I decided to write this guideline sheet, because a few people seem to have had problems with their newly acquired Snakes.
The following guidelines are what I use before purchasing a new snake.
1. The most important thing to do before purchasing a new animal is to do as much research and gather as much information as possible.
2. The first and easiest way to asses a snake’s health, would be to look for active tongue flicker and a noticeable reaction to close proximity movement.
3. Any wounds, indentations in body, a pyramid shaped body (visible spine), bottom piece of tail missing or a foul smell coming from the mouth are all indications of an undernourished, unhealthy animal.
4. If possible, gently pinch the skin between your fingers on the mid body of the snake, the skin should immediately move back to its former position, if the skin sticks together for a few seconds, this is good indication of dehydration!
5. Before purchasing a constrictor, one should handle the animal. A healthy constrictor normally has a firm grip and the urge to move around. If an animal is lethargic, doesn’t firmly grip you, shows no noticeable tongue flicker or movement, again this is a sign of an unhealthy or overly stressed animal.
6. A quick look in the mouth could also be helpful to asses the health of the animal. Any wounds, foul smell, discolouration, puffing of the neck or gaping mouth(which is normal for some snakes) and large amounts of mucus could mean the animal may have rot mouth or a cold.
7. A close inspection of the skin is very important, especially in and around the scales close to the snake’s mouth. Any white or black specs anywhere on the snakes body could mean it has mites and should not be taken anywhere near your collection.
If the snake’s health has met your satisfaction, the following are some tips on getting the animal comfortable and established into its new environment (enclosure).
This is a quote from a member of this site and is highly relevant to your snake wellbeing, I think it goes a little something like this “You can choose to keep your snakes alive or healthy and happy”, unfortunately I can’t remember who said it.
1. Once the animal has been purchased, PLEASE DO NOT try to feed it on the same day or the day after you received it. I know it’s very tempting but newly acquired animal need at least a week to explore and settle down in thier new environment.
2. DO NOT feed the snake overly large food items, as this could result in regurgitation.
3. Do not handle the snake to much for the first few days and especially after it has just eaten.
4. A hide box is very important all the time and not only for newly acquired animals.
5. I water bowl is also very important and a heat source.
Please take the following into consideration.
From what source was the snake acquired? (Pet shop, private party, etc.)
Do you have any knowledge about previous owner(s) of the snake?
Do you have other snakes? If so, how many, and of which species?
What are the housing arrangements for the snakes? Any recent acquisitions?
Do you routinely quarantine new acquisitions?
Describe the dimensions of the enclosure in which this snake is housed.
Of what materials is the enclosure constructed?
What floor coverings are used in the enclosure?
What other items are used in the enclosure?
Describe the heat sources used in the enclosure.
What is the environmental temperature within the enclosure?
Is an artificial UV light source used?
Describe the water container/soak pit used.
Are hiding places provided for the snake?
What is the snake fed?
Is the snake fed live, stunned, freshly killed or thawed frozen prey?
How often is the snake fed?
Has the snake regurgitated recently?
When did the snake last defecate?
When did the snake last shed?
Was the shed complete (in one piece) or in pieces?
http://www.animalhospitals-usa.com/rept ... ealth.html
Hope this helps any future or beginner snake keepers.
Fellas, any input or hate mail would be greatly appreciated.