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Posted by DrZot on September 04, 2002 at 08:15:58:
In Reply to: Old age symptoms? posted by KITKAT on September 03, 2002 at 21:53:16:
I'd have to say the usual overt signs are a "wasting"- a drop in activity, slowly losing weight and body tone without decreasing feeding. Often they start regurgitating too. Usually I'll start giving these snakes extra, smaller feedings and supplements, try to protect more against secondary problems (which seem to be what kills them faster- susceptible to illness). Internally (upon general necropsy) I usually find some organ system has "gone out"- but which one varies. Most often the liver, probably the heart or renal next.
Some of the old ones actually start acting a bit "senile" or show vision or coordination problems. I've got one old kingsnake (well over 20) who is no longer very good at constricting.. or catching...mice, but if they touch her she goes defensive and won't try anymore- so I'd have to hold the mouse down by the tail until she got a grip on it (which may take several tries)! She's finally started accepting dead prey (whew)... And I remember one old garter who would let her fish fall out the other side of her mouth repeatedly- it became much faster to hand feed her so the fish was pointed right down her throat!
