Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I don't know much about snakes so I need your help. This little guy came as a 'contaminant' with a bag of "malaysian hardwood" (for aquarium decorations).

(boy i don't know why,but i really find myself wanting to type 'elaphe',lol)....as for subspecies,i'd say spiloides,the gray rat.what's the deal,it was dead in the bag of mulch?that's sad,those are nice snakes.what area was it bagged/bought in?that would solve the subsp. question,maybe.
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"with head raised regally,and gazing at me with lidless eyes,he seemed to question with flicks of his long forked tongue my right to trespass on his territory" Carl Kauffeld

I agree. Definitely a rat snake. I'd guess that it's a yellow rat by the small blotch pattern.

Hello, finally someone answered, been waiting anxiously.

It is not dead, It seems it has tried to swallow a piece of wood or something... at least it looks like it has a piece of wood stuck in it's mouth. I want to help him by trying to remove it but I haven't dared to touch him in case he's venomous. Is it venomous?

any tips for saving him is welcome, I have dripped some water in his mouth as he looks dehydrated. I think i can see his tongue move now...

Rat snakes are non-venomous constrictors. That young fella is safe to handle. Once the crud is out of its mouth, offer it some water. If you care to keep it, very young mice should be accepted.

~~Greg~~

Unfortunately, when I removed the wood, I noticed that it's head had been deformed and it had a wound from it's mouth all the way to the back of its' head. I had to finish him off.

Sad. Not only because all reptiles are illegal here (norway) and this where a really rare chance at keeping one without buiyng one from the same guys that sell crack.

Anyway, thanks for the ID and the tips.

You probably did the right thing though. The resulting mouth infection could have been pretty nasty and painful for the snake. Then again I saved a prairie king during a crow attack that I was sure wouldn't survive the head trauma it sustained. I released him a few months later with some scars (and also fatter!). It was nice of you to try though!