What is wrong?

[Cursed_Witch]

Let me clear things out

To save you the time of reading my previous posts. I will try to tell the whole story from the beginning.
Well almost 3 weeks ago my brother and I have caught a garter snake. And it was a sunny day, it was kept under the sun and my brother decided to wet it with the garden hose *pretty clever huh?* and soon in less than 15 minutes it died. I was devastated as snakes are my favourite animals.
One day, we were coming from Home Depot my brother stops at petco to get crickets... I have at least a dozen frogs and toads. Crickets are not for the snake. Anyways he goes to the snake section and asks me to get one and I said I cannot decide but he insisted because he was feeling guilty the other snake died.
Well I did get the snake, came home, left it for a week to get adjusted, then tried feeding him half a pinkie *as i was told by the petstore* he didn't eat. I try again 4 days later with different methods I have gotten from this site. Some of you were with me online during the process. SO he never ate. I call the petstore and they tell me they gave me a snake from the wrong container "the non-eating" so I gave it back to them and got this new one that the girl said he has shed two days ago and he is due to eat in two days.
But one my way back I have noticed the skin and I called back, they said it's because of the shed. It will go away. But I took pictures, which I have put the link in the 1st post. And here I am asking what to do.

I have not caused this to the snake, I have water in there, and I mist the viv twice a day. I am letting him get adjusted to the new viv but I have touched him and he felt really moist. I have temps on one side of the tank, which shows around 87 during the day and lower to mid 70's during the night. He does move around from hide to hide.

As I write this long message, I have put a WHOLE pinkie in a small tupperware. Left it in a dark room, hoping he will eat.

 

[cka]

Instead of misting twice a day (that's a bit much) just use a big waterdish...Too much humidity is just as bad as not enough...

 

[Cursed_Witch]

First Feeding!

It is almost 11 pm, just an hour after my last post. And to my surprise, i went up there to check, he did eat a full pinkie. Here's a lousy image of his lump. <img src="http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b113/Paolitta/Corn/DSCF0222.jpg">

Sorry im too carried away with this but I was really worried this one wouldn' eat.
So I guess, Step 1 = Completed. Im so happy.

 

[Wilder]

Good to hear that he has eaten! Remember to leave him alone for at least two days so he can digest his meal. You don't want to worry about a regurge now. You can try feeding him again in five days or so.

 

[Cursed_Witch]

I didnt think it would be easy

Yes thank you, I will remember that. At least now I know that this one IS eating.
But I still have to take care of his dehydration. I have tried soaking him, he did not stay there. And I tried the papertowel, but it was getting cold really fast. Maybe i didn't warm it as necessary.

 

[Wilder]

Yes thank you, I will remember that. At least now I know that this one IS eating.
But I still have to take care of his dehydration. I have tried soaking him, he did not stay there. And I tried the papertowel, but it was getting cold really fast. Maybe i didn't warm it as necessary.

I HOPE you're not doing this now after he has eaten. You WILL end up with a regurge. Just leave him alone for the next two days. Be sure there is fresh water in his dish and leave him alone.

 

[Cursed_Witch]

Geez That image is huge! Sorry

No No, of course not after he ate... As you can see in the pic, i took the tapperware and put it as is because I dont want to touch it. For 2 days! Im a good listener.

But when I held him today, he was moist, i did try to soak him anyway he kept trying to run away, and tried the warm/damp paper towel, he just stood there not moving.
Sorry to ask this, but what is exactly that I need to do now?

 

[amelanistic frank]

Cursed Witch-
Good job! Glad to hear he ate. Hang in there, like I said-
soak it up the advice the advice this board offers you,
and you will be fine, and so will your snake.

Dave \m/

 

[MastersHaven]

YAY!!! he ate, that's WONDERFUL!!!! :cheers:
you can put a moist hide in his tank by getting a delicup and placing damp moss or papertowels in it (somewhere in the middle of the tank *not too hot/not too cool*) he will get inside when he feels dry or too hot. you could do a search for *moist hides* or even *nesting boxes* <--- you may find something that will help in those also...

That way you dont have to mist so often and he will have free access to it without you having to touch him after he eats...

Nice Job!!! keep it up...
:wavey:

 

[Roy Munson]

It is almost 11 pm, just an hour after my last post. And to my surprise, i went up there to check, he did eat a full pinkie. QUOTE]

Excellent! I'm sure that everything's going to be ok. I'm happy for him (and you, of course).

 

[Cursed_Witch]

Step 2. Fixing the skin!

Thank you Roy, frank and all of you. I am glad, because this means progress...Now i will put the delicup in there with paper towels. But are they supposed to be hot or cold or anything, or just wet! And wouldn't they dry by the time i come home from work?

 

[Cursed_Witch]

and oh, i guess this means i dont suck that much in taking care of my snake! Right?

 

[Roy Munson]

and oh, i guess this means i dont suck that much in taking care of my snake! Right?

