Hatchling death and questions

[PyramidPythons]

I am very upset right now, so forgive me for any errors or anything. This morning when I went to check on my hatchlings, I found my older hatchling from Apopha's first clutch dead. I had fed her the night before, a small pinky. She had taken the pinky no problem and all seemed well. This morning, the pinky was halfway in her mouth (I think she tried to regurg it), but she was dead. I'm so upset, I don't know what happened or could have happened to cause this. I keep the babies in their own little tupperware container (drilled with tiny holes for air) and a water bottle cap filled with water, on paper towels. I kept them in a small rack that is heated on the back with Flexwatt controlled by a Zilla thermostat. When I checked temps, the back (where the tape is) was 82F, the front (which is the cool side) was 78F. I don't know what happened, or what caused her to regurgitate, but it looked as if she couldn't get the pinky out of her mouth. Could she have suffocated? Has anyone else ever had this problem? Should I be worried about my other hatchlings...they all were fine when I checked on them. Could this be some sort of genetic disorder that the others will get? I'm so upset, I don't know what to do. Any help or suggestions would be so gratefully appreciated.

[sarahlovesmiike]

The low temps most likely contributed to the regurgitation.

[AkHerps]

I agree, aren't the hot spots for corns supposed to be 88-92?

I am going to guess that when she tried to regurgitate maybe the mouse got caught on a tooth and she couldn't get her breathing tube out..

[m00kfu]

I've successfully kept both a corn and a mexican black kingsnake at an ambient of 83 and no hotspot for a little over two years now, never had a regurge with either.

[sarahlovesmiike]

Whoops! My bad, for some reason I thought I was reading in the ball section!


Sorry about the baby

[AkHerps]

Okay, I thought that was true, but googled a bunch of care sheets and looked on here and it said 88-92.

Freak accidents do happen and they are bad. My snakes 2nd meal...his jaws twisted and he swallowed the entire bottom portion of his face and almost died because his air tube was smashed down his throat.

Weird things do happen, and I don't think you should be worried about your other snakes.

Regurge is usually caused by stress, illness, husbandry, or over eating.

[Rorschach]

Sounds like the poor little bugger suffocated.

As for temps, I am reading around 85 is good with or without hotspot. I've had my corn for a couple years and on occasion will go without a hotspot and just an ambient temp of around 80 give or take with no issues.

Sorry for your loss

[RichsBallPythons]

Those saying 88-92 is way too hot and will most likely cook the lil guys.

Hot site of 82 is perfectly fine for them.

I dont think it suffocated due to able to swallow it no problems, I think the pinky cause internal trauma to a possible internal birth defect.

[AkHerps]

Sorry, I got my info off of NERD's care sheet, so I thought it would be pretty spot on.

[Rorschach]

Sorry, I got my info off of NERD's care sheet, so I thought it would be pretty spot on.

I just went to the site after reading your response and saw the same thing. I do have the Corn and Rat Snakes Book out in my car and I am too lazy to get it to use it as a reference. But on this site http://www.anapsid.org/corn.html it's 75 - 85.

Can't blame them, That's why they specialize in balls, not corns! lol