Is my snake pregnant?

[frostyftw]

Sorry if this pic is too big.

http://i54.tinypic.com/mki59w.jpg

Anyway, I'm not sure how to feel for babies.

Also, notice how the top of the snake is kinda skinny, but gets fatter as you look down the snake.

Any help is appreciated, thanks.

[RedSidedSPR]

Welcome to the forum! How can a pic be too big..?:D

I honestly can't tell... Did you recently catch her, or have you had her for awhile.

Looks kinda skinny to me.... as in, not pregnant, but underweight..

But like I said. I can't tell.

[guidofatherof5]

Welcome to the forum.

Might be gravid but also is underweight. Has she been eating and if so what?
Can you give us some history on the snake please.

[BUSHSNAKE]

looks gravid to me

[frostyftw]

Oh, sorry.

Here is some history...

I recently caught this snake. (Recently as in about a month, my estimate.)
It has been eating. It originally only wanted frogs. A few days ago, I scented worms with a frog and it decided to eat the worms.

I decided it should stick with the worm diet. I can't supply frogs year-round, it will be too cold. I can supply night crawlers the whole year, they are sold in stores.

[ConcinusMan]

Hard to tell from the poor quality of the picture. The upper part almost looks as if she's undernourished and the thick part starts too far up. I hope your snake isn't impacted. Looks impacted to me, which is usually fatal without prompt vet care. Looks like it might be puget sound garter?

[ssssnakeluvr]

looks llike she could be gravid to me also.

[ConcinusMan]

I'd like to see some more pics taken in better light. I don't like the looks of this snake. Something could be wrong.

[frostyftw]

I will post more pictures soon...

This snake looks pretty much the same since I got it.

I caught this snake.

It was not that long ago, less then a month.

It is eating worms.

[d_virginiana]

Agreed, it looks like it could be gravid, but also not very healthy.. Hopefully it's just a skinny gravid garter and not impacted or anything, but I don't think it's possible to tell from that pic.

Just wondering, would a garter that badly impacted still be eating regularly and acting normal?

[guidofatherof5]

Just wondering, would a garter that badly impacted still be eating regularly and acting normal?

They may and it could also be an intestinal infection of some kinds.
I've seen this shape on a few radixes before. Unfortunately it was never anything they recovered from.
I sure hope that isn't what is wrong with this snake.;)

[d_virginiana]

Yes, fingers crossed for it just being gravid.

[ConcinusMan]

Agreed, it looks like it could be gravid, but also not very healthy.. Hopefully it's just a skinny gravid garter and not impacted or anything, but I don't think it's possible to tell from that pic.

Just wondering, would a garter that badly impacted still be eating regularly and acting normal?

Up until the point of no return, yes. But as Steve mentioned, it's not necessarily an impaction. A heavy infestation of tape worms or some other infection can cause a snake to get in this sort of condition as well which is actually cause for hope since if the snake is still eating, it could possibly recover with proper treatment. Again, I only see the one pic. more pics are needed to really get a clear picture of the snake's condition. Something just tells me from what I can see, that something isn't right.

[frostyftw]

Alright sorry, here are some pictures...

http://i56.tinypic.com/2b7jeo.jpg

http://i56.tinypic.com/2dccoxy.jpg

http://i56.tinypic.com/ngrs6x.jpg

http://i51.tinypic.com/z74oo.jpg

Sorry, I couldn't get the lighting right....

By the way, what do you guys mean by impacted?

[frostyftw]

Sorry, pic's are big...

It might be a good close up, though..

[ConcinusMan]

Oh crap. Just as I suspected. That snake is in pretty bad shape. I'm not a vet so I can't possibly diagnose. I still think the usual suspects are the cause.

Impaction, intestinal infection, malnutrition, probably complicated with any number of maladies and/or parasites. Whatever the cause, that snake is starving to death and there is significant swelling in the lower 1/3. I do not believe the snake is gravid or if it is, that any live young will come from it. I also don't have much hope that she can be saved. If it were me, I would humanely euthanize the snake immediately to prevent any further suffering. One thing is certain: that snake is mortally ill. Of course, you're welcome to take to a vet but I think they will tell you the same thing.


That's just my opinion Sorry I don't have better news for you..:(

If you have any other snakes. I would isolate the sick one immediately and sterilize everything and prevent any cross-contamination just in case whatever is bothering this snake can be spread to others.

[frostyftw]

Thanks to everyone who gave me information.

I have decided to wait to see what happens.

I have separated the snake from my others and I will clean the tank.

Again, thanks everyone...

[jitami]

Good luck... she really doesn't look good :(

[frostyftw]

I know, and thanks for the luck....

