Reptiles

How to Heal an Injured Garden Snake

Garden snakes are often injured in spring and summer by bikes, lawnmowers and several other hazards. In order to avoid permanent damage to them or their death a certain method can be followed to help it.

Materials That Will be Needed

• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Q-tips
• Triple antibiotic ointment
• Gauze
• Skin tape
• An empty aqaurium or plastic container
• Aspen bedding or shredded newspaper or fresh grass
• Water dish (big enough for the garden snake to get into)
• Food (insects, worms, mice,goldfish)

Steps for Helping the Snake

1. 1-Get someone to hold the snake behind the head with one hand and support the body with the other. 
   
   2-Place a towel or some newspaper under the snake. 
   
   3-Clean the wound with hydrogen peroxide. To do this the hydrogen peroxide must be poured in small amounts over the whole wound in intervals of several seconds until the hydrogen peroxide stops foaming. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • 4- Apply some triple antibiotic ointment on the wounded area using a Q-tip. 
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   • 5-Wrap some sterile gauze around the snake in order to cover the wound. If the wound is deep take the snake to a vet.
   • 6-Straight after finishing with first aid let the garden snake rest by placing it in a dim, warm and secure area. The snake may be in shock. An empty aquarium or large plastic container can be used to accommodate the snake. 
   •  7- Apply about 2 inches/ 5 cm  thick  of bedding on the bottom of the container or empty aquarium. For the bedding use aspen bedding, shredded newspaper or fresh grass (preferably aspen bedding). As well as that put a bowl of water big enough for the snake to get into inside the container too.
   • 8-Let the garden snake rest for several hours.
   • 9- Offer the snake food after it has rested. Crickets would be ideal.
   • 10-Replace the gauze with a new one after applying more antibiotic ointment. 
   • 11-Place the container in which the snake is in in sunlight or under a lamp in order for the snake to warm up.
   • 12-Continue giving the snake food and water every day and change the gauze until the snake´s wound has healed. 
   • 13-Release the snake back into the wild as soon as it has recoverd from its wound.
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Tips & Warnings

•  In order to avoid a bite, you should try holding the garden snake right behind the head with one hand, and use your other hand to support the rest of the body.

• Garden snakes eat insects and small rodents found in your garden. You can use these to feed it while you are looking after it, preferably insects or goldfish as the snake being weak may not be up to catching larger prey such as rodents.

• A snake basking on a rock or road can move really quickly.

• Garden snakes can bite you if you try to catch them or pick them up.