Found a pretty yellow eastern injured today

[infernalis]

While walking the dogs this morning we stumbled upon a nice yellow striped garter snake with a severe tail injury.

She's slightly malnourished and her injury is infected.

Undoubtedly with the cold weather blowing in fast she would certainly perish in the den over the winter, Cold temps are not conducive to reptile healing.

So she will be spending the winter indoors with daily antibiotic treatments while she heals up.

It looks like she will be losing a lot of her tail before we are done here. Hopefully she makes it, if not at least I tried.

She's set up in the living room away from the snake collection, just in case, AND it's a lot easier to keep an eye on her.

poor girl. She's been basking all day. Capturing her true lemon yellow seems difficult with my camera/lighting.

http://www.reptard.info/hurt/face.jpg

http://www.reptard.info/hurt/snake.jpg

http://www.reptard.info/hurt/tail.jpg

[guidofatherof5]

Glad she's with you Wayne.
Strange looking injury.

[RedSidedSPR]

Yikes... Weird. Good luck, she's purdy.

[tress29]

Strange looking injury.

Shut in a door maybe?

[infernalis]

Don't know, she was pretty far back at the end of the meadow.

[dieselbaby]

poor snake. I sure hope she heals up. Glad you found her. Injury maybe from a bicycle running it over? or maybe got in stuck under a rock that fell or something? looks like it got crushed anyhow.. poor snakey. Good thoughts coming your way for a speedy recovery for her.

[katach]

Maybe she was picked up by a bird, but got dropped. That looks nasty. I hope she heals up nice for you.

[infernalis]

One can only speculate, a deer could have stepped on it while running from a hunter, the wound looks like it's about a week old, she seems to motivate just fine, so she could have dragged her sore little butt from most anywhere. (Bicycle, dirt bike, tractor, falling rock??)

She's swam in her water bowl already, been basking most of the day, I just shut down her light and turned on the heat pad under the tank.

I'll try and feed her tomorrow.

[guidofatherof5]

She's probably thinking she won the garter snake lottery.:D

[d_virginiana]

Aw, poor snake.. At least she ended up in good hands.

[Mrs N1ntndo]

Shes pretty I hope she gets better soon.

[PINJOHN]

looking forward to your updates Wayne i have really taken to her colour, all finger and toes crossed on her behalf

[chris-uk]

Definitely looks like a crush injury to me. Can you tell whether there any feeling or blood-flow to the tail behind the injury? If there's no blood-flow the flesh will start necrotising and could spread. Are you prepared to cut away the end of the tail if it is dead to prevent any infection spreading? If the blood supply and nerves are destroyed I think the most likely scenario will be that the tail will whither and drop off of it's own accord, but a bit of minor surgery may be the best choice to avoid infection.
I hasten to add, that performing surgery on a snake isn't something I've ever done (the last thing I cut up was human), but with a medical sciences degree I'd be considering it.

[infernalis]

Yes, I am prepared to dock it.

[chris-uk]

Yes, I am prepared to dock it.
I think this great looking girl got lucky, and stands a good chance of seeing it through the winter.

[infernalis]

Right now the exposed tissue is still pink, that's a good sign.

Looking closely at the very tip, This is not her first tail injury.

She was restless overnight, the aspen is all bunched up in the middle this morning, looks like she went round the tank quite a few times overnight.

[Char361979]

Poor girly. Nasty looking tail there, but beautiful little lass. Nope the great care she will no doubt get does the job.

[infernalis]

OK, after cleaning up today, I vote male. he's quite restless about his newfound captivity, he's going to have to get over it.

http://www.reptard.info/Paddock/yellow.jpg

[Mommy2many]

Hopefully he will realize his good fortune with the daily meal service and the nice warm temps.

[guidofatherof5]

Beautiful snake Wayne.

[infernalis]

Readily ate three nice strips of trout this evening, first meal at the "hospital"

[katach]

That's great!

