Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am a Nurse and after hearing some ear piercing screams this evening I ran downstairs to our Lab. People were clinging to each other at the counter...one woman was on top of chair even because there was a "snake" in the lab room. I went in with a few brave souls (behind me) and was suprised to find that there was a snake in there. We're in Baltimore County and it has been a warm rainy October... It turned out to be a completely terrified (and chilled) Northern Brown snake about 12" long. I would have taken it outside and let it go in the grass and trees except I noticed that it has wound bilaterally on it's mid section and worried about it's ability to survive/hibernate. It's not draining and perhaps is a newly formed scar. I'm thinking some kind of bite from a domestic animal. I could take a picture of it if anyone is interested. In any case I brought it home and put it in a plastic shoe box with a with a vented lid. It's pretty active now exploring the box and tasting the air now that it's warm, and doesn't have people screaming and going berserk. My plan is to release it, but I'd like to know if I can take it away from where it was found to a safer place, and can I give it a meal or two of baby crickets dusted with Herp vitamins? The former question because I work with a Doctor that lives on a farm and is happy to release it in his garden but I want to make sure given it's wounded it will survive hibernation or should I keep it until it's healed and release it in the Spring. Thanks for any help anyone can offer.

You would probably have more luck feeding a pinkie (a new born mouse) to the snake, they can be had at most pet stores.
Mark

I don't know how to post pictures, help? but her head is about the size of the cotton head of a q-tip, I think she/he is a juvenile still.

Brownsnakes are a pretty small breed. I don't think you could get it to eat a pinky even if it was bigger -- browns specialize in eating worms and slugs. You will probably have the best luck buying a container of earthworms at a bait shop or even at a gas station (if you live near water many gas stations carry worms). Wayne Harvey (username "dekaybrown" may be working on a care sheet for this species. He'll probably see this message and contact you, especially since I'm contacting him now to to let him know you could use his expertise on how to care for this little guy over the winter.

Thank you. He did contact me and offered to assist. Which is good because I can't seem to find that much on the internet. I'll feel better once I get this guy to eat something.

Please, Brown snakes eat Snails, Slugs and worms ONLY.

This poor animal needs to eat in order to heal, and foods like what you are talking about here will all be rejected by the snake.

Treat the wound with Silvadine SSD ointment to prevent infection. (Yes it is safe for use on reptiles, Vet recommended)

Releasing this specimen right now, with an open wound and questionable weather will almost ensure a very low chance of survival.

It was very lucky to have found you. Some people would have just killed it on sight.

Feel free to PM me if you want any one on one help..

Dances With Reptiles

-----
Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey

1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cain" Rescued from a crack house
0.1.9 Eastern MilkSnake WC "Carmella" adult super sweet temperment (Eggs all hatched!)
1.3.13 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, Copper, Sharon & Kids
0.1.0 Thamnophis cyrtopsis Easter Black Neck Garter "MoJo"
0.2.0 Thamnophis ordinoides - Northwestern Gartersnake(Blue Phase)
1.1.0. Thamnophis elegans vagrans Wandering Garter
2.2.0 Thamnophis Sirtalis - Florida Blue stripe Garter
2.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters
0.0.1 Thamnophis HybridAlbino Checkered Normal eastern"Mutt"
2.0.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters (xtreme orange phase)
1.1.0 Thamnophis RADIX - Snow Het
0.1.0 Thamnophis RADIX - Christmas Albino
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - Red Phase Eastern Garter red and white stripes
0.0.1 Thamnophis butleriButler's Garter Snake
0.0.4 Thamnophis proximus orariusCoastal Ribbons
0.0.7 Thamnophis sirtalis - Eastern Garter babies 7/11/08
0.0.7 Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis HET Anerythristic Scott Felzer stock.
0.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis Eastern Snow "Snowflake"
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis California Red Sided (R.I.P. little guy)
1.0.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue)
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua" adult WC Pink eater!
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Sub-adult CB
1.0.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major"Limon"
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER" Getting Huge!
1.1.3. Green Anole "Crystal" & "Chris"
0.1.0 Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) - "Peach" (A Monitor with fins)
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
0.2.0. Feline"Felix"(R.I.P. 4/27/08) "Kaja" & "Silver"
2.1.0. calico RATS
??.??.?? Mice - Feeder farm - Crickets / fish / Giant roaches
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

Thanks! I can get earthworms from the pet store. I'll have to check for snails and slugs. How often should I offer these savory brown snake treats? Luckily I have Silvadene cream (I'm a nurse) and sterile qtips. If I'm going to winter this little guy/gal I'll need to get better digs for it than a plastic shoe box. What sort of substrate/temp/humidity conditions am I aiming for, especially if it's going to have silvadene on it's body? Also should I dust it's meals with vitamin powder to help the healing process?

For starters I would set up a 10 gallon tank with a screen cover and "Cage Carpet" (Sold at most pet stores, it is a sheet of fake grass)

That will keep substrate from sticking to the wound or the food items.

