Old age? (for keepers of older snakes)

I had been wondering.. has anyone ever had a BP die of old age? I know that they have long lifespans.. and the widespread keeping of them as pets/breeders is relatively young and really still in its infancy.. but if anyone can elaborate, please do.

I bought my oldest pair in 1994. I just ran across the receipt two days ago. I paid $85 dollars each ( from a pet store). I still see them for sale at stores for $80.

So, they are approaching middle age. Still kicking out eggs :)

I'm wondering what death from "old age" consists of in snakes. In mammals, some system eventually fails them. What happens to snakes?

Do they get arthritis? Kidney failure? How do you know when it's time to euthanize? I've been thinking about this for a while now...and hopefully it will be at least another 15 or 20 years before I have to worry about it personally.

So much of what I do at work involves geriatric care these days...and I know what that looks like in cats and dogs, but have no idea about snakes.

I've lost a bunch of snakes to old age over the years ... my first ball pythons was an adult female that I got when I was 8 years old ... she died a couple years ago. This summer, I lost an female hypo that I imported as an old adult in 1998 to old age.

It happens.

-adam

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

I've lost a bunch of snakes to old age over the years ... my first ball pythons was an adult female that I got when I was 8 years old ... she died a couple years ago. This summer, I lost an female hypo that I imported as an old adult in 1998 to old age.

It happens.

-adam

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But what does it look like?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by slartibartfast

But what does it look like?

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Like a dead snake? :confuzd:

Hope this helps.

-adam

they mean how do they start to tear apart. What organ fails them?

Pffft. You know what I mean.

Do they just spontaneously drop dead? Do they go off feed? Lose weight? How do you distinguish between "old age" and some other malady? At what age does one opt not to have a necropsy done?

I was wondering the same thing :)
Ginger, my old girl, was already adult-sized when we bought her in 2002. I figure her to be pre-1999 but can't be sure..

I have read that they stay active (relatively speaking I guess) and alert even into advanced age.

Even though I've heard recorded ages up to almost 50 years I've been told that a typical lifespan is 20 to 25 years. Is this accurate?