My second oldest snake died

It was taped to it using duct tape.

Regular duct tape is great stuff but is usually only great temporarily. Over time it will stretch and soften. This happens much more quickly when you add heat.

The aluminum duct tape does not stretch and is designed for long term use in harsh environments. It will be a much better choice for you.

The pic does not appear to show a burn. If your Accurite isn't showing anything out of the norm and your other snakes are fine I would say it sounds like it may have been illness or defect of some kind.

If it was an infection or illness I think it would be best to find out so you know if it is something that may be able to reach the others.

In the morning, I'll switch the others from reptichip to paper towels to watch for signs of spread infection and have a necropsy done on the poor guy. I didn't notice any symptoms of labored breathing and I looked him over a couple of weeks ago and he seemed fine. He refused food, but I thought that was a seasonal shift.

A tip when taping the probe with the aluminum tape is to not tape the probe itself and only place the tape on the cord directly behind the probe. Sometime a small piece on the very tip of the probe is needed to ensure contact but it is important to not cover the probe with the tape as it can cause you to have inaccurate readings. Placing it on the cord and tip (if needed) will get you what you need.

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Originally Posted by ESP

In the morning, I'll switch the others from reptichip to paper towels to watch for signs of spread infection and have a necropsy done on the poor guy. I didn't notice any symptoms of labored breathing and I looked him over a couple of weeks ago and he seemed fine. He refused food, but I thought that was a seasonal shift.

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Sounds like a good plan to me.

I don't know whether that looks like a burn or not... but a burn on a dead animal might not look like a burn on a live one. No inflammation response or circulation, etc, for starters. Maybe it's also possible that the snake didn't get a belly burn so much as just overheat?

Anyway, I'm sorry for your loss. Losing pets is just devastating.

I just want to say I am very sorry. I love my snakes, too.

Sorry for your loss. :oops: Seems like you know the reason for the death and can remedy the cause to prevent more problems which is good.