Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I got some corns I was keeping together, and as a result, I didn't spend much time with each of them individually.
I just made a rack for my hatchlings, and am currently making a rack for my yearlings, so I can keep them individually.
While feeding I noticed one with a retained tail shed. I freaked.
I tried to remove the retained shed, but the flesh under it was already dead.
The very tip of the tail is now black and the little guy lost maybe 1/8" of the tip of his tail.
So, is the tail dead?
Will it all fall off?
Do I have to take him to the vet so the vet can amputate?
Or now that he has good circulation in the tail, will it scar and be ok?
Waiting to make a vet appointment until the answers start coming in.
I will keep them individually as soon as my yearling rack is done, maybe today or tomorrow, I now see the wisdom of keeping them individually.

No vet. services necessary. It will fall off during the next shed or two. Don't worry about infections and do nothing other than to ensure this doesn't happen again on this or any other snakes. Make sure all dead skin is sloughed after shedding events. There's a picture of such a tail in my book on page 58. It shows the retained skin and how it cut off bloodflow to the tip of the tail. The other cause is trauma from the tail being shut in the lid of the cage or caught between cage furnishings.

In a year, nobody will believe this snake ever lost any of its tail.

Good luck,

Don
www.cornsnake.NET
Corn Snakes In Captivity

Thank you.
I was hoping the total lack of info on the net about this was a promising sign.....

i got your book for christmas and eventhough i only read the first 2 chapters. i love it already!!! i was surprised to heck that you actually dated and signed it! wow!! THANKS A BUNCH!!! and i'll probably finish reading it after work tonight!
~kin
-----
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SNAKIES~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Corns:
.1 Normal (Gertrude) [just a pet...she started it all]
1. Orange normal (Romeo)
1.2 Miami Phase (Hector, Emily, Charlotte) thanks jeff!
2. Miami Phase part zigzag (Starkey, Mcvitty)[Emilys F2]
1. Amel het Blizzard (Dunesbury) .1 Blizzard (Detta)
1. Classic het Hypo, poss het Amel, Anery (Cobra)
1.1 Classics (Henry VIII, Cassy) [Emilys F1 babies]
.1 Amel (Pepperoni) .1 Orange Reverse Okeetee (Lonna)
1.1 Hypo zig zags poss HET Caramel (Bernard, Abegail)
.1 Hypo HET Stripe (Gracie Lou) 1. Hypo Stripe (Gideon)
1.1 Anery HET Motley (Lleroy, Persia)
.1 Candy Cane (Peaches HoneyBlossom) [Just a pet]
1. Abbotts Okeetee (Albert) [Charlottes son]
1.1 Snow (Crickle, Isis) .1 Green Snow (Maya)
1. Caramel poss HET Butter (Topher)
.1 Anery stripe (V) [husbands snake...he named it]
1.2 Bloodred HET Amel 1. Amel HET Bloodred

Others:
1.1 Black rats (Willard, Cecily)
1.1 Striped Cal Kings (Dweezil, Skunky)
1. High-white Reverse Spotted Cal King (Wishbone)
.1 Albino Stripe Cal King (Eve)
.1 Bananna spotted/stripe cal king (Speckle) Thanks Jeff!!!
1.1 Thayeri (Giuseppe[MSP], Cheyenne)
1.1 Creamsicle HET Motley(Orangejello, Genevieve)
1. Creamsicle motley (no name) Thanks Jimmy!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~LEOPARD GECKOS~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.1 Blizzard (Blitz)
.1? High yellow (no name)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~TURTLES~~~~~~~~~~~~
.1 white cheeked mud (Opel)
.1 snapping turtle (no name, ideas welcome)

We autograph any book ordered through our web site.

Enjoy,

Don
www.cornsnake.NET
Corn Snakes In Captivity