Reptile & Amphibian Forums

my blue Eastern Garter that i got at a show in 2002 passed away Wednesday. i was heartbroken. i wished i knew if it was my fault or if there was already something wrong with him. i haven't had the money for a vet trip and i feel really bad. i have 5 other Garters(Easterns & Checkered) and a Western Ribbon. i fed him 18 rosy reds on March 11th(he was always a big eater for his size!). i though he was doing okay. i used to keep him together with 3 other snakes. last year, i thought he had mites or something because he would get in these modes where he would race his cage like something was bothering him. i finally concluded that it was stress because every time another snake would touch him or crawl across him he would go nuts. i separated him from the others and he seemed to calm down. i had noticed that despite being a good eater, he was a little bit on the skinny side - borderline Ribbon snake skinny which is not normal for Garters. he was a baby when i got him and had grown a little since then. normally, i fed him fish, but last year i did give him a small frog or two. is it possible that an internal parasite is what killed him? i only wish i knew. i've had snakes die before, but you never get 'used' to it. i would appreciate anyone's input or ideas.

my little buddy R.I.P.

I'm so sorry to hear that. Sounds a little like neurological problems.....did he do any stargazing or fipping into odd positions? Can be caused by viruses, by bacterial infections involving the brain, or by a severe B1 vitamin deficiency. I almost lost my 9 yr old Ribbon Snake 2 weeks ago to a combination of B1 deficiency, not eating for 6 weeks, and a respiratory infection(the cause of the not eating).

Found out that her steady diet of goldfish was one of the problems...she's always been a little "twitchy", one of the early signs of a problem with B1. She spent 4 weeks getting Baytril injections for her lungs, then 3 weeks on oral B1 supplements, and a week being forcefed a mixture of Hills a/d mixed with Pedialyte.

I'm happy to say that she shed 2 days ago and ate 5 Chubs today....looking happy and healthy....It really was touch and go for 2 solid weeks of intensive home nursing. My vet gave her less than a 10% chance....so don't beat yourself up too bad.

Rosy reds I think are not one of the "safe" fish for garters and ribbons to eat long term....I can give you a list of fish you can get at bait shops that are safe if you want it.

thanks so much for the kind words and advice. glad to hear that your snake beat the odds. could you send me that list? i very much appreciate all the help. thanks again!

sincerely,

greg

Here's the link. It's a book on nutrient requirements of mink. The first page is a list of fish that DO contain thiaminase...the "bad" fish. Starting on the bottom of the first page is the second list, of "good" fish that do NOT contain thiaminase.

http://books.nap.edu/books/030903325X/html/64.html#pagetop

p.s. oh! about the stargazing...he never did any of that to my knowledge, nor did he have the telltale 'spiral convulsions' or loss of equilibrium usually associated with thiamine deficiency. he just would run circles in his cage.