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I had a disturbing thing happen last night,dropped two f/t mice in with my Albino Rusty Black Rat.Thats a small meal for him,he was my backup garbage disposal and often got 4.When I checked on him about three hours later,he was on his back,mouth agape,and very dead.The mice had passed well back in his stomach.

Any thoughts?

Thanks Bear

That is strang, I'm sorry for your loss. I just lost a king snake I had for eight years, also a healthy snake that crashed in a few hours, I took it to the vet, and found out why it died. Put your mind to rest and take it to the vet. I was worried it was somethig nasty that was going to kill my other snakes.

I have to agree, the cost of a necropsy is worth knowing what is going on rather then potentially losing your whole collection.

Sean.

Thanks for the sympathies guys.
I wish I had thought of the necropsy before I buried the fella.I think In this heat it would not be good to get him out for a necropsy that couldn't be performed for a few days anyway

Bear

Wow... That's a puzzlement.
From what you say, husbandry seems good.
Assuming he was fine before and his water was normal (no surge of chlorine or no one sprayed air freshener over the cage recently).
The speed seems to indicate trauma.
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One long shot, but you'll never know, is that, although snakes seem to have a high tolerance to inbreeding (more so than mammals), and since albinism (amelanism) is a recessive trait, to produce morphs with traits you can see, some traits internally that you can't see pop up (e.g. weak heart, small liver, male infertility etc.)
I don't now keep but one or two morphs, but when anything mysterious happens to them, I pretty much shrug it off.
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Regards, Bill McGighan

Thanks for the reply Bill,
I hope it was a genetic anomolie and not something mysterious creeping through the collection.He was one of a kind here,and I had some high hopes for next season.I don't like to "shrug it off",but I guess I have little choice as far as he goes

Bear

>>...I think In this heat it would not be good to get him out for a necropsy that couldn't be performed for a few days anyway

Thats what fridges are for.

My vet did a necro as a freebie - he was just as curious as me.
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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 "Roberta" RELEASED!!!

What size animal?
What bedding medium?
Has an exterminator been to the house recently?
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Regards, Bill McGighan

Approx a 3 foot male,on newspaper and there hasn't been an exterminator in this house for 17 years

If all else seems normal, (I'm assuming a clean environment and all nessesary amenaties are in place), my first guess would be that the rodent did not pass properly to the gut( even though it got there). A mouse has very sharp small bones that can protrude when it is being squashed and squeezed downward in the upper/mid digestive tract. Anatomically a snakes vitals lie very close in this region. It would be rare, but a vital could be punctured from a fractured or dislocated bone. It can happen. I doubt if disease is the issue, because of the very short time before death. Something stopped ticking. I'm almost sure a vital organ was arrested from thorasic pressure or puncture. Snakes can pass away for unseen reasons. The mouse may or may not have been the cause. A thorough necroscopical exam would have revealed if this was the reason. Just a strong first guess. Its also possible that a bone from a previous rodent was lodged and pushed into a vital by the final rodents ingestion.

Art in Indy

Thanks for the reply Art,
He always was a bit of a chow-hound,maybe he did get a little overzealous with his meal. More and more I wish I had popped him in the freezer for a necropsy.

Bear

I am sorry for your loss. Freezing the animal is not a good idea when seeking a necropsy, it can mask what killed the snake.
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Thanks,

Frank Roberts
Roberts' Realm Of Reptile Research