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  1. #1
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    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!

  2. #2
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    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...

  3. The Following 6 Users Say Thank You to bns For This Useful Post:

    ballpythonluvr (02-11-2021),Bogertophis (02-07-2021),EL-Ziggy (02-08-2021),jmcrook (02-07-2021),nikkubus (02-07-2021),Spicey (02-07-2021)

  4. #3
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    Re: I am a idiot and my stake too a fall

    Quote Originally Posted by bns View Post
    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.

  5. #4
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    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.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

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  7. #5
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    Re: I am a idiot and my stake too a fall

    Quote Originally Posted by Bogertophis View Post
    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...

  8. #6
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    Re: I am a idiot and my stake too a fall

    Quote Originally Posted by Rosa View Post
    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.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

  9. #7
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    Re: I am a idiot and my stake too a fall

    Quote Originally Posted by Bogertophis View Post
    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.

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  11. #8
    Bogertophis's Avatar
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    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".
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

  12. #9
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    Re: I am a idiot and my stake too a fall

    Quote Originally Posted by Bogertophis View Post
    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 I just adore him!

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  14. #10
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    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!
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

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