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Thanks
Forky

hey Joe, how's the hoggy?
Todd Hughes

I have no clue how a 14" - 16" snake can take a direct hit head and neck from a tire and come out unscathed, but so far (knock on wood) this little guy is living proof.

Have not tried to feed him yet, wanted to watch him and make sure everything was ok, but now I think it's time to test the digestive and see what happens.

Forky

today I see which ribs got blown out and he's really puffy up there below the neck. Only time will tell I guess.

Forky

We found one when I was a kid living near Tyler that had a profusely bleeding opening in the abdominal cavity - like a tear in the skin 2" long, and you could see into the abdominal cavity. Dad threw it in the back of the truck, took it home and tossed it in a bucket, and came out to pickle it about an hour later and found it alive, not bleeding, and crawling around normally . . . I don't remember how long we had it, but it did eat and survive.

I also had a wc male for years that had been hit in the neck region (from east of San Angelo).

Troy

how, or will these ever heal? In all my years I've never kept a snake that got smacked or was injured in such a way. I guess I could read Frye vol I&II and see if there's anything in there on the subject. Just thought I'd ask for personal experiences first.

Forky

I don't remember about the one we found when I was a kid. The one I had from Concho Co had a few broken ribs at midbody. They healed, but there was always a "soft" spot there where you could feel the absence of ribs.

Over the years, I've had several snakes that have been hit . . . a 277 alterna (not one I found) that was run over mid-body with little ill effect, several snakes hit/side-swiped in the head with broken jaws/distorted eyes that survived and did just fine (including my nicest Juno blairs, and a corn that is in my wife's classroom right now), a prairie king that someone took a hoe to and that had a deep cut out of its neck about 3/5 of the way through (which also lived for quite some time).

Basically, in my experience, a snake that survives for more than 24 hours is usually going to live unless there is damage to its digestive tract. If it eats, it will live. My most difficult nursing job was the Juno blairs - I had to tube feed it pureed pinky for about 6 months before it took food voluntarily.

Troy

Maybe a splint of some kind made of cardboard and tape? T.p. roll? i would try offering a very small toad and see what happens. It surely won't go back on it's own, but maybe he is a survivor type, and the damage is tolerable. Man, i wonder how they get along in the wild with such wounds. i would imagine it wouldn't survive if plenty of food and optimum everything weren't readily available. Good luck. I know you can get another if you want to. You look like you have a little hoggy in you.....NO?.... The splendida ate well and the others are doing great also!
Todd Hughes

Hey both of the splendida are bulking up really nicely. Actually I can't get photos of them because of the large lumps they are currently sporting, but soon I'll get the camera to them both. I'd be real surprised if they don't breed next spring.

I've decided I need representatives of all three lampropeltis species from that area.

Forky

Caelenops or annulata? Or both? Maybe 4 species?
Todd Hughes

Lmapropeltis triangulum celaenops, Lampropeltis alterna and Lampropeltis getula splendida.

Then I'm going to put them all in the same cage and see who wins... haha

Who's the dufus in the sleeping bag? Nice pic of the indy and put 20 on the L.g.s. for me, unless it is way smaller than the others! Have you tried to feed the hoggy yet?
T.Hughes

>>Caelenops or annulata? Or both? Maybe 4 species?
>> Todd Hughes
>>