Oh Jason, I'm so very sorry to read of her loss. It's never easy to hold them and know there was nothing you likely could have done...so frustrating and very heartbreaking to say the least. Mike and I have had two babies die in our hands and with them, there was never much hope, but you hope anyways and wish it could have been different. One of them (Teagan) had that dark discoloration you mention and from what I could find out it was likely some sort of liver failure with her.

I know you care and this hurts but don't let what's happened hold you down. Even in these hard situations, I think we as keepers of snakes, do learn something to take forward into another day.