*GRAFFIC DETAIL WARNING* I am calling complete BS!! on the idea that when you cut a snakes head off that it dies instantly and/or does not suffer. BS! I had to put a badly kinked snake down today. I dont believe in freezing them. Very slow horrible death. Dont have a C02 chamber to gas it. Best option was to swiftly cut its head off. I LOVED this little snake. LOVED! And the idea of cutting its head off pained me. I sat on the couch over and hour with it, trying to talk myself into getting it done with, as he was suffering. Telling him how sorry I am, and how sweet and beautiful it was. Finally went out and did the deed. Now you read all this crap about how snakes can still bite after you cut their heads off, but that its all just relfexes. That once their spinal column is severed that they are brain dead and dont suffer. Well let me tell you... my little guy was NOT brain dead. He did suffer. I very swifty cut his head off. Right at the base of the neck. I was happy it went so fast. Picked his little head up...to see his eyes move. I thought..this is just reflexes...it has to be? I moved my finger in front of his head...his eyes followed... then his tongue darted out, a quick flick at my finger... No...!! I was in horror. I covered his face, and his pupils grew larger (as yours would change/dialate in light and dark).. back into the light, the pupils grew small again, still following my finger...For a whole 2 minutes his little eyes moved..his tongue flicked..and then he began to gasp. A full minute of gasping, tongue flicking, and more gasping, before he finally stopped. Thats 3 minutes he suffered! I dont care what logic is thrown at me. This was not reflexes. I will never, do this again. I wanted to share this, as I know cutting a snakes head off, has been a way for many of us to quickly put a snake down.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 20:43:36 +0000