Help/advice/thoughts? (LONG POST w/PICS)

[xFenrir]

I was talking to some of the neighborhood kids (between the ages of 9-12) and they mentioned they had snakes. I was surprised and asked them what they had; turns out they have a normal ball python and a baby marble blood python that they got a few days ago. They asked if I wanted to see them and I said sure, and let them ask me questions about my snakes and in general. Well their ball python looked fine, they said it eats great and everything (and it looks like it). But as soon as I saw their blood python I felt awful. I thought it was dead at first. It's maybe 10inches long, definitely a baby, but limp, tongue barely able to get out of its mouth (it was like it was too sticky) and about as responsive as a piece of spaghetti. I got his mouth open and didn't see any excess mucus, but it looked a little swollen, especially the left-hand side of bottom jaw in the front. They had tried to buy food for it today but the store was out of anything smaller than adult mice, so I offered for them to come up to my apartment and let me try and feed it a rat pink, since I've got tons. Put down some paper towels on the table and set it down, and the poor thing just laid on its side, something I've never seen a snake do. It looked so wrong. It felt kind of like fine sand paper too, mostly on the bottom, but I've never touched a blood python so I couldn't tell if that was normal. The scales looked especially shriveled on it's belly, so I thought maybe it was dehydrated (which wouldn't surprise me) so while I was thawing the pink I filled a shallow bowl with lukewarm water and placed it in. THAT made him thrash a little bit, but after a second he just laid there too. It looked like he might've drank too, but when I pulled him out to feed him he blew some water out of his mouth and nose. While doing this, I asked them how they kept him.

He's in a 75 GALLON tank, WITH the ball python. I'm not sure what they have in there, but they definitely said they've got a heat rock in there, which I stressed severely to get taken out of there. I told them the enclosure is wayyy too big for either snake, and that they should NOT be housed together, period. I tried without success to feed the little guy (they said they haven't tried to feed him) so I gave them the rat pink to take home (just in case they could have more success at home feeding him in the tank or something) and gave them the number for my snakes' vet, and told them they should REALLY get their parents to go get him checked out, because the way he was acting was just so WRONG. I've NEVER seen a snake lie completely on it's side, even his head was to the side. I took some pictures, just in case y'all are able to see something I can't...


You can see how his jaw's weird-looking in this one. ^


That last one almost makes me cry. That's pretty much how he looked when just left alone, minus his head being all the way upside-down. I wanted to get a belly shot and we had to prop his head up because he just hung there like he was dead. I was continually checking to make sure he was breathing. Since I have no experience with them, can people chime in and tell me what I can do to at least give them proper advice beyond the basic "general snake knowledge"? I'm hoping that it's nothing too serious and that this baby will make it.

[DooLittle]

Wow, that poor baby. No blood experience here, but I would say vet ASAP, if that poor thing even makes it much longer. Wonder what is wrong with it?

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[xFenrir]

I pray he makes it. I told them they could come back to talk to me or watch me take care of my snakes, or their parents could come talk to me if they wanted. I even said I'd come help them set up proper enclosures for both their snakes if they wanted. I hope their parents care about the snakes and don't just brush this whole thing off. The whole time I was trying to help, the "this is such WRONG behavior for a snake" alarms were going off. Since they haven't had it more than a week, I would point most of the blame to the pet shop, but that doesn't change anything... He's such a gorgeous little man too.

I didn't want to scare them, but I was thinking the whole time that this poor little guy's time is just ticking away... The vet I gave them the number for is 24/7 so the sooner they take him in there, the better.

[DooLittle]

I hope they do something, that was pretty much my thoughts upon seeing those pictures, is that the clock is ticking...

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[xFenrir]

One of the kids said he loves snakes, and wants to be an exotics vet. (That's exactly what he said. He's 10! I was so proud of him) I'm hoping that his passion for the animals drives him to put pressure on his parents. But I know a lot of people that have that "my kid doesn't know better than me, the adult!" mentality... Ugh, makes me so mad! It's clear as day that this poor animal isn't acting right, even my roommate who doesn't know a thing about snakes thought that the little guy was dead when he came in. It's not a subtle thing.

[Xeperxi]

The last pic affected me as well. Bloods are not ball pythons and have different requirements that aren't as forgiving as balls. Do you know what temps and humidity this blood is being kept at? I see you had stated this blood is being kept with the ball? Please tell them to separate them, bloods especially are very sensitive and being the requirements for balls and bloods are quite different they definitely need to be separated.

