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 thought 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.
