Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I need some help, and since I have a corn snake and know this forum is very active, please share your wisdom. (And even though this is a bit o/t, it could also help your corns...)

My son's yearling Kingsnake, Jackie, died the other evening. I assumed it was because she hadn't eaten since Sep 3, 2006, but now I'm wondering...

I set up a fish tank in my son's room the day or so before Jackie died. The afternoon of the evening she died, I added some plants and decorations (a castle-like thing with a drawbridge that goes up/down from air bubbler). After it was running, I noticed a strange smell, but it wasn't that strong. Since she died, it has now gotten much stronger, kind of like overheated plastic.

Is it possible either the aquarium decoration or the plastic of the hood/filter/light is leeching toxic gases (like you get from new vinyl) and that killed her? She died with her mouth stretched wide open. Is that how they normally die?

My God, I feel horrible if that was what killed her, because despite the fast, she did look pretty healthy (besides the narrow neck and some shrinking) when she died. Is it possible?

Walt

While it may certainly have caused her problems I would think that if she had not eaten since Sept that she had something else going on for a while.
Was she seen by a vet? Did she have a stool sample run?
Was she shedding and was it well?
I would tend to suspect protozoans in her gut but only 'cause it is something I had trouble with before and symptoms are ambiguous.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny