R.i.p.

[deathfromabove]

R.I.P. Monty my baby ball, 10/12/10-11/12/10 came home from work and there he was not breathing i tapped the tank to see if he would move and nothing should i get another one but this time from a breeder cuz i got this one from petco and all there snakes didnt seem to look to healthy, not like the ones i see on the forum at least, idk what the cause of death was i brought him to a clinic last night but they wanted 160 just to look at him so i just spoke to the doctor and she said just from viewing him he looks constipated and he regurged 2 out of 3 meals so he never realy had a good meal the whole time i had him i bathed him twice a week to make sure he wasnt getting dehydrated and to keep him clean.....idk..... my temps were 84 cool and 95 hot, humidity was low 40s but misted multiple times a day and it would bring it up to 58ish but it would just drop back down with in the hour, i even did the tinfoil on the screen trick and it didnt help, only screwed with my temps and made it allot harder to keep both ends of the tank at the right temp

[wstphal]

Sorry for your loss. I would NOT go to Petco or Petsmart, go to a breeder! They KNOW how to care for BPs so their babies are more likely to be healthy when you bring them home. Being in a pet store = stress = maybe not eating, maybe regurging, etc, etc, even before you bring them home.

Anyway, I hope Monty is in snake Heaven, and I hope you will try again with another snake, but go to a breeder! A classic BP doesn't have to cost all that much, but it's better to pay a little more and get a healthy well-started little one that you will live with and love for years. (((deathfromabove & Monty)))

[angllady2]

I am so sorry for your loss.

Unfortunately, unhealthy snakes are common from pet stores.
Necropsies can be quite expensive I know, so I understand you not being able to get one done.

Off hand, if he kept regurging there was something very wrong. His temps seem about right, so it could have been internal. I do know bathing is really not necessary, especially for dehydration, if offered clean water he would drink plenty of fluids. I don't think it would be dangerous though.

If you want to get another, either scrap the current setup in case of contagion, or really, really sterilize everything before you get another one.

Gale

[deathfromabove]

I have a 10 gallon tank, if i get another one im gonna switch to a tub i heard there allot easier to keep them in, but i don't have anyway of heating it only thing i have is a UTH and a heat lamp, i highly doubt a heat lamp will penetrate the plastic top, it would most likely melt it or catch fire.....

[JLC]

I have a 10 gallon tank, if i get another one im gonna switch to a tub i heard there allot easier to keep them in, but i don't have anyway of heating it only thing i have is a UTH and a heat lamp, i highly doubt a heat lamp will penetrate the plastic top, it would most likely melt it or catch fire.....

You're welcomed to start a new thread in the BP Husbandry forum for advice on how to set up a plastic tub. (Or do a search...there are a number of really good threads on the matter) But let's keep this particular thread just about saying good bye.

I'm sorry the little guy didn't make it. I really don't think you did anything wrong that would have caused this...I think he was just sick or suffering from some sort of genetic defect that has his insides messed up. I wish you all the best in finding a new pet and having a better experience next time.

[BbyBoa]

Sorry to hear about your pet, I wouldn't worry about your set up your temps were fine, and the humidity being a little low isn't going to harm your snake, unfortunately sounds like petco just let you and the snake down on this one.

[Shenzi Sixaxis]

A bit upsetting; makes me happy the CHAIN pet stores here are good. They're even better than the mom and pop store here; I wouldn't buy a THINK there. Smelly, badly kept animals, ect ect. They even get illegal things in.


Also, if you have the body and the Petco receipt, there's no harm in going back, explaining what happened, and trying to get your money back. Sometimes they ignore the warranty and give you the money back; I had a gecko die a few days after the warranty went out, took a skittish animal back two months after the warranty, and both times I got money back. Worth a try.


I say try again though! When you're ready, look for a breeder, see what they have, and order yourself a snake or few. :3

[ballpythonluvr]

I am so very sorry for your loss. Monty will be at peace now. Please don't give up on having one of these amazing creatures again. When you are ready, please do look for a breeder as was already suggested. That way you will get a healthy and well established animal.

[deathfromabove]

i did go back to petco and they said they have a 15 day policy and that was that......but i might be going to a convention thing in Maryland Dec. 17th i think it is, with my g/f and if we do go im deff gonna get another one i just dont know if i want a pastel or another normal i gotta see how much im gonna be able to spend since i live in New Jersey its gonna be a decent amount just to get there and back, but its gotta be a female i want a 5 foot snake and going by what ive seen on the forum it seems like females cost more, i was originally gonna get a red tail boa but i dont have the money to house a 12 foot snake

[Shenzi Sixaxis]

It seems BPs average 3-4 feet to me, 5ft being big. I've never seen anything about a 6ft BP.

Maybe you could consider a smaller boa species (male?) or even a large colubrid as well. I don't know too many people with just ONE snake.