[xFenrir]

The last pic affected me as well. Bloods are not ball pythons and have different requirements that aren't as forgiving as balls. Do you know what temps and humidity this blood is being kept at? I see you had stated this blood is being kept with the ball? Please tell them to separate them, bloods especially are very sensitive and being the requirements for balls and bloods are quite different they definitely need to be separated.

No idea of the temps or humidity. I don't think they even measure it, judging from what they told me and the "what's that?" questions when they saw the gauges in my enclosures. All I know is that it's in the 75 gal. with the Ball and a heat rock (which I told them to take out, and they could buy a 10 gal. tank for the Blood for now since he's so small. I stressed that they should NOT be housed together) and possibly an UTH, since when I showed them the ones they had they seemed to indicate that they had them too. When I held them, both snakes were very warm, and when asked if they ever laid on the heat rock the kid told me they do, and I told them that those aren't made for these snakes and they could severely burn themselves on something like that. I told them that for Balls there should be an ambient 80 with a hotspot of 90 with 50% humidity; I didn't get to check on here for the caresheet for Bloods until today so if they come back I'll give it to them, but my boyfriend told them they should check online as well and do some research. I wish I had given them my number as well, so if they wanted to get in touch with me they could. The kids know where I live at least, and both my boyfriend and I told them they are more than welcome to come back if they want.

I talked them out of buying a RTB because they were just going to put it in with the Ball and the Blood too. I told them different species of snakes should NOT be housed together because they have different needs. I know it's a rare occurrence but to drive my point home I told them that there are cases where a RTB has eaten another snake. (I remember seeing someone post about how they had a RTB and a Ball together for a drive home from a show or something, and the RTB had eaten and then threw up the Ball.) They agreed to wait until they had another enclosure.

There's definitely fight left in the little Blood though, it's a slim hope but if they get a proper set up and get him to a vet stat I think he can be saved (with a lot of care and preserverence). On two occasions he struck at us, and the few times we could get the pinkie in his mouth he tried to constrict it. As a last ditch effort I tried to force feed him, but he wouldn't open his mouth and I was afraid of hurting him since I don't have much experience doing it and he seemed so fragile.

[Kara]

There's definitely fight left in the little Blood though, it's a slim hope but if they get a proper set up and get him to a vet stat I think he can be saved (with a lot of care and preserverence). On two occasions he struck at us, and the few times we could get the pinkie in his mouth he tried to constrict it. As a last ditch effort I tried to force feed him, but he wouldn't open his mouth and I was afraid of hurting him since I don't have much experience doing it and he seemed so fragile.

First off, good on you for trying to help this little guy. Baby bloods can be tough. At this point I would not recommend force-feeding, as it typically causes more stress than it does good. Focus on getting this snake into the correct environment first, and letting the snake get settled and acclimated. A small plastic tote in the 6-15 quart range is a good size for a juvie like this. Use several thick layers of folded newspaper that the snake can hide between, and keep the entire enclosure in an area that averages 80-82 degrees with no hot spot. A simple water bowl completes the equation & will help maintain correct humidity in the enclosure without excessive fiddling or spraying.

Once he has a chance to hang out in a species-correct environment for a couple of weeks (may take a little longer), you should see his appetite start to kick in. Young bloods & STPs that are kept correctly are typically voracious feeders, and improper environmental conditions is one of the biggest causes of failure to feed.

Best of luck in getting him straightened out!

[KMG]

Where are these kids getting snake money? If they have the money to buy another snake they should use it to buy the correct tanks and equipment for the two they have. I would tell them to ask their parents if you can look at the setup and help them correct it. Maybe even volunteer to go with them to get the new supplies. Then after they are setup in their own tanks tell them to sell the 75 gallon on craigslist to make alittle money and free up the room.

I also second Kara's idea of totes but you need to know more information about their home and heat sources before suggesting it. Do some recon and get back with us.

I would search your local craigslist for two proper tanks. Small ones are usually listed at pretty good prices.

[Xeperxi]

Commend you for trying to help. Can't add much more than what Kara and others have suggested, get temps around 82 and get into the proper enclosure and them give some time. Bloods aren't for a novice (not saying you are, talking about the original owners) but they can be hardy but need the correct environment. I wish luck and if you need anything lets know, my passion is bloods and wish you the best