ok this is a quick story but highlights the importance of not feeding your snakes and pets wild or unknown food sources. see a family lost their snake or something but it was eventually found. apparently it had fed during while it was missing. and it died shortly after being found b/c a necro showed that it had eaten a poisoned rat.
there are plenty of poison rat traps around urban areas where rats may forage for scraps, etc. actually rats and (poison) rat traps are everywhere. do not feed your snake these rats or other wild animals. may be dying or have other issues that may harm your animals.
https://www.sltrib.com/news/2018/10/...ah-python-was/
A stolen Utah python was reclaimed by its family, only to die after eating a poisoned rodent
Logan authorities say a small python that was found in a Logan neighborhood was positively identified by his owners after it was allegedly stolen from their home earlier this summer.
But the Herald Journal reports Logan Police Capt. Tyson Budge said Friday that the snake suffered convulsions and died several hours after he was picked up.
A necropsy — an autopsy for animals — was performed on the snake and police were informed that the python had ingested a poisoned rodent, causing it to hemorrhage internally.
While the snake was not with his family when he died, Logan police say they went to great lengths to keep him safe and comfortable while he was in their care.
https://www.wral.com/python-dead-aft...dent/17901640/
Python dead after ingesting poisoned rodent
LOGAN, UTAH — Authorities say a small python that was found in a Logan neighborhood was positively identified by his owners after it was allegedly stolen from their home earlier this summer.
But the Herald Journal reports Logan Police Capt. Tyson Budge said Friday that the snake suffered convulsions and died several hours after he was picked up.
A necropsy — an autopsy for animals — was performed on the snake and police were informed that the python had ingested a poisoned rodent, causing it to hemorrhage internally.
While the snake was not with his family when he died, Logan police say they went to great lengths to keep him safe and comfortable while he was in their care.