Sudden death of my male lesser

[SnowShredder]

Fed everybody (I have 6 boas/pythons currently) on 3/10. I normally leave them all alone for 2 days while they digest. On 3/11 I noticed the snake room had a funky smell but figured it was just poop and I was extremely busy and didn't worry. The morning of 3/12 I noticed my lesser male (Aether) was in the exact position as the day before.
Background on Aether: I got Aether from the Seattle reptile expo in October 2012. Wasn't given an exact age but I'm assuming very young as he was around 50g when I got him. He had trouble eating at first, very timid and didn't seem to want f/t. Eventually I got him on a schedule.
Anyway, So that morning I discovered he had passed. His tummy was bloated (after his meal there was a slight distention but was normal), actually it was pretty extremely bloated. I'm assuming this is from decomp brought on faster by the temps.
Oh husbandry, everything was perfectly normal. Room is kept at 88 degrees at the moment (problem with thermostat so switched to room heating temporarily), fresh water, was active with tongue flicks. No sign of illness prior.
When I picked him up a clearish bloody fluid poured from his mouth. Now I'm assuming this is also from decomp. He wasn't stiff except in the high neck area but I heard rigor can set in then dissipate?
Absolutely no clue what could have caused this. A parasite/virus/disease he came with? Something I've done wrong? I know sometimes animals just die, but it was mysterious.
About 3 months ago I had two tree frogs and two crested geckos pass (all eating the same cricket crop), which was very sad but I assumed was some disease associated with the crickets. My girlfriend thinks they might be related, but neither of these creatures come in contact with each other so I don't think so, unless its airborne but why so many months apart?
I had a mite problem about 2months ago but was cleared immediately with provent-a-mite, no problems there.
Any advice, tips, stories, suggestions, anything really, would be great. I'm sad to see this boy pass on and I want to prevent any future problems.
I'll post a picture of him from about 2 months ago ( I have more recent but not on the computer). I didn't take a picture of his body and its currently in the freezer (didn't plan on a necropsy).
Thank you

[Mrl249]

I'm sorry for your loss. 88 seems a little high to keep a BP room. We keep ours at 84-85 tops. Lowest is 76 during breeding season. I don't think that had to do with his death but like you said it definitely played a big role during decomp. I would take him to the vet and ask them to do a necropsy. (Might have jeopardized that by putting him in the freezer though) fridge next time. (Fingers crossed their isn't a next time)

P.S. Pics of him when it happened would have helped also. Make sure you label *Graphic warning* though!

[3skulls]

They can look inside to see if there was a tumor or some type of impaction going on. They won't be able to take tissue samples.

[SnowShredder]

I would've taken pictures at time of death but it was too sad for me, this is the first death I've had with my snakes. I've been waiting for better weather to bury him so he is still in the freezer. I could take a picture of him frozen if anyone would think that could help now. He was very bloated from the decomp, but besides that he looked completely normal, not sunken in, skin firm.
I've kept boas a lot longer than BPs, and for them I do 90 degrees on the hot side and 80 degrees on the cool side and has always worked perfect for them. I've never had a problem with the BPs at that those temps so I've always figured it was fine. I didn't know balls like it a little cooler, I thought I did the research on it and I kinda do remember 90 is a little high for the hot spot for them but I think my thinking was that they always had a cooler side and the middle. Since my thermostat went down I kept the room at 88 because it seemed to stay a little cooler inside the cages, say like 85. I've got their new flexwatt hookup ready and will be installing it tomorrow.

[SnowShredder]

I also did consider maybe it had been a tumor, because of the bloody fluid that dripped out from his mouth I wondered if maybe the rat he ate had caused it to rupture. I keep everybody on newspaper so I'm not sure where an impaction could come from, and he wasn't constipated. Poop/peed/shed normally for the time that I've had him

[Herpenthusiast3]

Bring the body of the snake to a vet. And have them do a blood test for I.B.D. Just as a precautionary measure for the protection of the rest of your collection. :/ I'm sorry for your loss.

[Skiploder]

Nobody can do anything but offer a bunch of WAGs - which you will probably get a ton of.

If you wanted to know what happened, you should have had a necropsy done. Since you've frozen it, that's out of the question.

[SquamishSerpents]

Did your snake display ANY unusual symptoms at all?

Weird head movements? Laying on the side or back?

The fact that you have boas, and recently had mites would have me going to the vet for a test to rule out IBD, however I am not a vet and have NO idea if that is possible after death on a previously frozen specimen.

I am very sorry for your loss

[SnowShredder]

I wish I would have had a necropsy done
And no, no unusual symptoms whatsoever

[meowmeowkazoo]

My best guess would be it had something to do with the feeding. Maybe a bad mouse, or an underlying condition that occurred after eating. Maybe he ate some substrate.