HELP - Squib canibbalism

[lauwersp]

One of my squibs ate another. Aside from giving them more food (which will obviously be happening), what do I need to know about a situation like this... perhaps it was an accident...

I've also separated the offending snake.

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[EasternGirl]

Good Lord! He looks fat! I have no idea how he is going to digest that...that is scary. I have had my babies bite each other and steal food from one another's mouths...but they have never attempted to eat each other. I would start separating them during feeding. Do you have a vet you can call about the snake that has the other snake inside of him?

[guidofatherof5]

Are you absolutely positive this happened?
From what I've heard this is a dangerous situation for the offender.

[lauwersp]

I'm absolutely positive. I was looking at the tank and I saw he was HUGE. There is nothing else he could have eaten and unfortunately math tells me there is one fewer scrub. I DO separate them during feeding... and this event didn't occur during or right after feeding either. How much should 5 week old scrubs be eating...

I AM worried about the offender. While he/she is alive at the moment and pretty active, I'll be monitoring carefully during the day.

[Invisible Snake]

If the offender is an eastern, then most likely he will die. From what I understand, their stomachs are not designed for digesting other snakes.

You should start separating them or at least house them in smaller groups of 2 or 3 according to size. Also every time you feed them make sure you wash them down before putting them back in their enclosures.

[EasternGirl]

Yeah...I didn't want to be the bearer of bad news...but I don't know how the scrub can survive that. That is why I suggested calling a vet...not sure he or she could do anything though. I'm so sorry this happened. I fed my babies every day when they were first born...just a few bites of worms each. Small, frequent meals. After about a month, I started feeding them every other day...a little bit more food...but still, just a few bites...enough until I saw a little bulge in their tummies. After a few months...I moved feedings to every 3-4 days and I feed them a bit more now. I'd say they each eat maybe 10 little bites of worm....or the equivalent in fish or pinky. I agree that at this point, I would separate them. I'm not sure what is going on there. My eastern babies eat together and get food all over them...but they never try to eat each other. Very odd. Again...I'm so sorry this happened.

[lauwersp]

yea... small bits of silverside and worm. And they've seemed content. I just fed them not and they are ALL much more aggressive then they've ever been so far. It's like a switch got flipped. I haven't been feeding them daily though throughout the first month... more like every other day with one four day period (recently) without being home. I contemplated taking them with me over labor day, but I opted not to for two reasons... One, I didn't want to create a lot of stress. Two, it didn't seem like 4 days would be a big deal as sometimes they go weeks without eating (or was my understanding from things people have posted). Maybe that 4 day stretch flipped an aggressive eating switch.

I called a vet and they basically told me there was nothing I or them could do. They didn't profess much of interest in garters, so I may call another, but that snake is totally in there... I'm not sure how anyone could remove it.

[BLUESIRTALIS]

If this just happened within a day you can hold the snake upside down and gently massage starting with the bottom pushing the baby up towards the throat and make it regurge the other baby. If you don't get if out it will die. If you manage to get it out soak the live snake in a little water for a little while and give him a day or so before you offer any food to let his stomach settle after all this stress. As long as you get the other baby out he should be fine, but if you leave it in he will become lethargic and die. I hope this helps with the little fella. This is why i always rinse the scent off of my babies before i put them back in the cage with the others. Good luck and please keep us posted.

[lauwersp]

I guess I should clarify how I feed them. I have a big green tupperware container that they get fed in. I have never since day one fed them in the tank they "live" in. At the same time, I don't feed them individually but in groups of 4-5 and then try to individually feed anyone who didn't eat with their class. That's how I've kept the poor eaters isolated and how I have my one scrub isolated that won't eat at all right now. Good eaters have gone right back "home."

I just fed them all in the last hour... bigger worm and fish chunks most of them have eaten much more ravenously than before... they are all looking pretty stuffed except for 4 that ate but not a ton. I've separated them from the group. EVERYONE got a thorough dunking in water before going anywhere.

Here's the current tank breakdown (and the tank sizes).

Mama: in own tank (20 gal)

The scrub that's not eating: in own tank (10 gal)

The scrub that ate another: in a tupperware container by him/herself (4 gal?)

The 6 that ate a lot: in main tank that the scrubs have been living in (20 gal)

The 4 that ate but not a lot: in new tank (10 gal)

[BLUESIRTALIS]

What you are doing seems fine. Are you going to try and make the snake regurge the other? If so you need to do it now.