Shorter Garter by accident

[Light of Dae]

Figured I can't be the only one to have done this, Please post your 'Shorter Garter' Stories here as lessons learned, mistakes made, also "I'm not the only one" type.


Well yesterday I fed all the snakes, everyone ate... even my little baby Eastern ery male who is now... an inch shorter...
I feel SO bad! I was putting them all in their feeding containers like normal but this time I had the containers lined up on the table and the light was reflecting off the lids so I couldn't see through them well... and well This little guy jumped to swim in his food n So I was shutting the lid n he stopped, didn't move for a second then started freaking out n rolled n rolled .. and then I saw his tail... Stuck n now twisted off in the lid!!

I opened it up n apologized to the little guy over n over.
I picked up his tail tip n put the lid back on BEING VERY WATCHFUL N CAREFUL THIS TIME. (And from now on, light glare or not!)

Surprising to me he still ate ALL of his food!

I put everyone else back in their respective tanks and then again apologizing to this little guy took him out n looked him over quickly as he was trying not to regurgitate on my hand(He was very full of nightcrawlers).
He'll be okay I know, but don't think he'll like me for a little while yet. Took him out today to get a better picture of his newly stubbed tail. He used to come to my hand flicking about seeing if any part of my hand was food... this time he stared flying around the tank n was trying to hide from me I don't blame him.

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Applied triple antibiotic ointment to his tail n again said sorry.
(Computer won't upload othe pictures right now, More later)

[guidofatherof5]

Look at that little face. Poor little scrub
What could a cute little guy like that have done to deserve such treatment.
You've got the right aftercare going on. He'll be fine and recover quickly.
Accidents happen but this one won't again.

[Reptilia]

What a shame! I'm going to learn from your mistake, and be extra careful! I'm sure he'll patch up just fine with your care!

[Stefan-A]

Well, most of the tail is expendable.

[infernalis]

Well, most of the tail is expendable.

Yup.. about 20% of the wild specimens I see have nub tails.

[snake man]

Better the then anywhere else.

[kueluck]

Now he has an interesting story to tell his friends about how he lost the end of his tail while out hunting for food in the jungles of ........

[-MARWOLAETH-]

Hope the little one heals up nicely and I'm sure he'll forgive you after another stomach full of worms.

[Light of Dae]

An interesting note to add is his tail tip was twitching a lot as if to keep a predator intrigued for a moment or two give the snake little more time to get away.

[ProXimuS]

Sorry to hear this happened but I'm sure he'll forgive you

An interesting note to add is his tail tip was twitching a lot as if to keep a predator intrigued for a moment or two give the snake little more time to get away.

I know that lizard tails do that. At least the Anoles and w/e Geckos we have here do. I always figured it was for the same reason.