Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This has been on my mind lately...

Since some of my snakes were acquired as adults, I figured that some just had blunt tails.

Then I purchased a neonate corn, CY had a sharp pointed tail.

By his third shed the narrow taper had become blunt.

His tail tip looks exactly like my Pueblan does.

However I have some other adult snakes with tails that taper down to a gradual point.

Botched shed?? Normal?

Peace,
Wayne

snakes

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1.2.9 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, & Kids
0.0.2 Thamnophis marcianus - Checkered Garter Snakes
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - common Garter - Princess
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua"
0.1.10 Storeria occipitomaculata - Red Belly Racers
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Juvinile CB
0.1.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
0.1.0. Green Anole "Crystal" WC
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
1.2.0. Feline"Felix" "Kaja" & "Silver"
0.1.0. calico RAT
2.4.?? Mice - Feeder farm
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

Different species of snakes have differently shaped tails. Corns tend to have a longer, more slender tail, while milks tend to have shorter, stouter tails (semi-arboreal vs. semi-fossorial snakes). All have an enlarged, pointed scale at the end of their tail (if no injury has occured). The shape of this tail spine is species-dependent, too - corns have a longer, more gradually tapering tail spine. Also, the "pointedness" of the tail spine is correlated with size. Think of it as a cone: Without getting into the mathematics of it, it's pretty easy to imagine the size of a cone increasing, and the pointed end feeling less pointed.

It's hard to say what's going on with your snakes' tails without photographs. Shed skin stuck at the end of the tail can certainly cut off blood flow and cause it to die and fall off.

Hope this helps
-Cole

n/p
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

Excellent and detailed reply

In the first post of this thread, is a picture of my corn.

His tail used to taper to a fine point. His first shed came off in pieces, the second shed is complete EXCEPT for about 2 MM of the tail tip. sheds 3 & 4 have been flawless, and CY is molting again right now.

Our DVM said CY is healthy, and I should not worry so much about the tail.

I think that in the first or second shed, it snagged up on the very tip. Most likely cutting off blood flow.

So what I now have is a Corn snake who has a tail that looks like my Pueblan. (short, blunt, rapid taper at the tip.)

Thanks !!!!

Wayne

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1.2.9 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, & Kids
0.0.2 Thamnophis marcianus - Checkered Garter Snakes
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - common Garter - Princess
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua"
0.1.10 Storeria occipitomaculata - Red Belly Racers
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Juvinile CB
0.1.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
0.1.0. Green Anole "Crystal" WC
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
1.2.0. Feline"Felix" "Kaja" & "Silver"
0.1.0. calico RAT
2.4.?? Mice - Feeder farm
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

..I had an eastern milk, male, 1989 captive , like a 2 year old probably.....2 foot plus, he had bad sheds on the tail tip...finally after like 3 sheds I got tired of seeing it and couldn't get it off "properly" so I just cut it off with scissors...the tail tip, yes......after a few years it grew a point on the end.....still stubby, but pointy, like you said, cone-like.........

......tips don't normally fall off often...and fat snakes have a more blunt tail.......
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