I guess not (ha ha). A feeding snake is a good sign. Now you can relax a little and enjoy your snake.

I wouldn't worry about the temperature of the wet paper towels. If you put the hide in the middle of the heat gradient as MastersHaven suggested, their temps will end up close to the ambient temp in that spot anyway.

 

[Tracee]

I must be missing something in the pictures because the skin problem is not too apparent to me! You have provided water and nourishment, which is all you need to do for now. Try not to worry about it too much unless the snake's condition deteriorates, just wait until s/he sheds. If it comes off ok you'll know for sure there is nothing wrong - and you can check the eye caps then as well. Corns are hardy snakes and don't require your constant attention to thrive; a successful first feed is a great sign. Good luck!

 

[Cursed_Witch]

Ever since he ate, he just stayed in the tupperware. So when i misted him last night he tried to drink it. SO i put some water in it and he drank it really fast... Then he moved around a bit....But hid the whole night..
I just came home from work, and i found him back in the tupperware thingy. So im worried if he doesnt know that he's supposed to drink! Besides i don't want him to get used ito sitting in that because that's what i feed him in and then he won't use his hides!

 

[SnakeAround]

Good job getting the sweet thing to eat!

I don't understand; do you mean you just put in water when he was obviously thirsty when you misted the viv? I assume the water is available all day... I hope and assume it's just a reading or typing error.

Why do you worry he doesn't know he's supposed to drink? He drank right in front of you you said? :shrugs:

I think if you'll take out the tupperware thingy when his skin is ok, he'll remember where to go to hide, don't worry! And I think it's a good thing when he's laying on the wet paper towels; thats what theye are meant for after all?

Last question; when you say the skin feels moist; I hope you dont mean a little wet or 'wettish'? A too high humidity could also cause the 'stretchy' skin! IOn the'othe rhand, if the corn gets on the wet towels by itself I guess the problem is not too high humidity...

f I were you I would stop the misting; as far a I know, it's not necessary and if there's a moist hide you can be sure the corn will condition its skin by its self.

 

[stormi]

I have noticed certain things i will name. But plz, stop with the "maybe u shoudnt get a snake" or "u should have done this or that..." advices... I already have the snake, n im not giving it up. OKK

I noticed:
- Whenever i take a pic with flash, his skin changes color (view imgs with flash discolor)
- One eye has a cap
- Skin is stretched or loose (view stretched skin imgs)
- He has a "default" in his pattern.

http://photobucket.com/albums/b113/Paolitta/Corn/

Please view the images n let me know if this snake is healthy or not.
I hope the link works
Thanks

the flash thing is from the camera...the streched skin is probaly sagging from the lack of mostier or water and i think there are very few snakes that have perfect patterns

 

[daufoi]

I'm not a snake expert but he looks a little skinny. With some of the pics, I think I might be looking at the spine. This might be causing the skin stretching? Maybe they weren't feeding him enough at the pet store?

 

[MastersHaven]

Some Ideas for moist hides...

hopefully things are still progressing with this little one...

I have some ideas for you to try regarding the moist hide.

what I use as a perminant moist hide in my viv's are gladware containers... I am attaching a few *not-so-great* photo's for you to refer to, the one in the photos is the 8 cup size (larger than what you will need) ... all I do is drill a few holes in it for ventilation and then one larger one on one end so the snake can come and go freely... I fill it over half way with a moistened moss (also shown in the photos) then I put the lid on the container and place it *upside-down* in the viv (usually buried an inch or so in the substrate) with the drilled holes visable to allow free air flow... I just check it every day or so and fluff the moss and make sure it is still damp. I also usually position it in a neutral area of the viv ( like I said before - not too hot/ not too cool)... this is a cheap and easy way to make sure your little one is happy...

and for those of us who love to hide their *hides* with greenery this same thing can be done with dry moss -- paper towels -- even substrate as a normal hide, then just place greenery around it and there you have it cheap and easy to clean.

hope this helps,

Ever since he ate, he just stayed in the tupperware. So when i misted him last night he tried to drink it. SO i put some water in it and he drank it really fast... Then he moved around a bit....But hid the whole night..
I just came home from work, and i found him back in the tupperware thingy. So im worried if he doesnt know that he's supposed to drink! Besides i don't want him to get used ito sitting in that because that's what i feed him in and then he won't use his hides!

 

[Cursed_Witch]

Thanks, ill definetly do that, I'll also search around in this site to see what is the most appropriate way to do it....

And for those who asked, what I was trying to say is that, even since the snake ate he did not move. I left him in the morning came back at night, he was still in his same place. So i figured he did not drink, other than his water bowl, I put some water in the container that he was in, coz thats where he stayed after eating (you can see in the image).
Last night he moved, because i found him in one of the hides this morning. And i think i found a dark round shiny thing, which i thought was feces, but how can it be under the water bowl? I don't think he can go under it, he tried before and i watched him not succeed going underneath it.