[jitami]

Ok, so garter experts... if the OP isn't going to Euthanize and isn't headed to the vet (waste of money at this point?) is there anything you would suggest to help this garter out?

I would probably give her a nice slightly warm soak which may help if she's impacted and/or dehydrated. I'm thinking it's too late to worm her and that may do more harm than good at this point. I'd definitely feed her... if she's been taking small meals for you I'd give her as much as she'd like. If she hasn't been eating, start with a small meal. In all honesty I would probably put her to rest in the freezer, but can certainly understand not wanting to do that.

How's she behaving? Is she active? Drinking on her own? Tongue flicking?

[frostyftw]

I'm not the right person to ask, so I hope someone else answers that question.

[frostyftw]

Sorry, I replied wrong...

She's not acting normal...

But she will eat..

[jitami]

I'm not the right person to ask, so I hope someone else answers that question.

There are a few people on the forum who have experience trying to save snakes that are in rough shape. I think Steve already weighed in that the outcome doesn't look good, but hopefully he and the others can give you better advise than I can about what to do next. I feel so bad for both you and her :(

[frostyftw]

Don't worry, it wasn't your fault....

[ConcinusMan]

Sorry, I replied wrong...

She's not acting normal...

But she will eat..

She'll eat and yet for whatever reason, (could be that bulge is a heavy tapeworm infestation and intestinal infection) she isn't getting any nutrients at all and is literally starving to death. That doesn't take a vet or any special skills to diagnose.



I have decided to wait to see what happens.

Well I have to be honest and say there's only one thing that can happen. The snake will continue to suffer and get worse until it ultimately dies in agony. At this point, it's probably too far gone to respond to treatment and make a recovery. If you had any kind of heart at all you would buck up and euthanize that snake. It's not an easy thing to do, but to me, it's far worse and a harder thing to do, to watch the snake suffer any longer.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

That snake is in very bad shape.... I would not expect her to recover but you could try a warm soak and see if massaging can help push anything put that may be stuck? Is the swollen area hard or soft? If it is soft does it feel overly soft, kinda like puffed with air and baggy? The other thing I noticed is the alight swelling in the upper third. Has this snake regurgitated at all? Crypto comes to mind.... Honestly it does not look good.... Unfortunately though it looks like she's too far gone... The upper half even looks dehydrated.... :(

[ConcinusMan]

There you have it. I beg you to euthanize that snake. Please. Don't let it go though any more suffering.:( I do believe there's nothing you can do at this point and you're only prolonging the suffering. The snake will die. It's just a matter of time.

[jitami]

Another experienced keeper sent me this privately when I asked for his help with this thread and gave me permission to share it here.

She does look thin in the front half, quite possibly gravid, people just don't realize how much of your body's resources are used in taking care of these babies. is she eating? if she is, feed her as often as she will eat. you can take a stool sample to your vet to test for parasites.... I don't think its an impaction or parasites.... looks like just an old girl with her last litter. as they age, they will lose weight and not gain, thats usually a sign of old age. not much can be done about that. she will need a lot of food te recover if she is gravid.
hope this helps.

[ConcinusMan]

I still say there's more to it than that and the snake is terminal. A snake doesn't eat all while starving to death because it is old or gravid, or even both, and there's no doubt in my mind at all that the snake is nearly starved to death. I've seen enough snakes die of old age in my care. This is something entirely different.

Also, I want to point out that by the time fertilization takes place, essentially NO resources from the mother are spent from that time on out. All she does is breathe for them. A snake does not, cannot, and will not produce those eggs to be fertilized if her own body resources are not up to par with plenty of reserves to produce yolks. OK, assuming she is gravid, that's not what's causing her to slowly die. Something very serious is wrong and it has nothing to do with a natural age related death or pregnancy.

[RedSidedSPR]

Even if it were gravid, i'd be surprised to see a healthy, or even alive, baby...

[ConcinusMan]

Even if it were gravid, i'd be surprised to see a healthy, or even alive, baby...


Not a chance IMO. The snake is too weak and emaciated to even push anything out properly I think. Heck, whatever is in there might be rotting.

[d_virginiana]

Sorry, I replied wrong...

She's not acting normal...

But she will eat..

When you say she isn't acting 'normal' what do you mean? Is she just acting listless and lethargic, or does she appear to be in distress? If the animal is really suffering, the right thing to do is to euthanize it, but if it doesn't appear to be in pain, then IMO there's nothing wrong with continuing to offer food and trying to keep her as comfortable as you can. Maybe you'll get lucky and she'll go peacefully.
If she's in pain though, euthanasia might be the only way. It's a tough decision to have to make.

Keeping you and your snake in my thoughts.