Found a Garter with a Broken Back, Perhaps? Help...

[stupie2]

Hello, all.

I'm new here and hope that someone can help me out.

I was out walking today in a wooded area where the town has residents dump their garden scraps. Saturdays (today) are a busy day. I was walking on the gravel heading through the woods when I nearly stepped on a dead snake at the side of the road. I looked again and realized that the snake, a Garter was very much alive, but not moving much. I figured out that its back end, perhaps half of its body seemed to be slightly squished and paralyzed. It was undulating its front end, trying to crawl away, but couldn't. It's tongue was flicking too. The very tip of its tail looked like it was dry and about to fall off. I guessed it might have been run over by a car, but no - it would have been totally squished. Perhaps someone stepped on it?

I left it alone and went on my way, but my conscience got the best of me, and a couple of hours later I went back to look for it and make sure it was ok - what I mean is that I was hoping it would be gone, and that I was wrong about it's injuries. Well, when I returned, the snake was in the same place, still undulating now and then, but less than before, and no flicking tongue. It was much colder, so I figured it was just a bit slow because of that.

I brought the snake home and put it in a plastic tub with a little bit of water and some wet leaves. It barely moved, and a few times I thought it might be dead.

I just checked on it again, and it's paralyzed part is stiff, though the rest of it's body is supple. It's tongue isn't flicking any more, and it's mouth is a little off - like it's sucking on a big wad of dirt on one side.

Oh, forgot to mention it's eyes are cloudy, and it looks like it's shedding skin around it's head. I researched enough to know that this can make a snake lethargic, but it's the paralyzed, stiff lower half of the body that has me concerned. That and the funny mouth.

Any thoughts? Broken back? Squished insides and in the process of dying? I don't plan to keep this guy as a pet, I just want to see him through the weekend until animal rescue can or will take him in.
Thanks in advance, and please let me know if there's any important information I've left out!

~ E

[adamanteus]

Hi Eden, and welcome to the forum. It sounds to me as though this snake is dying. It might be better to put it out of it's misery.

[Sid]

Welcome to the forum, Eden. Sounds to me like the most humane thing would be to put this one out of it's misery. It is commendable of you to show the caring and hope to bring it back to health, but this one has to be really suffering.

[mgordon]

Hi !
If I was you I'd Give your snake a quick and mercy full death. Either use a knife to chop it's head off, or let it slowly cool down in a cold place, until the cold does the work for you. Reptiles will die of the cold, without any pain, since their systems slowly will shut down, and eventually they will slip painlessly into a state of hibernation, and then die. Keeping it alive over the week end will just prolong it's pain. In nature, a bird or other predator would eventually have done the job. It might seem cruel, but that is how nature is, and often what we humans believe to be mercy is in fact torture to wild animals.

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard, Eden. I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with James and Sid here.

[stupie2]

Right, ok.

Thank you very, very much for the suggestions, but I can't even squash a bug. How do I go about putting a snake out of its misery?

I think I might not have to. He hasn't moved since last night. I'm going to wait until it warms up a bit and see if he perks up, but I think he might be gone.

Thanks again, I'll let you know.

~ E

[Lori P]

Aw Eden, I wish the news was better. You did the right thing by getting him off the road where more terrible things could have happened... now you might have to go one step further. So sorry!! :-(

[stupie2]

Oh, my. How cold does a snake have to get before it's systems shut down? I might have done him in unintentionally (which is actually easier on me if it sounds like he was dying anyway).

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, Eden

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I came across this EXACT, to the tee, thing last year. The back end of this pregnant mother snake was smashed. She was still trying to creawl away with her top half. It was heartbreaking to watch and it made me cry. The fact is, that without a functioning back end, the snake cannot live, there are many vital organs down there, kidneys, digestive tract, etc that are now ruined and I suggest you do as I did and put the snake out of it's misery. Either put it in the freezer or decapitate it. Sorry you had to come to us in this way, perhaps you will find garters to be intriguing and maybe get one as a pet in the future!