What do you do when your snake dies?

I'm sure this a hard question but we have to face the facts, as a breeder you bring life but you also loose life. Now as a breeder many snakes die from complications at birth to the female dieing, and theirs also of just plain old age. But my question is what do you do with them? So lets say you have a 6ft snake, that's not exactly small, and he passes away. What do you do with a 6ft snake? You cant exactly flush it down the toilet like a goldfish. What do you do?

I have a friend who works for an animal crematorium so I have had small animals cremated, including my daughters pet rats.

I just throw the body out in the trash. The animal is no longer using it, so there's no need to hold onto it.

When one of my snakes or reptiles die, I normally burry the body in my mum's rose garden she has in the backyard. I've burried every reptile I've had that has passed away. I don't really find throwing it in a trash can that sanitary, and I do love all the reptiles I've owned, so I'd feel rude for just tossing its body in a trash can.

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Originally Posted by zackw419

I just throw the body out in the trash. The animal is no longer using it, so there's no need to hold onto it.

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In my mind's eye, I can just see a garbage man seeing it and freaking out....


I haven't experienced this yet, but I imagine I'll bury it.

I will bury them in the flower beds around my home. May they all live long healthy lives!

There is a certain beetle that is commonly used to strip flesh from bones (I don't remember which species.) You can then rearticulate the skeleton and use a special glue to keep it together.

-Dermestid beetles.

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Originally Posted by Didgie

In my mind's eye, I can just see a garbage man seeing it and freaking out....


I haven't experienced this yet, but I imagine I'll bury it.

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You know, now that I think about it I probably would bury a snake that dies of old age. By that time I would probably feel a much stronger bond with it than I do now.

Double bag it and toss it in the trash. Even large snakes dont take up much space in a garbage can.

I've buried some, and thrown some out. Be aware that if you put a snake in the garbage, you should really keep it in the freezer until garbage day, then triple bag it or more. A rotting snake smells really horribly awful and trust me, your garbage men WILL begin avoiding your house like a plague zone.

If you bury a snake, bury it deep, and bury it where roaming dogs will not dig it up. Someone Fido coming home with a 6 ft long python in his mouth, you won't be able to convince people it wasn't an escaped pet, instead of a dead-properly buried one.

The beetles can make a really cool skeleton display, and you can wire it up and glue the ribs on, and it would be way cool. Just be sure you have somewhere to do it, because you don't want the dead snake lying on the coffeetable in the meantime. I have been told that it's best to skin them first, and remove extra tissue to help speed the process, so make sure you aren't too squeemish to do that part.

wow those are a lot of ways of taking care of past away snakes. im gessing ill probably bury them, i would rather do that than just through it in the trash. I probably wouldnt use the beetles, because after a couple days im sure it would smell a lot.

If a snake dies on me i will bring it to a taxidermist and have it stuffed... Not only will it pose as a type of memorial for that snake, but it will also make a cool decoration in the reptile room....

After a hunting trip once I took a rabbit pelt into the taxidermist and they had snake hides there.
I was thinking that could be a pretty neat way to take care of your snake after it passes. We spend so much time, energy and love into these guys for their cool morphs and such, why not be able to keep them.
Since it would be like a piece of leather you could frame it and have a pretty display.
I have not done it, but when I saw the wild/hunted rattlesnake hides I couldn't help but to think of what a pied would look like....

I've never had a snake death yet. Sadly when that time comes I will more then likely bury mine. I love my snakes and it just doesn't seem right to toss their bodies in a trashbag and let them be taken off to the dump. I've also thought about getting them stuffed. I know my first snake ever, Jinx my corn I'll probably have stuffed or pelted since he is by far my most favorite snake I've ever owned and the one with the best personality for a snake. I've also thought about it for Loopy. I really try not to think about this sort of thing since I hope my snakes live long healthy live. So far, so good.

well, in about 20 years from now when my oldest snakes start dying I plan to skin them and use the skin for something... either wall art of some sort or maybe even something more functional like they use some snake skins for (belt, boots, wallet, etc.)

Anybody ever know if a BP skin has ever been used to make something like this?

I buried my big boa when he died a few months ago (lung tumor, very bizarre...). I would have had him cremated, but the vet said the cremation would be $130, and after already spending more than $600 in vet bills I felt that was just a bit over the top. We put some big concrete blocks over the top of his grave to make sure nothing unearthed him. Smaller things I usually bag and freeze, then into the dumpster on trash day, but for 7+ foot boa I thought that probably wasn't the best plan. I wish I'd thought of the taxidermy idea, though...I know a couple taxidermists and that would have been cool!

...buy another one.

Some I will bury myself. Others I might have preserved and donated to a museum or university for their teaching and research collections.

Submit it to a pathologist for a necropsy to find out why it died. This is especially important in the large collection I manage, to protect the living.

wow, im not gonna lie, still throwing it away doesnt seem right, i would rather bury it. I havent had any deaths yet but i know that it will someday come so i was just wondering how you guys did it. Thanks every one!!!

For those who mention donating the bodies, have any lists of places that would accept donations?

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Originally Posted by Mike Cavanaugh

well, in about 20 years from now when my oldest snakes start dying I plan to skin them and use the skin for something... either wall art of some sort or maybe even something more functional like they use some snake skins for (belt, boots, wallet, etc.)

Anybody ever know if a BP skin has ever been used to make something like this?

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You mean like this?
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i2...ython_shoe.jpg

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Originally Posted by m00kfu

You mean like this?
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i2...ython_shoe.jpg

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That's actually pretty cool but not as a shoe.. but maybe as a wallet or something. One guy I know want his albino skin lay flat and have it framed.

Yeah, I would say that is an ugly shoe.. but it wouldn't be too bad of a wallet.

I don't know if this is off topic or still on topic but anyway, I found a website that offer a wide choice of snakeskin items. I don't support killing snakes for the skin but I do welcome a useful item after snake long and happy life.

There is tons of you can use the skin such as tie, wallet, shoes, etc. You will see if you use google.

idk i really wouldnt use my snake for anything, idk just seems kinda cruel. maybe a breeder snake but not a pet

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Originally Posted by zoologist

There is a certain beetle that is commonly used to strip flesh from bones (I don't remember which species.) You can then rearticulate the skeleton and use a special glue to keep it together.

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So, what do you do with the beetles afterwards? I'm not so sure i want a pet "ripping skin off bone" beetle.

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Originally Posted by stratus_020202

So, what do you do with the beetles afterwards? I'm not so sure i want a pet "ripping skin off bone" beetle.

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Just mail it to anyone that's been on your *hitlist. ;)

As for me, I've only lost one snake and that one was too tiny to do anything but bury it or throw it away. I buried him at my dad's house. When the bigger ones go, I'll probably have them cremated. I know someone who does it for very little. I paid $30 to have a rabbit cremated, and she was the only animal in there - it was a private cremation, not a mass one. So I was able to get the remains back.