death of my little girl

[Smalm]

I went in to feed my little girl Spike who was my first garter snake and she was so healthy the days before she died... Is there a list of things she could of died of... she died after being outside a few times... could she of caught something from the air? I only have a little kid of hers left and to make it worse my parents don't have the time today for me to buy another snake and we are in an area that has them in pet stores. Also what should I be aware of that her kid could catch and die from herself?

[d_virginiana]

Can you describe her setup? Temp, feeding, size of tank, ect. There's no reason being outside should have caused her death (I mean, they live outdoors...) unless she was crawling around somewhere that could have had pesticides or something.

I really recommend NOT buying garters from pet stores. There are plenty of breeders who will ship to you who know what they're doing. Petstores almost NEVER do, and you are likely to get a sick or unhealthy snake if you buy from a pet store. Garters are harder to keep healthy than most snakes, which is why you rarely see them in pet stores.

[Smalm]

Her habitat was about a constant 70 degrees and she had a water dish, upside down chipped, smooth small plant pot with a heating rock that I would wipe down with water every so often. I would wash the whole tank and the mat once a month. As for the water dish every other day. Fresh, cold water every day... I put a fish aquarium piece in there as well... Size of tank was medium... as for everything I regulated... she had kids in August.

[d_virginiana]

What were you feeding her?

70 is on the cold side. 75-80 is more appropriate. Also, heat rocks are dangerous. They can overheat and essentially cook snakes from the inside out; if you have one in the tank with the babies, take it out immediately. A heat lamp or heat pad is a better alternative.

[guidofatherof5]

I would agree with Lora on the temp. My warm side is 85°.
The problem with heat rocks is an old one and may have been remedied by new technology. I still wouldn't use them as in most setups the cord offers a escape avenue. Under tank heaters on a thermostat offer security and a much better degree of safety.
ZooMed makes good UTH and Hydrofarm offers the most economical thermostat on the market.

Amazon.com: Zoo Med ReptiTherm® Under Tank Heater, Small: Pet Supplies
Amazon.com : Hydrofarm MTPRTC Digital Thermostat For Heat Mats : Plant Germination Heating Mats : Patio, Lawn & Garden

[gibble888]

I will second on the heat rock cord being an escape route....i had one get out that way....lucky for me when he got hungry i found him trying to get back in

[guidofatherof5]

I will second on the heat rock cord being an escape route....i had one get out that way....lucky for me when he got hungry i found him trying to get back in

I love it. Typical garter move. Led by the gut

[Jared]

I'm going with internal parasites as cause of death. Most garters are very adaptable to different environments, they are definitely a hardy species to keep. The only times I have had Garters die on me...every time it was due to feeding "big name" pet store feeder fish. After performing autopsies on them I realized that the lung cavities had parasitic worms in them. A telltale sign is one or more small "lumps" under the skin. Sometimes these lumps are barely visible. They don't look like blisters by any means just a small area usually only 2-3 scales worth which seem raised up ever so slightly. These are the tail ends of the parasitic worms. My snakes ate voraciously right up until the time of death, and at the time off death the bumps will be gone, as the worms move about, apparently to the lung to finish out the life cycle. I never feed with store bought feeder fish. Pinkies, earth worms, and non fatty pre frozen fish fillet ect.

[guidofatherof5]

I'm going with internal parasites as cause of death. Most garters are very adaptable to different environments, they are definitely a hardy species to keep. The only times I have had Garters die on me...every time it was due to feeding "big name" pet store feeder fish. After performing autopsies on them I realized that the lung cavities had parasitic worms in them. A telltale sign is one or more small "lumps" under the skin. Sometimes these lumps are barely visible. They don't look like blisters by any means just a small area usually only 2-3 scales worth which seem raised up ever so slightly. These are the tail ends of the parasitic worms. My snakes ate voraciously right up until the time of death, and at the time off death the bumps will be gone, as the worms move about, apparently to the lung to finish out the life cycle. I never feed with store bought feeder fish. Pinkies, earth worms, and non fatty pre frozen fish fillet ect.

Then what do you feed? or did I read something wrong.

[Jared]

Oh sorry about that, I see how that last part could be mis read haha. I feed with...Pinkies, earth worms, and non fatty pre frozen fish fillet. My Coast Garter actually is on fuzzies now, my Melanstic Seirra and SC garters are both on frozen/thawed fish fillet and the occasional slug or nightcrawler.