Sad discovery.

[kc261]

OK, a few things in this thread I want to respond to.

Measuring temps: I think that ideally you should know what the temp is both above and below the substrate. The snake is most likely to spend most of its time on top of the substrate, so of course you should know the temps there. But, there is also the chance of it burrowing down into the substrate, or just pushing the substrate aside. If your temps under the substrate are too hot, this could result in a burn.

If there is a big difference between the 2 temps, such that the temp on top is too cool yet the temp underneath could burn, and you can't get it so both temps are acceptable, then you need to do something about it. Either use a thinner layer of substrate or switch substrates, or possibly raise the ambient temp which may raise the temp on top of the substrate. This is one of the reasons that I like newspaper as a substrate...it doesn't insulate a whole lot, so I don't have an issue.

Necropsies: A necropsy is a good idea if an animal dies for unknown reasons. Probably most of the time you will find out that it was something non-contagious and non-preventable, and in that case all you will gain is the peace of mind of knowing. But in other cases, you may gain information that will be useful in keeping the rest of your collection healthy.

To get a necropsy done, you should get the animal's body to the vet ASAP. Refrigerate it until then. Do not freeze. I don't know exactly how long you have, but just based on what I see with things like chicken meat in my refrigerator, I would guess that Skiploder's comment of 3-4 days as a maximum is probably accurate.

The cost of a necropsy is going to vary widely, just like all vet services. Since I have never needed one, I have never thought to ask how much one would cost. I'd guess it might be comparable to an office visit, since I think it would represent a roughly comparable amount of the vet's time. Obviously any tissue samples that are sent out for lab work are going to increase the cost.