Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How often do Milk Snakes regurge a meal for no apparent reason?
Last night my Winston Co., AL male syspila regurged 2 pinkies.
It's the first time I've ever had a Milk snake regurge a meal.
I didn't disturb him or anything, I just found obviously regurged pinkies this morning.
In general, what are some reasons that snakes regurge a meal? Should I be concerned?
Thanks for any opinions.
scott

It's that time of year when people don't provide the right temps for their snakes.
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Diego

SWCHR

In addition to proper temps, hatchlings can regurge from a meal that was too large. You mentioned that the snake ate 2 pinkies. Have it been taking 2 pinks? If not that could be the cause. Also if you attempted to handle it after its meal.
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"The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think. Oh by the way, which ones pink?"

The temps are fine, so no problem there.
I always feed this snake 2 medium sized pinks. Last night I fed him 3 extra small pinks (he kept 1 down apparently).
That's the first time I've ever fed him 3, but they were very small. But, that very well could be the problem.

Thanks
scott

Scott, I went back over a number of my feeding charts and have to say, it just happens. Not to adults to often, only neonates.
Syspila seem to regurge a little more then my multistrata or gentilis. If I felt like the pink was to big on a regurge I'd write it down on the chart, but I didn't find to many of those in my charts.
I do have one adult multistrata that as a neonate had a number of regurges over a six week period. To try and stop the regurge, I made a point of only feeding it small pinks once every 7 to 10 days. After 2 months of feeding like this I bumped up the size and the Pale never had a regurge again. (Thank god, bulimic snakes stink.)

-Dell

Thanks Dell.
I fed the snake 3 very small pinks, which were probably less in volume or weight than the 2 normal size pinks that I usually feed this guy. Apparently he kept 1 pink down, as I couldn't find it.
Since this is the first time he has ever regurged, AND the first time I've ever offered 3 pinks... well it must be related.

BTW, that is a beautiful Milk Snake! You and Cole have the best looking Milks of anyone I've seen. I'm just partial to NA locality animals and you guys have the best.

scott

Thanks Scott, I have some nonlocality animals in my collection, but perfer locality animals also.

-Dell

Pennington co. SD

I really like those!!!!!! Geez Dell!
Pennington Co. SD seems to be my favorite so far!
Okay, just send a pair over as soon as the great thaw
happens. LOL!!! The checks in the mail.
-Phil
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Work is the curse
of the drinking class!

Phil you have picked one of the more rare localities to find in the multistrata world.
Cole produced my pair in 07, and I should say they are beasts, (Monster Island beasts?). I'm not sure they are that big, but this race of multistrata is a fast growing giant of a Pale.
We're lucky to have them.

Here's the male.

Enough said!
-Phil
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Work is the curse
of the drinking class!

Put me down for a pair of those this spring Dell
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"What do people see in those pink snakes ?" Charles Darwin
Doug L

Scott,

I had a similar problem a few weeks ago...several of my 08 hatchlings regurged a meal all within the same week.

Turns out (I believe) that the night time temp drops were too dramatic for them to take. It was dropping to 68 at night. I went out and bought an oil space heater that keeps night time temps in the low - mid 70s and all have been holding down the pinks ever since.

Don't know if this could be it or not, but thought I'd mention it.

Dave

DNS Reptiles

It could be temperature ( best to have a warm to cool area), substrata ( try newspaper or paper towel), blockage ( hope not), or size of prey (try smaller). Above all don't handle babies, especially after eating, till they grow some, and location (anywhere else but near a tv or music system.

Mike

Dave is on the right track - too cool temps are the number one reason for regurgitation and I'd install some heat tape on a couple shelves or a separate controller for the more delicate milks that barf when the temp drops below 80. I have a group of pales that stay at 85 degrees 24 hours a day while the rest of the room is controlled at 77-80. Their temp preference vexed me for a year because we all know that 80 is optimum temp - lesson learned.
77-80 is a general target temp, some milks need just a bit more heat, others thrive at 75-77.
Bump the temp a bit and try again after a few days.
Good luck with the little syspila....
Jeff
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If Patrick Henry thought that taxation without representation was bad, he should see it with representation.