[guidofatherof5]

Glad to hear your guest is adjusting.

[PINJOHN]

DON't FORGET Wayne lots and lots of photos, there's something special about that little yeller feller.

[Finalflash50]

That looks bad. I don't think there's really anything you can do about it, besides put some chemicals in her water that give skin and scale health. I do that for my snake. It might not fix the injury, but it's worth a shot, and it will make her scales more healthy.

[infernalis]

Been using Silvadine.. great stuff, ask Steve ;)

[Finalflash50]

I've seen silvadine in the store, tropical treasures, but I never got it. I use reptisafe.

[infernalis]

My vet hooked me up with a tube when my Puget had an abscess boil, it's awesome.

[i_heart_sneakie_snakes]

Aw, that poor little guy :( I hope he heals right up for you. Will he have trouble getting his sheds off once he is healed??

[infernalis]

He will shed fine & he sucked down another respectable serving of trout last night.

[guidofatherof5]

Good news updates., love those.

[infernalis]

Just because pinjohn asked....

Sunshine is doing well, he demands I feed him trout strips in his enclosure.. Will not eat in a feed box, but as long as he keeps on eating, great.

The tail is stable and healing.

[katach]

That is fantastic news! I'm so glad he's doing well for you.

[d_virginiana]

That's great! What does the tail look like now? You think he'll lose it or just have a funny-looking tail?

[infernalis]

That's great! What does the tail look like now? You think he'll lose it or just have a funny-looking tail?

still on the fence with that one.

[PINJOHN]

Just because pinjohn asked....

Sunshine is doing well, he demands I feed him trout strips in his enclosure.. Will not eat in a feed box, but as long as he keeps on eating, great.

The tail is stable and healing.
thanks Wayne thats the perfect end to a night's work, after carrying drunks home in various states of consciousnesses this is just the news i wanted to hear especially after spider bite's sad end .great great news

[infernalis]

I really like this snake, Sunshine does that "periscope" thing all day just watching whatever is going on in the room.

So I decided his cage will stay right here next to my PC, he's like having company while I'm on the computer, just sitting there watching me through the glass.

I'll take some pics of him doing this, it's really funny to see. He's staring into the living room right now taking great interest in what my family is doing.

[guidofatherof5]

Garters are so much fun.
Sunshine sound like a great addition to your family.
Looking forward to the photos.

[katach]

Sounds like he has settled in quite nicely. Can't wait for the pics!

[PINJOHN]

thanks for the update Wayne, it's a good feeling when your instincts are proven correct, right from seeing sunshine's first picture something said to me "special" from what your saying i wasn't wrong :)

[guidofatherof5]

thanks for the update Wayne, it's a good feeling when your instincts are proven correct, right from seeing sunshine's first picture something said to me "special" from what your saying i wasn't wrong :)

As always John, a wise sage ;)

[PINJOHN]

As always John, a wise sage ;)
If only that were true Steve :) amiable buffoon most of the time :o

[infernalis]

If you can see it at all, there is a small peach coloured patch on his neck, the camera does not seem to pick up on it very well. (just in front of the very first black "dot")

http://www.thamfriends.com/tetra/sunny.jpg

[guidofatherof5]

Good looking snake Wayne.
Glad she's with you.

[infernalis]

wouldn't you know it Steve, he does two consecutive monster morning yawns just as I'm dumping images from the memory card.

Not those wimpy "I just ate" jaw alignment yawns, but big wide open, shift the lower jaw left to right "I just woke up" yawns.

[guidofatherof5]

Those always bring a smile to my face.
You're right, the camera is usually unavailable.(downloading photos or charging batteries)

[katach]

I love it when they yawn!!! :D

[infernalis]

I started to post this last night, but later found I had uploaded the wrong clip...

Anyways, here is "Sunny" sucking down a couple trout strips.

