Found a Garter with a Broken Back, Perhaps? Help...

[stupie2]

Hello, all.

I'm new here and hope that someone can help me out.

I was out walking today in a wooded area where the town has residents dump their garden scraps. Saturdays (today) are a busy day. I was walking on the gravel heading through the woods when I nearly stepped on a dead snake at the side of the road. I looked again and realized that the snake, a Garter was very much alive, but not moving much. I figured out that its back end, perhaps half of its body seemed to be slightly squished and paralyzed. It was undulating its front end, trying to crawl away, but couldn't. It's tongue was flicking too. The very tip of its tail looked like it was dry and about to fall off. I guessed it might have been run over by a car, but no - it would have been totally squished. Perhaps someone stepped on it?

I left it alone and went on my way, but my conscience got the best of me, and a couple of hours later I went back to look for it and make sure it was ok - what I mean is that I was hoping it would be gone, and that I was wrong about it's injuries. Well, when I returned, the snake was in the same place, still undulating now and then, but less than before, and no flicking tongue. It was much colder, so I figured it was just a bit slow because of that.

I brought the snake home and put it in a plastic tub with a little bit of water and some wet leaves. It barely moved, and a few times I thought it might be dead.

I just checked on it again, and it's paralyzed part is stiff, though the rest of it's body is supple. It's tongue isn't flicking any more, and it's mouth is a little off - like it's sucking on a big wad of dirt on one side.

Oh, forgot to mention it's eyes are cloudy, and it looks like it's shedding skin around it's head. I researched enough to know that this can make a snake lethargic, but it's the paralyzed, stiff lower half of the body that has me concerned. That and the funny mouth.

Any thoughts? Broken back? Squished insides and in the process of dying? I don't plan to keep this guy as a pet, I just want to see him through the weekend until animal rescue can or will take him in.
Thanks in advance, and please let me know if there's any important information I've left out!

~ E

[adamanteus]

Hi Eden, and welcome to the forum. It sounds to me as though this snake is dying. It might be better to put it out of it's misery.

[Sid]

Welcome to the forum, Eden. Sounds to me like the most humane thing would be to put this one out of it's misery. It is commendable of you to show the caring and hope to bring it back to health, but this one has to be really suffering.

[mgordon]

Hi !
If I was you I'd Give your snake a quick and mercy full death. Either use a knife to chop it's head off, or let it slowly cool down in a cold place, until the cold does the work for you. Reptiles will die of the cold, without any pain, since their systems slowly will shut down, and eventually they will slip painlessly into a state of hibernation, and then die. Keeping it alive over the week end will just prolong it's pain. In nature, a bird or other predator would eventually have done the job. It might seem cruel, but that is how nature is, and often what we humans believe to be mercy is in fact torture to wild animals.

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard, Eden. I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with James and Sid here.

[stupie2]

Right, ok.

Thank you very, very much for the suggestions, but I can't even squash a bug. How do I go about putting a snake out of its misery?

I think I might not have to. He hasn't moved since last night. I'm going to wait until it warms up a bit and see if he perks up, but I think he might be gone.

Thanks again, I'll let you know.

~ E

[Lori P]

Aw Eden, I wish the news was better. You did the right thing by getting him off the road where more terrible things could have happened... now you might have to go one step further. So sorry!! :-(

[stupie2]

Oh, my. How cold does a snake have to get before it's systems shut down? I might have done him in unintentionally (which is actually easier on me if it sounds like he was dying anyway).

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, Eden :)

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I came across this EXACT, to the tee, thing last year. The back end of this pregnant mother snake was smashed. She was still trying to creawl away with her top half. It was heartbreaking to watch and it made me cry. The fact is, that without a functioning back end, the snake cannot live, there are many vital organs down there, kidneys, digestive tract, etc that are now ruined and I suggest you do as I did and put the snake out of it's misery. Either put it in the freezer or decapitate it. Sorry you had to come to us in this way, perhaps you will find garters to be intriguing and maybe get one as a pet in the future!

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

You could put it in the freezer, it would go into brumation state (hibernation) then die painlessly

Right, ok.

Thank you very, very much for the suggestions, but I can't even squash a bug. How do I go about putting a snake out of its misery?

I think I might not have to. He hasn't moved since last night. I'm going to wait until it warms up a bit and see if he perks up, but I think he might be gone.

Thanks again, I'll let you know.

~ E

[ssssnakeluvr]

I agree with everyone....not much can be done at this point except put it out of its misery. It can be hard because people like to save everything, but sometimes it's better to put it down.

[stupie2]

Thank you very much for the help. I think he might already have died last night, but I didn't know how to tell for sure. He was definitely gone today...

I don't have any plans for keeping snakes as pets. While I'm not squirmy around snakes, I find that there's too much care involved for my taste. I much prefer mammals.

Thank you again for all the help, and good luck to all of you and your snakes. I'll pop back on if I come across any more needy reptiles.

I wish I'd known enough to end it quickly for the little guy. I actually thought that a snake might survive with a paralyzed end-half as long as it was protected from harm and had food. It's horrible to see an animal suffering. I feel for you, SLB. I'm a sucker for anything that's hurt, but I think that if I'd been a snake person and found this scene it would have killed me.


Regards,

~ E

(Hello, Odie :))

[adamanteus]

Thanks for caring, Eden. Hope to see you around the forum sometimes.:)

[person365]

You could put it in the freezer, it would go into brumation state (hibernation) then die painlessly


NO my friend Kyle known to you as Zephyr told me euthinizing a snake in a freezer is a slow and painful death.

