Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have an albino checkered garter. I've had him for almost a year. His last shed was about 2 weeks ago. I noticed today that the very tip of his tail looks dead. It looks like it got tied off and died. It is just the very tip, like an 1/8 of an inch or even less. The dead part is still attached. What do I do?! Do I leave the dead piece on? What caused it to happen and will it get worse? Is his diet the cause? He eats 6 to 8 live minnows a week. I read the post below about how to switch him from fish to pinkies - should I do that?

This sort of thing sometimes happens. The usual cause is that a bit of unshed skin was left on the tail tip. The old skin shrinks as it dries, cuts the blood flow off, and kills the affected part of the tail. If left alone, the tip of the tail falls off eventually. You may be able to put your snake in some lukewarm water for half an hour or so to soften up the old skin and get it off manually. The tail tip might survive if this is done. If you do nothing, the tail tip will die if it is not already dead.

If the tail tip is dead, it will simply fall off during a later shed. You do not need to do anything to treat the problem.

His diet is not the cause. You may change the diet if you choose, but the change is optional and is not mandatory.

The cause is that conditions are a little too dry in the cage during the shed. The dryness makes the old shed a little harder to get off, and it tears at the tail tip instead of taking the skin off the tip, too. Higher humidity during the shedding process would help.

Paul Hollander

Thanks so much for the info! He has always shed in one nice solid piece but I've never checked it all that close to make sure that it is truly a full shed, down to the very tip of his tail. From now on I'll check. And I'll mist his tank for a couple of days before he sheds.

Thanks!

Losing the tip of the tail is not uncommon for wild snakes. The common wisdow was that these unfortunate individuals were the victims of malicious but inaccurate hoe-weilding gardeners.

However, it is now known that many snakes are able to sacrifice the tail tip as an escape tactic from predators. This is especially true for thin dirunal snakes like Racers. While this is similar to many lizards, snakes lack the ability to regenerate the lost tail, and will be forever stumpy afterwards. Tail tips may also be lost as the result of freeze injuries during winter brumation.

Losing a tail tip due to an incomplete shed may be disconcerting to the keeper, but to the snake is not a serious injury in and of itself. The snake will continue to grow, and shed, and in time you won't even be able to tell.

Your snake will be fine.

John D.
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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake "Yolanda"
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake "Steely Dan"
0.1 Desert Kingsnake "FATTY"
0.1 Black Rat (WV Rescue) "Roberta"

He eats 6 to 8 live minnows a week. I read the post below about how to switch him from fish to pinkies - should I do that?

Although it won't affect the tail issue, I recommed you switch it over to pinks. I have kept Checkered Gartersnakes on several occasions and they always ate rodents, even right out of the wild.

If your snake is large enough to eat a pinkie, I would suggest offering it one. You might need to put some fish slime on it the first time, but they readily eat rodents of the appropriate size.
The advantage is that they can eat rodents less often than you feed them fish, you can order frozen rodents and always have them available, and their cage will sure smell better!!

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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas