I am a idiot and my snake took a fall

Hello,

So I have a sinaloan milk snake for around 2 years now. He has outgrown his previous terrarium that was in this big shelf, and I decided to make him a bigger terrarium our of the whole shelf. The dimensions are 82cmm wide x 89.5 cm tall, and 35 cm deep (around 2.9 feet tall x 2.7 feet wide and 1.2 feet deep). He is almost 3 feet snake so I guessed this will be good size for him.

Now I know the terrarium is too tall but the plan was to make two ledges on each side and bridges around and in the center a big tree, so that he can't be more that 1.2 feet off the ground at any direction. Anyway, to cut the story short I planned to feed him and get the ledges on Monday as he would not get out of his hide at lest 3 to 4 days after a meal. I planned to install them as soon as he digested and pooped. And I didn't see any way he could climb flat walls. But he did. Just as I was going back with food I notice him falling from the top of the tank, at lest 2 feet (max 2.5 feet) down and right on a big branch.

I took him out and looked if he is moving his whole body. He was, even grabbed my finger with his tail. He was spooked so I could not pinpoint where there any panful spots. I tried feeding him and he ate just normal, hogged the food down and went in to the warm end cave...

Now. I plan to take a look at him again in 48h to see if he is OK. If he vomits or has any other problems - vet ASAP.
Is this a good plan? How long until I know we are out of the woods? Days, months?

Its Sunday today and vets are not working and I don't know was it good idea to feed him (was a small meal) anyway, I just panicked last night so bad and didn't know what to do, he did not ate for 19 days as I wanted to feed him after he gets comfortable in the new terrarium... Man I am an idiot!

Relax ...you certainly should take every precaution to ensure a snake doesn't fall but I would give your snake 99.5% chance that he is just fine.

What's done is done so here's what you do to not create a real problem: Leave him alone...don't give him an inspection in two days. Check him out after his meal is completely digested-at the soonest. Just keep an eye on him.

My brother was having a cookout in his backyard when they heard something crash down through a tree and hit the ground. It was a black rat snake constricting a grey squirrel. The snake ate the squirrel and then climbed up the tree it just fell out of...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bns

Relax ...you certainly should take every precaution to ensure a snake doesn't fall but I would give your snake 99.5% chance that he is just fine.

What's done is done so here's what you do to not create a real problem: Leave him alone...don't give him an inspection in two days. Check him out after his meal is completely digested-at the soonest. Just keep an eye on him.

My brother was having a cookout in his backyard when they heard something crash down through a tree and hit the ground. It was a black rat snake constricting a grey squirrel. The snake ate the squirrel and then climbed up the tree it just fell out of...

---

Thank you so much for your answer!
I am getting everything ready on Monday and as soon as he poops, if all is OK, I will take him out in a small quarantine tank, and will install everything to ensure this will never happen again.

I'll "second" the post by bns & give the same 99.5% odds that he's just fine. Falls happen, best prevented or avoided, but most snakes are okay, especially from only 2-3'. I'd just let him rest too.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I'll "second" the post by bns & give the same 99.5% odds that he's just fine. Falls happen, best prevented or avoided, but most snakes are okay, especially from only 2-3'. I'd just let him rest too.

---

Thank you for your answer.
Checked the snake yesterday and today - just looked in the cave for a sec. I see he is alive. So now is day 2 and no vomiting so far, and he looks normal.
got the shelves and everything to place them second he gets out and poops...
Fingers crossed he will be OK...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rosa

Thank you for your answer.
Checked the snake yesterday and today - just looked in the cave for a sec. I see he is alive. So now is day 2 and no vomiting so far, and he looks normal.
got the shelves and everything to place them second he gets out and poops...
Fingers crossed he will be OK...

---

Same here (fingers crossed). I would avoid handling him for a while, just in case he has any internal soreness or broken ribs (not likely, but just saying), but he's likely to be just fine.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Same here (fingers crossed). I would avoid handling him for a while, just in case he has any internal soreness or broken ribs (not likely, but just saying), but he's likely to be just fine.

---

Thank you! That will be done for sure. I will not handle him at all for at least a month now. If I need to clean, just very gentle coaxing if he is in the way.
When I need to transfer him during the installation of the shelfs I will move him together with the cave, as it is a humid hide type one.

And you can tell a lot about how he's feeling by watching him closely...how he's moving on his own- if it looks normal or not. Try to keep him calm- & like you said, lift him in his humid hide, if you need to. You've "got it". ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

And you can tell a lot about how he's feeling by watching him closely...how he's moving on his own- if it looks normal or not. Try to keep him calm- & like you said, lift him in his humid hide, if you need to. You've "got it". ;)

---

Thank you for the answer!
I had a very positive thing happen today. I opened his cave, looked inside, saw he is breathing so I didn't want to bother him a second more and closed a cave. Few minutes later I looked towards the terrarium and I saw him peeking outside the cave :) It looked like he was curious why I was checking on him soo much. When I came closer he looked at me a bit more, and then went back in :)

It was like he was worried I was worried so much :D I just adore him!

I agree, that's a good sign. Can't exactly prove that he's worried about what you're thinking but he's showing a normal curiosity about whatever's going on. Good sign! :D