Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I searched the archives and I'm still so sad. Our 5 year old garter died this morning without warning. She had her mouth around her body (attached or perhaps devouring the tail. Too sad to look closely.)

Yesterday she was sort of mopey ... head resting on the water bowl. Got her fish (regular diet every 4 days or so) and she didn't seem interested. Checked on her today and her body was upside down under the moss.

What is the life expectancy? Did we do something wrong? Oh man, don't think I can bear to get a new one.

Thanks so much for listening and for any advice.

Linda

That's a tough one. If you didn't freeze the body, you can take it to the vet for a necropsy. Finding out what happened can be important emotionally. If the snake was a baby when you got it, I'm pretty sure that even little snakes like that live longer than 5 years.
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"The serpent crams itself with animal life that is often warm and vibrant, to prolong an existence in which we detect no joy and no emotion. It reveals the depth to which evolution can sink when it takes the downward path and strips animals to the irreducible minimum able to perpetuate a predatory life in its naked horror."
Alexander Skutch

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your little snake. The position of the snake sounds like what they normally go through during their death throes. These guys are almost always wild caught imports and it's hard to guess their ages when they come in as adults. They usually have internal parasites that they manage in the wild but that can overwhelm a snake in a captive environment. Also- a diet of live feeder fish may introduce other parasites into their system. Most types of feeder fish are also high in Thiaminase (sp?) which can lead to a vitamin B deficiency over time. There have been a number of discussions on the Garter snake and Water snake forums about it if you'd like to do a search. I think you did well to care for your snake for 5 years. When I had one 15 years ago- she only lived 3 years and the cause of death was most likely from internal parasites. If you do decide to purchase a new snake of the same type, you may want to find a vet to do a fecal test for parasites and treat them early on. Good luck and again, I'm sorry for your loss!
Lora

Sorry to hear about your loss too. But I have to tell you, you probably set the record for the longest captive longevity for Indonesian garter snakes. As someone said below, they come in wild caught from SE Asia by the thousands. They are starving and dehydrated for months before shipment. The majority die within a couple months of arriving in the pets stores. They usually have a heavy parasite load which can kill them over time.

Note they are not really "garter snakes" (Thamnophis) at all. In fact, I don't know any good information concerning their husbandry. We don't know that much about keeping them in captivity because they are "disposable" snakes. The collectors get paid a penny for them, the local distributor sells them for a nickle. The exporter sells them for $0.50, the importer sells them for $2.50, the jobber sells them for $5.00 and the pets store sells them for $20.00. If 70% die, they still make their money.

If you decide to buy another snake, I would suggest buying a captive born kingsnake or cornsnake. They are more hardy.

Good luck,,
joe

Have to agree. I tried them a couple of times but they didn't pan out. The best luck I know of was 1 year and that was a full adult when purchased.

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."