Rescue Radix not eating

[GarterNewb]

Hi everyone!! 4 days ago, I brought home a Thamnophis Radix, found in the basement of a bar where it could not stay, on a cold winter night. It was fairly inactive and it spent the first night in a small plastic takeout tub. I cleaned out my old 29 gallon fish tank and prepared a home according to a few sites online. I believe after a few mistakes, I have created a secure, ventilated tank appropriate temp range, hides etc... The snake is about 22 inches long and has no visible injury or sickness rash etc, it might be a little skinny, but it is quite a beautiful little creature. Also, the DNR website says its not restricted, so while I plan to release it in the spring, I'm not legally restricted from keeping it. My goal is to make it as comfortable as possible.

Yesterday (day 3) I gave the snake a bath in 1/2 pedialyte 1/2 water. By 20 minutes in, it seemed to perk up and swim a bit more, it was becoming more and more active and i decided to return it to its cage by about 25 minutes of soaking. As I carried it, it was less limp, seemed to flex its muscles and move a bit more. It has been slightly more active in the tank, as well. It's holding its head higher, flicking its tongue more.

I suspect that it hadn't touched its water bowl prior to the bath, I have since gotten a better dish (a glass pie pan) and seen it checking out the water since.

It hasn't shown interest in the nightcrawler I offered before or after its bath.

It has pooped 3x, the first 2 were very dilute poop stains, much less dense than bird poop, like a light brown watercolor, but the last one looked like cream sauce with a grain of rice. It hasn't acted aggressive/defensive or made a smell, but I haven't reached in the tank it since its bath, and it may have been too weak to flee or to spray it's stink.

It is still pretty inactive, but it seems to use its hides more, and move a little more quickly. I don't see it moving often, but it always seems to be in a different place in the tank when I check it out.

Im going to hydrate it again and try to feed it later. I know it's only had a few days to acclimate, but if there's any advice on how to get it eating, I'd be very grateful.

Thanks!
The Newb

[guidofatherof5]

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Keep you fingers crossed as many snakes in this situation don't make it. Severe dehydration can damage organ. Are offering a heat supply?

[GarterNewb]

Yes, I have a lava lamp bulb under one side, with a 60w bulb over it. It should be about 75 cold side 85 warm side during the day. and it is dark and 70-80 at night. It seems to spend its time equally between sides.

It pooped in the bath after about 10 minutes in the water. it looked like fine white dust with a few tiny dark pebbles. I could see it flexing to poop as i was handling it to keep it in the bath. The bath also perked it up again swimming and sticking its head out over the little tub. After returning it to the cage, it spent 1/2 hour in cool hide, and just now moved to it's warm hide.

[chris-uk]

Keep it warm, make sure it has water available, and fingers crossed that it wasn't in too bad a condition when you found it.
If you have questions ask.

[GarterNewb]

Thank you Steve and Chris! I was really worried it wouldn't make it. I am happy to report that (s)he happily gobbled up a full night crawler tonight, and appears to be getting stronger! I'm extremely happy, as the snake was handled without evidence of stressing out just minutes before feeding. I think I may have rescued a very tame and easily handled radix. Thanks again!

[guidofatherof5]

That is a great update. Please keep us posted on how things are going.
Thanks for taking the time to care about this young one.

[chris-uk]

Radix do seem to take naturally to being handled. Glad it's doing well.

[GarterNewb]

HAPPY UPDATE: Max(ine) is getting stronger and quicker. (S)he is eating nightcrawler every few days with enthusiasm. I plan to transition to thawed mice this week. I will post how that goes. Thanks to all!

[guidofatherof5]

Great news. Any update photos?

[gibble888]

Maybe some pics of the tail/vent area...im sure someone here can fix your he/she probloem.

[GarterNewb]

1048610487
Hi all. Sorry for my long absence from the forum. I want to thank you all for the help, and I have one last request: advice on where to set Max(ine) free. (S)he was found about 1/4 mile from the mississippi river in a relatively urban area. Would (s)he be best off in that possibly familiar area, or should I take her to a less populated area? There are more wooded areas along the river that may be more suitable. Max is stronger and larger, (eating a fuzzy in the pic above) but seems less content in the cage or being handled than when we first met. It may be that feeding in the cage has led to an attack reaction when I reach in, but max seems to hide more as well. This is irrelevant, as my plan has always been to release max, and spring has finally arrived in MN. Any and all advice, speculation would be greatly appreciated.

[jwolfe152]

This is just an opinion and may be the wrong thing to do but i always release them into a wooded/grassy area over an urban area. Ai said that's just my opinion and I'm not sure how familiarity with an area would help or not

[guidofatherof5]

Apparently, Max was doing well in the area you found him/her. Our (yours, mine) opinion of a better living area may be completely wrong. The snakes for the most part knows better then we ever will.
Just my opinion.

[joeysgreen]

I do not recommend releasing him. Most definitely if you have other herptile pets. This snake has spent the winter eating captive produced food, exposed to the pathogens of captivity, and now poses a significant danger to his native population. Many diseases are sweeping our native species in epidemic proportions. You probably have already heard of chytrid disease in amphibians, but there is also a snake fungus disease that's decimating tonnes of locations. The most dangerous diseases most certainly are those we don't yet understand.

In any instance of release, following short term capture, the animal should be released to as close to where found as possible.

Ian

[GarterNewb]

Thanks, Ian. That is a compelling consideration, as my original goal was for the snakes well being, I certainly wouldn't want to jeopardize an entire population. Here a are a few more deets. Ive had the snake just over two months, have no other pets in the house. Max has been fed from two sources: a single box of 18 nightcrawlers from Petco, and frozen pinkies, and then a frozen fuzzy, also from Petco. The snake appears to be larger and stronger every day. I believe the risk to be minimal due to these circumstances, but would really like some more info if you have it. I could probably find a new home instead of releasing him, but release would be my preferred outcome.

Jon

[joeysgreen]

Unfortunately, the problem, again, is risk management because we don't know what or if, your snake is carrying anything. It sounds like your snake is quite low risk, but for instance, where did those night crawlers originate? Many are farmed/harvested from out East, coincidently in the heart of snake fungus country. Did they bring it in with them? Can the fungus live in/on the dirt that they were brought in on? We just don't know. What we do know is that it affects snakes as they are brumating; too cold to fight back with a healthy immune system. Snakes are literally waking up with half their faces eaten away.

There are countless potential diseases, but below is a webinar that everyone might find interesting.

“Snake Fungal Disease in the Eastern United States”, presented by: Dr. Jeffrey M. Lorch, Research Associate, Department of Pathobiological Sciences,
School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

See link below… for now, it is the second presentation on the list (in time, it will get pushed down the list, so you’ll have to browse for it). The link below doesn’t bring it up automatically… look to the list of talks.

http://nctc.fws.gov/topic/online-training/webinars/conservation-science.html (http://nctc.fws.gov/topic/online-training/webinars/conservation-science.html)

Ian