to consider adopting one from an animal shelter.
 
Petco does keep a log book of feedings ask them to see that log on the one you decide on so you can see how well it's been eating and what. it will also give you a hint to how long they have had it in store.
 
epicdoom said:
Petco does keep a log book of feedings ask them to see that log on the one you decide on so you can see how well it's been eating and what. it will also give you a hint to how long they have had it in store.
Click to expand...

Having worked at Petco, and tried to start a feeding log, where I worked. I can say that they do not keep a log book. Unless your petco actually has people who care and are knowledgeable about the snakes. In my experience, 90% of the time it does not work out this way.

Also, keeping log books in a (pet) chain store is rather difficult to do, because of the constant flow of the animals. I know this because I tried. It was hard to get the managers on board, much less my fellow coworkers.
 
crotalis40741 said:
I am sorry you lost your baby, if they will give you a refund and your hubby will allow I will send you a baby for the cost of shipping. I have two that stayed here and would love to see one of them get a great home.
Click to expand...

That is so sweet of you. Thank you so much for the offer but they did let us exchange it. The guy at the register didn't have a clue what he was talking about and tried to tell us there weren't any in the store. Ended up calling a manager to see if we could get a rain check to come back when they did have some in stock and she said they did have some. Sure enough, the display was full. All they had were red ones and two white ones. Sorry, not sure on the proper morphs. I can already tell this one is night and day different from the last. When I went to put it in the tank it was out and gone before I had a chance to pick it up. Chester was never that energetic. Luckily, I had the box sitting in the tank so she didn't get far. I tried to snap a picture really quick before she went and hid but it turned out really crappy. Just from tonight I feel much better about this one.

78A15CEF-C228-4E8F-B3F7-4603F27E70A4-13211-00000A58FAA5C162.jpg
 
Oh, and thank you to everyone who replied. It meant alot to hear that most everyone agrees it wasn't something I did that caused poor Chester's death.
 
Well, I hope this one works out better. Looks like a cute little amelanistic corn - just like my first!
 
Outcast said:
Having worked at Petco, and tried to start a feeding log, where I worked. I can say that they do not keep a log book. Unless your petco actually has people who care and are knowledgeable about the snakes. In my experience, 90% of the time it does not work out this way.

Also, keeping log books in a (pet) chain store is rather difficult to do, because of the constant flow of the animals. I know this because I tried. It was hard to get the managers on board, much less my fellow coworkers.
Click to expand...

its possible they weren't doing it yet at your store because all the Petco's and Petsmart for that matter keep log books here in Maryland. Not by word of mouth I have actually seen them during feeding day every Thursday at both chains, according to the girl at the Petco down the road from me its Mandatory. She wouldn't even wait on me till she was done logging in feedings. I frequent the stores because Thursday is also the day they get crickets. I buy those by the ton it seems. I try to be fair and hit several places so I don't deplete all at any one store LOL
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top