[el lobo]

I vote for freezing. There is a lot of controversy about decapitation, and how long after the fact the organism is aware of its separation from the body...but if you don't care, then decapitation works too.

Just wondering everyone...I use CO2 for mice...would this be appropriate for a snake as well?

[adamanteus]

The official line in the UK is Benzocaine or MS222.
A less official line is... chill the animal to a state of torpor to cause the brumation process to start. Then freeze.

[Zephyr]

I vote for freezing. There is a lot of controversy about decapitation, and how long after the fact the organism is aware of its separation from the body...but if you don't care, then decapitation works too.

Just wondering everyone...I use CO2 for mice...would this be appropriate for a snake as well?I've always seen CO2 as the most "humane" way to euthanize.

[infernalis]

Just the other night There was a dekay lying in the road, entrails out.

It was nearly impossible for me, but a swift heel from my work boot ensured that little animal was no longer in pain. It was instant and as painless as possible.

FAST is my vote. Placing in the freezer would require moving this animal that is in excruciating pain, A large rock works also.

It may seem barbaric, but faster is better an more humane, If necessary ask a friend, and mourn later.

After delivering nearly 50 dekay babies and saving a runt that should have been still born, stomping on this snake was almost impossible.

But it had to be done.

Kind regards,
Wayne

[Stefan-A]

Just wondering everyone...I use CO2 for mice...would this be appropriate for a snake as well?
Unfortunately it works even worse on snakes, than on newborn mice.

[KITKAT]

NO my friend Kyle known to you as Zephyr told me euthinizing a snake in a freezer is a slow and painful death.

I have experimented with this. A pre-refridgerated garter, 10 inches long, took ten minutes to die in the freezer.

But I still think the freezer is humane, because the snake is basically asleep from the refridgeration.

[infernalis]

10 minutes is an eternity, 1/10th of a second is better.

If you were a soldier on a battlefield, and just stepped on a land mine, completely removing everything from your mid point down, knowing that it is medically impossible to live without....

I would want my friend to place his rifle to my head, rather than bring me in and set me in the fridge.

Wayne

[jitami]

Unfortunately it works even worse on snakes, than on newborn mice.

What would your recommendation be for both(mice & snakes) Stefan? I've thought about raising feeder mice and always planned on using CO2... so it doesn't work so well on newborns? Does it just take longer, or is there some stress to the mice involved?

[Zephyr]

Well, really, any way you look at it there still getting killed. :P

[Stefan-A]

What would your recommendation be for both(mice & snakes) Stefan? I've thought about raising feeder mice and always planned on using CO2... so it doesn't work so well on newborns? Does it just take longer, or is there some stress to the mice involved?
Snakes: stunning blow to the back of the head, decapitation and destruction of the brain. Or have a vet inject the substances you can't own. Why? Because freezing causes discomfort and decapitation alone doesn't kill the snake right away.

Newborn mice (a few days old, max): freezer. Why? They supposedly die before ice crystals begin to form. According to what I've heard, they completely shut down in less than a minute. CO2 doesn't kill them right away, they'll hold their breath and can do so for quite some time. Alternatively snap the neck.

Less than 10 days of age, but not quite newborn anymore: Snap the neck. Won't shut down as easily in the freezer and they still have that damn reflex.

Mice older than that should be killed with CO2.

Note that I haven't actually tested most of these methods for legal reasons, so this is just a collection of recommendations I've picked up over the years. People use other methods as well, including throwing mice against the wall or floor or swinging them by the tail against some hard surface. No doubt those methods will get the job done, but at this point, I wouldn't recommend or use them. One method that is pretty quick, judging by what I've seen, is putting the mouse on a hard surface, grabbing the mouse by the tail, putting a screwdriver, pencil or tweezers across the neck, push it down against the surface while you simultaneously pull it upwards at an angle.

Local animal protection legislation only permits lethal injection, gassing with an appropriate gas (one that causes instant loss of consciousness), electrocution (depending on whether the animal is considered a production animal or a pet), shooting in the brains, and if the animal is less than 3 days of age, striking it on the head. I recommend following your local laws.

[infernalis]

I have experimented with this. A pre-refrigerated garter, 10 inches long, took ten minutes to die in the freezer.

But I still think the freezer is humane, because the snake is basically asleep from the refrigeration.

Try this, Place your garter in a container, set it in your refrigerator for half an hour, take it out and PLEASE tell me just how much asleep you think it is.

Metabolism slows, that is a scientific fact, but brain function and alert levels are still very much awake. Breeders always keep a fresh supply of drinking water during forced brumation, the "sleeping" snakes will drink from it.

Thanks Stefan for agreeing.

The mice thing is a another subject itself. If folks are going to have a hard time raising live prey, and then killing it, frozen dead rodents become very attractive. (And cheaper in the end)

Wayne

[jitami]

Thanks Stefan & Wayne. I wouldn't have any major problems with most of the methods for either snakes or mice, but would like to cause the least amount of trauma to the animal as possible if I decide to raise feeder mice or if I need to put down a snake quickly due to injuries, etc. Thanks again.

[Spiritwolf]

I believe in giving an animal a fair chance. I would put the snake in a tank or box with good lid with a soft surface for the snake to lay on, and put a heating pad on low under one end of the tank/box so the snake could warm up. Provide water, and wait and see what happens the next couple of days.

I've seen animals recover from things that I didn't expect them to pull out of, enough that unless something is obviously mortally wounded, dying or suffering with an incurable illness, or born with a defect that dooms it to die a slow death, I would give it a chance.