How to identify a sick snake

[WildLore]

I know you guys (and girls) have run across good examples. I am trying to make an informational pamphlet on snakes in my free time with my own art, this would be given out for free for educational purposes and downloadable for printing . I would be doing it with my own art and on my own free time(so certainly don't expect it right away lol) do you have any examples of : emaciated, thin, ideal, fat, obese. weights and how would you describe them? I also need an example of scale rot (mild, moderate and severe) Burns (mild, moderate, severe) Dehydration (mild moderate severe), Blister disease. bad reactions to medications.

I will be doing one just on health and identifying issues so if i neglected an issue because of a brain fart let me know and i will add it. After the health one i will be making one on housing and another on feeding.

if you wish to share information , your own descriptions or thoughts on any of it let me know i plan to start on pamphlet 1 this weekend. Again these will not contain photos but artistic representations that way people wont get lost in the scales or lighting wont muddy the water so to speak. they will be free and downloadable and for educational purposes only..

[Macropodus]

I've been keeping snakes for much of the last 40years. This Internet thing was invented, and then came CraigsList. I had acquired 3 snakes on CraigsList and inspected ~10 more. I don't usually bother anymore because more often than not they have RI. Cold enclosures + old fecal matter = RI

One snake, I remember, I thought I had inspected fairly well. A very thorough visual check revealed none of the visual RI symptoms, and it was alert in my arms but not skittish, despite the background noise.

Once home in the quiet however, I heard that dreaded breathing sound. I returned the snake.

Long story short, IME the easiest way to identify RI is to hold the snake's head as close to the ear as possible. Yes, I know it's never advisable to hold a snake, especially a strange snake, close to the face. At least try to have the snake's head a few inches behind the ear, in a very quiet setting and listen intently. It's breathing should not be audible.

And that's my $0.02 on how to identify a sick snake. Good luck with your phamphlet!

[redshepherd]

For body condition (emaciated, thin, ideal, fat, obese), it depends on species. I'm sure this applies to some of the other things you've listed as well. So you might want to pick a species to start with.

How a healthy blood or short-tailed python looks is totally different from a healthy jungle carpet python, etc.

[WildLore]

oh sorry i was gearing this first set towards ball pythons