I filmed through the glass, so the focus is not the sharpest... enjoy.

xbrKc2xVFlU

[dieselbaby]

Great video, so glad to see your lil rescue doing very well. So glad you found this lil guy.

[infernalis]

Thanks, I am too.

[EasternGirl]

Love the video!

[infernalis]

Thanks..

[EasternGirl]

Really glad to hear that he is doing so well...

[PINJOHN]

Ditto all of the above comments Wayne it was good to see him in motion [so to speak]

THANKS

[infernalis]

Ditto all of the above comments Wayne it was good to see him in motion [so to speak]

THANKS

I was thinking of you when I filmed that. Dorothy was looking at me funny when I set up lighting and put the cam on the tripod for that feeding session. Told her John in Liverpool would like to see Sunny eat fish.

Got a comment on youtube very quickly after I uploaded it too...

[infernalis]

Last night Sunny shed for the first time in my care. All went well until the slough snagged up on the injury point and broke off clean.

He was not real cooperative about it, but with a little help, I managed to get up under it with a fingernail and get the rest of it off.

The injury point looks fantastic all things considered.

http://www.thamnophis.co/GSimages/tail.jpg

[dieselbaby]

glad to hear sunny is doing well, and that you got that shed off. keep the updates coming :)

[guidofatherof5]

Glad the shed went well for Sunny.

[katach]

Good news! Thanks for the update!

[BlueGarterz]

Glad he's doing well.

[EasternGirl]

I'm glad Sunny was able to get his shed off...even if it took a little assistance!

[tress29]

Are we assuming (hoping) that with every shed, the skin/scales heal over until there is just a small scar? That the shed wouldn't get stuck there anymore?

[infernalis]

Are we assuming (hoping) that with every shed, the skin/scales heal over until there is just a small scar? That the shed wouldn't get stuck there anymore?

Yes, but there will be a scar there for life.

I don't mind, adds charecter.

[PINJOHN]

Yes, but there will be a scar there for life.

I don't mind, adds charecter.
thanks for sunny's update Wayne you now make him sound like a buccaneer :D

[chris-uk]

thanks for sunny's update Wayne you now make him sound like a buccaneer :D

With an eye-patch and a peg-leg, er :confused:... maybe not the peg-leg.

[kibakiba]

Peg-tail.

[EasternGirl]

Awww...now I'm picturing Sunny as a little pirate snake.

[Jaded815]

Awwww love him! Great job taking him in!

[guidofatherof5]

Wayne, we'd love to see an updated photo of this beautiful snake. Please.

[infernalis]

OK, I'll take one. Later.

He's just kinda chillin' under the water bowl for now.

[guidofatherof5]

When it's convenient would be fine. Thanks.

[PINJOHN]

When it's convenient would be fine. Thanks.

What he said!!!!!!

[infernalis]

OK, here you go.. Guess who just joined the "pinkie club"

http://www.thamnophis.co/feeding/sunshine1.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.co/feeding/sunshine2.jpg

The tail, as it will likely look for the rest of his life. It is completely healed.

http://www.thamnophis.co/feeding/sunshine3.jpg

[guidofatherof5]

She is awesome.
Thanks for the update and photos.
Glad she made the switch.
Any scenting required?

[infernalis]

No scenting required. I just got in a big box of pinks today, so I have been letting everyone pig out.

Took them right from my fingers.

[kimbosaur]

That tail looks tonnes better from the first pic!

[infernalis]

That tail looks tonnes better from the first pic!

Thanks.. Yes it does.

Sheds no longer hang up there either.

[EasternGirl]

Awesome pics!!!

[chris-uk]

It's great to see her doing well. Good work there.

[PINJOHN]

just finished work turned on the computer and there she is!!!! Sunny !!!! which is what now describes my disposition great work there Wayne:)

[infernalis]

I would like to correct myself here, I am pretty sure "she" is HE.

[Selkielass]

Oh, love that yellow!

[EasternGirl]

Well then...glad he is doing well!