Re: You have got to be kidding.... more

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Posted by KJUN on January 03, 2003 at 17:04:42:

In Reply to: You have got to be kidding.... more posted by anygiven60 on January 03, 2003 at 14:57:28:

:FACT: Snakes do ingest anything from sand, mud, grass, to rocks, in the wild, and yet... they are able to survive.

As a species, yes. As an individual, maybe not. Snakes in captivity have the potential to live MUCH longer that they live (on average) in the wild. Many factors, such as disease, parasites, predation, etc., contribute to this fact. With a shorter lifespan, impaction is less likely. Additionally, if a snake here and there "gets sick" from impaction related problems, it is usually grabbed up by a predator or rots away where you don't see it. Since this is the natural order of a food chain, it's a good thing and not a bad thing. However, if it potentially kills on out of 100 or out of 1,000 or even out of 10,000, it does become a big deal (to the owner of that PET) in captivity. I've produced over 2,000 hatchlings in a given year. Even if only 1 out of 10,000 die in captivity from impaction, that's one out of 5 years for me. I do fill sorry for the owner of that pet since it is an avoidable problem. I believe impaction to be much more common than that, though, even if it usually gets passed over as the cause of death!

Hang around these forums and learn for a while - you'll see cases where people suffer with their impacted animals. I've posted suggestions on this problem from before kingsnake.com switched to the current domain name....lol.

:So before you jump my case about the way I feed, you might want to jump on Mother Nature for having such items spread out all over her vast greatness that snakes or any other animal is likely to ingest.

You know, after working in the marsh all day conducting prescribed fires to attempt to prevent the introduction of noxious spoecies thanks to how man has altered the ecosystem so much on the gulf coast, I'm a little tired and cranky to be getting a wildlife lecture from a uninformed backseat land stewart such as yourself, so let's, please, just stay off of this topic. OK?

Actually, you hit on a key point there. In nature, there are a LOT of different objects to accidently get ingested NOT just one. This probably plays a big factor in impaction rates and causes the greater problmes superficially seen in captivity.

On the other note, I wasn't jumping on your case. I made a public post in reply to a public post you made on a public forum. Follow where I am going with this? Matter of fact, I didn't even aim the post directly at you. I was aiming it for others who may read the posts and potentially AVOID a problem. Aspen is probably the safest loose substrate out there. Aspen does swell a little with moisture (e.g., why it can become lodged in the guts more readily than you want to believe), but not as much as the more dangerous substrates: corncob, etc.

Finally, substrate ingestion MAY cause impaction and not WILL DEFINITELY cause impaction. Is it just theoretical? Nah, I've seen it regrettfully. (Not my snake, but a good friends who "knew it all," too.) Do I have other examples of impacted reptiles, Orcae Ita! (That's Latin for He##s Yes!) Since I get my orders in life (e.g., my "owner" or The Evil One that threatens me any time I check out another member of the fairer sex) from a veterinary pathobiologist who specializes in lab animals and exotics, I know of too many upsetting cases that she has been aware of. So, I'm not just blowing smoke up your butt here.

Take care and I hope your snakes don't suffer from your reluctance to take advice seriously. My concerns are just for the animals. Good Day, Sir!

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