Sudden death in sub adult.

Hi. I had bought my ball python in Nov of 2014 from PetSmart (yes I know. Not very smart.) I noticed his water was getting a little low so I reached in to get his bowl and normally he is out greeting me as I'm putting it back in and he did not so I knew something was wrong and I found him dead. He was curled up. I'm not very sure on the weight he was when I got him or before he died. He ate fine. I was feeding live as I could never get him to take a F/T. And had one 3/4 weeks ago. Tried to keep the temp at 80-90 and his humidity was about 50. Never really shed well but after a bath it came right off. He was my first but my sister has had her ball for over 4 years. Never had a problem with hers but she did get her from a local breeder. Could it have been genes or anything like that? Im not really sure what could've happened.

It's highly unlikely that it was something related to genes. Generally fatal combinations will not make it to a few weeks let alone a year. The only thing you can do is to take it to a vet for a necropsy to get a definite answer. Sorry to hear about that though :c

I am really sorry to hear that, i think the best idea is to take your snake to the vet for a necroscopy in order to understand the real cause of death but i don't completely rule out that pet store might be "responsible" since they are interested more in money than animal welfare. But that's just my opinion.

Sorry for your loss. :(

I've lost subadult snakes before for no apparent reason. Not all animals are "meant" to make it to old age. I doubt it's related to the pet store after all this time. They get their animals from the same "big time breeders" that people laud all the time on forums. Anytime a breeder sells a wholesale lot, the snakes might end up at a Petsmart or PetCo. Of the animals I have had pass away at subadult size for no apparent reason, all came from well-known breeders. It's just how life goes, unfortunately.

There are so many factors that go into the death of an animal. More than likely the animal had either some illness like an RI or coming from Petsmart it could have even had worms, or some kind of congenital defect that gave out.. I've had it happen where animals are perfect for years with me and then just one day you walk in and poof its dead.. In fact it happened to a 2002 hypo I had. It was a breeder and one of the original hypos around and I had it for 6 years and then just one day poof it died..

In short there's no telling really.

Thank you for all of your replies. I'm not sure where I could have done a necropsy at but I have already desposed of his body. Where would be a good place to start looking for a new ball? And what should I do to insure the tank is okay for a new one to live in?

Disinfect the tank, all furnishings, all supplies, etc. thoroughly. Make sure to wash the disinfectant off of everything (unless it's reptile safe like F-10), then let dry completely. If you use bleach let it sit until it doesn't smell bleachy anymore.

If you want a new BP, check out Morph Market or Fauna Classifieds, or any of the breeders advertised in this forum. Or look for an expo near you. It's best to avoid pet store animals although sometimes it can work out. Sometimes you can find a BP on craigslist or similar local ads, you have to be prepared for possible neglect and/or health issues though.

So sorry for your loss. It's terrible when you don't have a reason why they passed.

After sanitizing everything, I would check local expos if you're looking for another bp. This way you can buy directly from the breeder and usually get a deal.