Rescuing Disabled Hatchlings...?

[Starlightriddle]

So I'm in the process of moving my current adult ball python to a rack system, and I've been thinking about getting him some siblings to fill out the rest of the rack. I have no intentions of breeding though and wanted to see about maybe saving some snakes that otherwise might not be able to find homes. I've been considering trying to adopt some viable disabled snakes and maybe having a 'mini' rescue sanctuary setup. I'm not really sure how to go about this though? I figured i would post here to get thoughts on any special items i might need, and any special considerations on the type of rack system for special needs snakes. Also, who would I need to contact to find them? I never really see them advertised or up for adoption anywhere, but i do hear about them in the breeding forums.

Here's some more specific questions I've had while mulling the idea over, if anyone would like to give input:
1) What constitutes a viable hatchling? In my mind I'm thinking eyeless, some aesthetic deformities (enlarged eyes, lopsided head, etc.), wobbles, overbites, minor kinking... anything else?
2) Is there actually demand for something like this?
3) How to make sure that they're viable before I get them? I wouldn't want someone to send me a hatchling that can't eat and basically prolong it's suffering if it won't live very long to begin with. At the same time, If a snake only eats with a pinky pump I'm not sure if that's much better. What sort of rules would you have for this?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

An animal that will feed on it's own and have bowel movement is a viable snake, now that does not mean it will have a good quality of life that will depend on the defect itself.

As far as deformities go I believe that snakes with physical deformities should not be released to the general public. The gain and temptation is too irresistible for some people and they will breed anything (kink snake, eyeless snakes, etc).

[Starlightriddle]

As far as deformities go I believe that snakes with physical deformities should not be released to the general public. The gain and temptation is too irresistible for some people and they will breed anything (kink snake, eyeless snakes, etc).

I certainly wouldn't want anyone to breed them either. I've heard of people spaying and neutering snakes before, although it's largely believed to serve no purpose, so it seems to be rarely done. Perhaps this would be an option for adult snakes depending on their deformity. I don't know of anyone who has had that done before though, so I'm not familiar with the associated risks and costs.

[piedlover79]

I would not risk unneeded surgery on any snake. Just don't house them together.

[cletus]

Call me heartless, but I wouldn't want any part of a snake that was anything but whole and healthy. At least capable of becoming healthy with proper husbandry. I had a dog that lost a limb and lived out the rest of his life spoiled and comfortable. He adapted just fine. I don't know about snakes though. I spend too much time worrying about keeping my pets healthy to take on a project like that. That's just me. My wife had a dog that had horrible problems from birth and it was nerve wracking for everyone in the family. Not to mention very expensive.

[wolfy-hound]

The only thing I could think of is desert females. Since they are unbreedable, but still gorgeous, they might qualify. You can get really beautiful animals that are "worthless" in the breeding hobby for next to nothing. Even if it has half a dozen other genes, if one of those genes is desert, the female is considered unbreedable.

[Kokorobosoi]

If you are serious.... get one. Wait at least six seven months. If you still like the idea, then go for it. But don't jump in with both feet right from the start. Deformed anything can get very expensive long term. There can be other more serious problems with those snakes that you can't see from looking at them.

[bcr229]

I have a BRB with a kinked neck that I produced in 2014. It eats, poops, sheds, etc. just fine. Many breeders would have culled it but the kink wasn't in a bad place so I gave it a chance at life. The only husbandry change is that I give it 2-3 small feeders instead of an appropriately-sized feeder as a meal, as I'm not sure how far the kinked area will stretch.

I could be talked into letting it go to a pet-only home but I'd have to absolutely trust the new owner, and there would be a contract that if the new owner didn't want it any more I would get first right of refusal on it.

Also I don't think the kinking is genetic, the dam had 25 babies and this kinked one also hadn't absorbed all of its yolk either. The other babies were fine.

[Starlightriddle]

If you are serious.... get one. Wait at least six seven months. If you still like the idea, then go for it. But don't jump in with both feet right from the start. Deformed anything can get very expensive long term. There can be other more serious problems with those snakes that you can't see from looking at them.

That's a good point. It think it also depends on the deformity. One-eyed or eyeless snakes are common enough and typically well adjusted enough to be less of a risk than say a kinked snake or some more unusual problem. Six to seven months is probably a good lead time though. Long enough to make sure the newcomer is established and eating well. I'll probably stick to that, or longer when adopting.

I have a BRB with a kinked neck that I produced in 2014. It eats, poops, sheds, etc. just fine. Many breeders would have culled it but the kink wasn't in a bad place so I gave it a chance at life. The only husbandry change is that I give it 2-3 small feeders instead of an appropriately-sized feeder as a meal, as I'm not sure how far the kinked area will stretch.

I could be talked into letting it go to a pet-only home but I'd have to absolutely trust the new owner, and there would be a contract that if the new owner didn't want it any more I would get first right of refusal on it.

Also I don't think the kinking is genetic, the dam had 25 babies and this kinked one also hadn't absorbed all of its yolk either. The other babies were fine.

If you're actually interested in rehoming your BRB I would be interested. Shoot me a PM if you are. I originally made this post with Ball python morphs in mind as some lines seem to be particularly prone to deformity, or if nothing else it seems to be more common to see there. But I'm definitely open to the idea of taking in other snakes so long as their housing requirements aren't too different.