Likely cause of death?

[joeysgreen]

It could be post-mortem changes, or trauma that caused the death. Without knowing the owner, or the situation, this can't be ruled out. Many times accidental placement of a rock hide or dish, causes trauma and it's so quick the owner doesn't see it happen. The snake crawls to a corner and dies unbeknowingly.

If there are any bugs in the enclosure this could be them feeding on the carcass. The face is a common place for this to first be seen.

SC worms generally aren't observed exiting in such a fashion; exceptions may be bot flies but you should see a large lump grow first as the maggot grows. I have not heard of these in snakes.

Ian

[Sehayes1982]

It could be post-mortem changes, or trauma that caused the death. Without knowing the owner, or the situation, this can't be ruled out. Many times accidental placement of a rock hide or dish, causes trauma and it's so quick the owner doesn't see it happen. The snake crawls to a corner and dies unbeknowingly.

If there are any bugs in the enclosure this could be them feeding on the carcass. The face is a common place for this to first be seen.

SC worms generally aren't observed exiting in such a fashion; exceptions may be bot flies but you should see a large lump grow first as the maggot grows. I have not heard of these in snakes.

Ian

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. He seems certain that it couldn't be harm from a cage accessory, for what it's worth. If anything else seems likely, please share! He's only had the snake for 2 months, and he has a friend who had a snake that died from the same guy who sold them in Ohio.