Dekayi snakes metabolize faster than most larger snakes, so they like to eat a lot.

A worm a day would not be too much, and if you cannot find any slugs, I can mail you some.

Flukers supplement with calcium sprinkled on a worm or slug a couple times a week would not hurt, however these little guys have marvelous healing abilities, I have seen specimens that have been run over by lawn mowers heal up.

Dances With Reptiles

-----
Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey

1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cain" Rescued from a crack house
0.1.9 Eastern MilkSnake WC "Carmella" adult super sweet temperment (Eggs all hatched!)
1.3.13 Storeria dekayi - Brown Snakes Casper, Xena, Athena, Copper, Sharon & Kids
0.1.0 Thamnophis cyrtopsis Easter Black Neck Garter "MoJo"
0.2.0 Thamnophis ordinoides - Northwestern Gartersnake(Blue Phase)
1.1.0. Thamnophis elegans vagrans Wandering Garter
2.2.0 Thamnophis Sirtalis - Florida Blue stripe Garter
2.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters
0.0.1 Thamnophis HybridAlbino Checkered Normal eastern"Mutt"
2.0.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters (xtreme orange phase)
1.1.0 Thamnophis RADIX - Snow Het
0.1.0 Thamnophis RADIX - Christmas Albino
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - Red Phase Eastern Garter red and white stripes
0.0.1 Thamnophis butleriButler's Garter Snake
0.0.4 Thamnophis proximus orariusCoastal Ribbons
0.0.7 Thamnophis sirtalis - Eastern Garter babies 7/11/08
0.0.7 Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis HET Anerythristic Scott Felzer stock.
0.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis Eastern Snow "Snowflake"
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis California Red Sided (R.I.P. little guy)
1.0.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue)
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua" adult WC Pink eater!
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Sub-adult CB
1.0.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major"Limon"
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER" Getting Huge!
1.1.3. Green Anole "Crystal" & "Chris"
0.1.0 Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) - "Peach" (A Monitor with fins)
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
0.2.0. Feline"Felix"(R.I.P. 4/27/08) "Kaja" & "Silver"
2.1.0. calico RATS
??.??.?? Mice - Feeder farm - Crickets / fish / Giant roaches
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

Thanks for posting the pictures. I have resuced a couple of large lizards over the years and have to say that the requirements to maintain the Northern Brown are really easy in comparison. Two points for indigenous. I did find two small slugs yesterday turning over rocks and pieces of wood, although not before a fallen tree branch poked up thru the bottom of my pants leg making me jump a few feet. The little Brown was unimpressed when I put them in the aquarium. If you can send me some slugs that would be greatly appreciated. I want to make sure I'm offering the right size prey. In other news, LB (short for Little Brown) has a really gentle and curious disposition when being held to apply Silvadine. My first instinct was to not handle him too much to avoid stress but I think he's actually happier being out of the tank weaving around my hands and arms... he hooks his tail around my wrist for security and flicks his tongue checking everything out. I'm enamoured...

Yep, those Dekayi's will do that to you.

I'll be in touch about where to send your slugs.
Dances With Reptiles

-----
Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey

1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cain" Rescued from a crack house
0.1.9 Eastern MilkSnake WC "Carmella" adult super sweet temperment (Eggs all hatched!)
1.3.13 Storeria dekayi - Brown Snakes Casper, Xena, Athena, Copper, Sharon & Kids
0.1.0 Thamnophis cyrtopsis Easter Black Neck Garter "MoJo"
0.2.0 Thamnophis ordinoides - Northwestern Gartersnake(Blue Phase)
1.1.0. Thamnophis elegans vagrans Wandering Garter
2.2.0 Thamnophis Sirtalis - Florida Blue stripe Garter
2.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters
0.0.1 Thamnophis HybridAlbino Checkered Normal eastern"Mutt"
2.0.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters (xtreme orange phase)
1.1.0 Thamnophis RADIX - Snow Het
0.1.0 Thamnophis RADIX - Christmas Albino
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - Red Phase Eastern Garter red and white stripes
0.0.1 Thamnophis butleriButler's Garter Snake
0.0.4 Thamnophis proximus orariusCoastal Ribbons
0.0.7 Thamnophis sirtalis - Eastern Garter babies 7/11/08
0.0.7 Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis HET Anerythristic Scott Felzer stock.
0.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis Eastern Snow "Snowflake"
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis California Red Sided (R.I.P. little guy)
1.0.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue)
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua" adult WC Pink eater!
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Sub-adult CB
1.0.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major"Limon"
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER" Getting Huge!
1.1.3. Green Anole "Crystal" & "Chris"
0.1.0 Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) - "Peach" (A Monitor with fins)
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
0.2.0. Feline"Felix"(R.I.P. 4/27/08) "Kaja" & "Silver"
2.1.0. calico RATS
??.??.?? Mice - Feeder farm - Crickets / fish / Giant roaches
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.