Question on death

Yzma and Willow are my first ball pythons and Yzma is 3 yrs, and Willow 2.5 months so both are very young.

I know these snakes can live a long time (awesome because I adore my girls,) but I wondered.... what is a BP death like? I'm not trying to be morbid at all - I'm genuinely curious... when a BP has reached the end of its natural, healthy life, do they waste away and get thin? Do they get an RI and pass? Or do you go to check on them one day and they've passed quietly in their sleep? Do they get nippy and grouchy when they get old?

Curious minds....

They start to smell like moth balls, get crotchety, and begin to gum their rats to death while trying to eat them. They also have trouble holding their pee and poo so they leave trails all over. :P Honestly I have no idea.

That's actually a good question, and I have no idea of the answer. I'm assuming if they don't pass away from an illness or trauma from improper housing then I would think maybe they just pass away quietly? I'm by no means an expert on this as I've never had any of my snakes pass away, so take this with a grain of salt.

It's not a ball python and it was still alive, but the biology department at the school I go to had a black rat snake that was atleast 15 years old and quite possibly older since it was brought to them as an adult. I havnt been in that room in a couple years now. But it would creak and pop as it moved like it had arthritis, otherwise would act completely normal. Even escaping every now and then to explore the building.


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Originally Posted by Sauzo

They start to smell like moth balls, get crotchety, and begin to gum their rats to death while trying to eat them. They also have trouble holding their pee and poo so they leave trails all over. :P Honestly I have no idea.

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HAHAHAHAHAHA!! NICE! Gum the rats.

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Originally Posted by Neal

That's actually a good question, and I have no idea of the answer. I'm assuming if they don't pass away from an illness or trauma from improper housing then I would think maybe they just pass away quietly? I'm by no means an expert on this as I've never had any of my snakes pass away, so take this with a grain of salt.

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I'd hope it was quietly and peacefully.

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Originally Posted by Kroberts10

It's not a ball python and it was still alive, but the biology department at the school I go to had a black rat snake that was atleast 15 years old and quite possibly older since it was brought to them as an adult. I havnt been in that room in a couple years now. But it would creak and pop as it moved like it had arthritis, otherwise would act completely normal. Even escaping every now and then to explore the building.


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Are out serious about the creaking?

Creak and Pop??! That's very strange.

But as long as they don't get involved in a tragic head on collision, a plane crash out over the Indian Ocean, get their heads stuck in a drill press or some other terrible accident, I'd imagine they die just like any other animal dying of old age.

I'd imagine they will peacefully just pass in a dark spot of their tank. .. really hope the creaking and popping doesn't happen cuz I'd feel miserable for them.


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I'm guessing the creaking and popping are like most animals that age with joint problems. And being what I'm sure was a wild caught had probably had a muh more rough life before being brought indoors. So like anything that has had a physically rough life, joints just don't hold up. I'm not possitive that that's why, just my guess.

Kyle


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Natural death of a snake is like any other living thing.

Organs begin to fail, the immune system may weaken allowing attacks from microorganisms. Cancer, caused from environmental issues or food/water supply. Trauma, or even the body just plain wearing out. The list goes on.

From what I've seen on YouTube they flip over on their backs, belly up.

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I can speak in regards to my limited experience with 2 of my boas.
Let's talk about Lemondrop first, my albino boa, I got her when she was 4 yrs old and she had been heavily powerfed. I bred her right away (since that was the reason for the purchase). Premature litter with only a few survivors. Realized what bad shape she was in (fat folds) and put her on a diet and didn't breed again, eventually she got into pretty good shape and seemed to be doing great. The last two years of her life she stopped eating and was quite lethargic. She started wasting away. Had moments of normality but generally was not acting right (portions of her spine would stiffen, eyes would not dilate properly). Took to vet and we euthanized her for necropsy to see what was going on. She was only 17yrs old which isn't that old for a boa (as far as I know, she was the oldest living albino boa though). Necropsy and histopathology results were not conclusive (they did not find any diagnostic lesions in the tissues submitted. There were some very slight changes in the brain matter that he thinks may have been the result of exposure to a toxin some time in the past).

Now let's talk about Autumn, the first boa and one of the first snakes I ever got. I adopted her in 1998 and she was born in 1989. I have a long write up about her over on fauna so I won't repeat her whole story, here's a link if you want to know more about her: http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...d.php?t=135162 She is still alive and is 27 this year. Generally boas live 20-30 yrs with the record being a BC that lived to be early 40s at a zoo. The last 3 years or so she has been a very sporadic feeder, just not showing much interest which is very unlike her. She has also gone blind. Her color is a bit darker, not as vibrant as it used to be. I feel her time is coming, it's just obvious seeing her that she is an old girl.

I had an old adult corn snake that I had adopted no idea on age but I had him for 4 years. Near the end he kept getting RIs, would treat but they just kept coming back. Vet said his immune system was just weak and it was probably due to old age.

So in general from my limited experience - dying from old age seems to result in loss of appetite and failing of the immune system.