AUTOPSY
The following photos are quite graphic.Viewer's discretion is adviced!
I had the most gorgeous Bitis arietans (puffadder),that I grew up from a baby.
Here is a photo of her when she was about a year old and about 70cm.
I put a male(not my first choice) in the cage to keep her company so she can hopefully preduce her first litter.
I did'nt witness copulation,but was not upset that she was'nt going to produce her first season.
Unfortunately she died when she was about two and a half years of age and about 1,2m in size.
I was so upset as I was raising a little handpicked male especially for her,
but he has another few years to go before he is mature enough.It was suppose to be a lifelong project to breed
designer puffadders with loads of white and high contrasting colour.
Here is a recent picture of the male I was raising for her.Stunning little puffadder.
Apart from being quite heartbroken for the loss of “Maxine”,it was quite a shock
to see her still in perfect condition,but mouth open and full of substrate,dead in her cage.
I put all the puffadders in excact similar cages:
Glass tank,heating underneath,well ventilated meshlid.The other puffadders are still doing 100%.
No sniffles and still taking small meals once a week.In the cage they always have a big waterbowl off the heat,a hidebox and as substrate I use Kennaf bedding(or however you spell that).I feed them mostly on mice and small rats once a while just to keep their bodyfat down a bit as they can become obese rather fast with that appetite.
I have no idea why she died for this is the second puffadder ever dying on me,and the other one
was one I was trying to rescue after it being mistreated...and I've had loads!
My mom said she saw her the previous day, head up,body stretched out staring at the top corner of the cage(stargazing).But what is the reason for this behaviour?
So a “just as curious “friend of mine “roadkill456”decided that we should document an autopsy
and try to determine the cause of death...
Firstly,I removed the fangs just in case of a missunfortunate event of a fang in the finger whilst we are at work.
Then the cutting began...
At first glance.we noticed the belly was full of eggs-25 in total(about the size of marbles).
Witch saddened the event even further.
Everything seems to be in order,apart from the gallbladder and pancreas that was green in colour.
It seems like the colour spreaded to the ,what appears to be fertile eggmass.It was full of little red vains.
I have noticed that snakes that has been dead for a day or so,often has this green stain
showing through the skin.Regamortis has not taken affect yet,and I froze her for the day to do the autopsy the next day,
so it was still fresh when we "opperated".
Also there was no substrate in the intestines.The substrate(kennaf bedding)is very absorbent,and I thought if this was in her
intestines,it could possibly get stuck.But nothing there...
The liver looked a bit large,but I'm no expert.
We think the light coloured tissue is fat?
Any experts in this field that has a logical answer for death in this case?It would be greatly appreciated for future mistakes
not to be made.Does everything appear to be the right colour of a healthy snake?
Apart from the “startgaze”a day before her death,there was no signs that this beloved creature of mine was on her way out.
Just so that everything does'nt go to waste,we skinned her beautifully and the skin is in the prosses of drying.I will post some pictures of the skin when it is ready.
Thanks Roadkill456 that helped with the documentation and opperation.
Thanks for reading.
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