Pine/Bull concerns and input
Snake: Hybrid Pine/Bull snake
Age: 2-5 years. I'll update when I find out for sure.
Length: 4ish feet
Weight: 650 grams
Appetite: eats 5-6 f/t mice every 2 weeks. Has been known to eat as many as 9(small to medium mice) in one eating session(total garbage can). Recently has been upgraded in mouse size and is a voracious eater.
Attitude: can be extremely hissy but is a very gentle snake
Issue: Seems weak and very skinny(triangular shape and shows prominent spine)
Background/concerns: This is a snake which I have known almost 2 months. It is 1 of 8 snakes I help care for at the nature center which I volunteer. This snake was skinny and lethargic from the start. After getting her helpings up from 2-3 small/medium mice every 2 weeks to the current 5-6 large mice every 2 weeks, she has improved in strength. On Wednesday there was a regurge of half her meal(3 mice) in her enclosure. I think it may be from inconsistent temperatures at the nature center. Outside of feeling a little weaker and less of a hissy attitude, she seems "ok". I brought her home to my place(quarantined) so she can receive better/consistent/more observant care and heat. At this point I have mixed some pedialyte in with her water to keep her fluids up and am debating a pedialyte treatment every 2 days for a week. I am going to monitor her weight over time to see if it fluctuates. My guess is she is almost empty at this point as she defecated this week with the regurge. Gut feeling tells me the regurge is an isolated incident and is do to temperature issues or possibly 1 bad mouse. I'm more concerned with her being skinny and weak. I have asked a friend to see if her vet would be willing to see the snake at no charge. I am concerned for the snake but not to the point where it's gonna die in the next week.
My thought for possible ailment: internal parasite
I'm looking for thoughts on possible ailments for why she is skinny and has kept almost fine and dandy attitude.
Here is a pic of the snake and the enclosure. The nature center uses unprinted newspaper as a substrate, I have her on aspen with a new hide and water bowl.
Enclosure:
http://i1254.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4d178ab4.jpg
Snake(more to come upon request):
http://i1254.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9c7f8d95.jpg
Pine/Bull concerns and input
Not much experience with these guys. I'd contact 3skulls about it, he has some of these guys. I hope she gets back to normal for you!
Re: Pine/Bull concerns and input
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Daybreaker
My first thought would be internal parasites as well so I'd for sure get a fecal done.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mike41793
Not much experience with these guys. I'd contact 3skulls about it, he has some of these guys. I hope she gets back to normal for you!
Thanks for the responses and insight. :)
Re: Pine/Bull concerns and input
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Skiploder
Probably internal parasites - as they seem to be a fairly normal part of their gut flora in the wild. Pits - especially those in your neck of the woods - don't seem to be that affected by temperature swings unless they are extreme.
While they can cope with a background amount of parasites, if they become stressed due to a serious injury or being captured and placed in captivity, the stress can weaken the immune system tot he point where the balance becomes compromised.
How long has the animal been a captive?
Interesting. Ty for the input.
To answer your question: Its entire life. Its brother or sister is currently at a another nature center and is reported around 6-7 feet long.
These snakes were bred by a local colubrid breeder who apparently does not discriminate which snakes he puts together as there is also a hybrid black/everglades rat snake bred by him housed at the center.
Re: Pine/Bull concerns and input
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Pyrate81
Interesting. Ty for the input.
To answer your question: Its entire life. Its brother or sister is currently at a another nature center and is reported around 6-7 feet long.
These snakes were bred by a local colubrid breeder who apparently does not discriminate which snakes he puts together as there is also a hybrid black/everglades rat snake bred by him housed at the center.
Then I'm not so sure on the parasite issue.
I don't know how large the meals have been in comparison with the size and weight of the snake, but I usually feed my full grown pits two jumbo mice per week. I've found that anything more can result in over stressing the digestive system.
I'd give her a two to three week break, make sure her temps are good, add some bene-bac to her water and then feed a smaller meal.
Was the regurge a regurge - meaning she immediately threw up some of the prey items or was it a vomiting episode where she actually partially digested them?
Re: Pine/Bull concerns and input
I got the center to switch from "large" mice to jumbo mice. The "large" mice they were buying and feeding 2-3 every 2-3 weeks were small adults and about 1/2 to 3/4 the thickness of the snake. The jumbos they get now are about the thickness of the snake.
The vomiting happened about 3-4 days post feeding. I was not there to see what came up but it was described as 1 mouse was partially digested and the other 2 mice were still in tact. I'll leave her off food for 2-3 weeks opposed the standard week after vomiting or a regurge.
