Little ones don't always get big...

[Thamnophis]

One of my San Francisco garter snakes, born on 30-05-2010, refused to grow.

She ate àlways and always a lot of fish/chicken heart. Was fed two times per week. Was active and curious, always shed well and looked completely healthy. She only forgot to grow.

Now, almost two years old, she died. Nature always has it way!

On the picture she is dead for about an hour.

[EasternGirl]

Poor little girl...rest in peace, little one.

[guidofatherof5]

Poor little scrub.

[Stefan-A]

Sad and fascinating.

[Selkielass]

Beautiful little thing. Its a shame her 'growth switch' never kicked on.
It makes me wonder if dwarfism is documented in reptiles.

[infernalis]

Sad and fascinating.

^^^^^^^this^^^^^^^^^

[katach]

Beautiful little thing. Its a shame her 'growth switch' never kicked on.
It makes me wonder if dwarfism is documented in reptiles.

I was thinking that too.

[gregmonsta]

Beautiful little thing. Its a shame her 'growth switch' never kicked on.
It makes me wonder if dwarfism is documented in reptiles.

It's been reported here more than once , pretty sure there will be a paper on it somewhere. It's a shame she didn't make it longer but it appears to be a recurring theme - dwarfism = reduced lifespan.

[Thamnophis]

I've seen it before in other reptile species in the shelter I used to work.
Most of the time they do very well and suddenly you see them deteriorate and 1 or 2 days later it is dead. Often this process takes much longer in reptiles. They can be dying a whole year (f.e. tortoises and turtles).

For me it is ok that the little lady died. That's life.

As long as the snakes that I keep seem healthy and "happy" they deserve to live. When I see they suffer and noting can be done about it, I end their misery. I was never under the impression this little creeper suffered. She was active and very cheeky. She was not afraid of her inmates although they all were a lot bigger. She often stole food out of a the mouth of her "friends".

[EasternGirl]

My male eastern, Seeley, is very, very small. He is W/C and about two years old, I am guessing...yet he only weighs a little over 30 grams. He eats, although he has never been a hearty eater, and he often goes off of food for a month at a time. He has always seemed happy and active though. Lately, he hasn't been looking so good though...I am starting to worry now. He seems weak and limp a lot. I wonder if he is suffering from something similar. These days I would not be surprised if his days are becoming numbered, I am very sad to say.