Yesterday while exploring a tall grass thicket surrounding a pond in Indian Boundary Park in Chicago, I came across a 3' milk snake (not definitive, he's bright red with yellow bars within black bars), disoriented and injured. He was on the edge of the bike path, where a woman with an industrial-grade weed wacker (three trimming heads) had just finished cutting back weeds from the bike path.
The snake has what appears to be a broken back. He has great movement on the first foot of his body, then there is a kink which I'm calling the broken place and also a couple of nicks and a puncture. The wounds aren't bleeding.
After the injured place his body has movement and sensitivity. If I touch the portion below the injury, he reacts by moving that area, so I don't think he's paralyzed.
I'm assuming that the snake was hanging out in the tall weeds and got whacked---I think I found him minutes after the accident. Of course, this is all conjecture---he may have been run over by a bicycle while crossing the path or some-such. Who knows.
Could someone please advise me on how to care for and what to do with this guy. He doesn't seem like he's dying, he has limited mobility but it seems like he's getting stronger. He's drinking water and hanging out in a little box I tucked into the large rubbermaid container I have him in (airholes in the top). If he's going to recover I will release him where we found him (though I think he may have been let go there-this city park seems an unlikely place for a 3' snake like this). I'd just like to provide him with the opportunity to recover--I didn't want some opportunistic crows (or bad eggs) to have a pecking party while he was trying to drag himself to safety.
I posted this request for advice on the Chicago Herpetological Website, but garnered no responses. I imagine that removing the snake is considered wrong and that no on will offer advice as not to encourage me. I do believe releasing this guy is for the best eventually. As it is now the park is full of kids and this snake is slow and not really able to protect itself.
thanks,
victoria
