When and How to Euthanize a Snake

It's a subject nobody likes talking about, but you need to be prepared for when that day comes. In this video I discuss how to know "when" it's best to euthanize a snake, and the currently-recognized best ways to do it. If you're like me though, you'll probably do best just bringing your snake to the vet.

Don't worry, no snakes are actually euthanized in this video!

Music by BenSound and YouTube creator studio library.

[mallory]

this is a very sensitive, and sad subject, but to make anyone happy again, at 2:25 ish, that pink lizard, 4th one down on the right, was doing some good wiggles.

[DefensorsPacis]

I dunno why I just remembered it while I was watching this video, but a few years back my dogs had cornered a snake in front of my house, and my dad was saying that he was going to kill the snake. I just couldn't let the little boop noodle get killed, so I mustered my courage and put on a pair of welding gloves and grabbed a grabber tool that had been lying around the house, because I had nothing better to work with. Although I personally love snakes, I've never actually had one as a pet; a few of my friends and family had snakes, and I had learned a lot about snake behavior over the years.
I don't recommend anyone doing what I did, but I knew what I had to do. I went outside and shoo'd my dogs, then locked 'em up on the front porch. I came around to the snake, and I picked it up by the tail with my right hand, and supported the snake with the grabber with my left. I walked him a few hundred feet back into the woods, and the entire time he was just SO chill. He never even started to try and strike at me; it was like as soon as he realized I wasn't a threat, he knew I was helping him out.
I sat him down in the woods, and I kid you now, this snake turns around and looks up at me, and then just slithers off into the woods. I like to think that he was telling me "thank you" for saving him from the big fuzzy woofers.
I remembered this because my dad's method of dealing with snakes was with a machete, and after learning how terrible of an experience that is for the snake, I just feel absolutely terrible.
RIP to all the innocent little sneks out there in the world. I think I've finally decided that I'd like to get a snake as a pet.

[Creatuvehands]

Thank you for showing “functional” disabled snakes as well.

[eldritchyarnbeing]

I feel that little snake so much, I have scoliosis (one singular, long kink of my spine) and i know how bad that hurts so i cant imagine the kind of pain several kinks in the spine might cause. rest well little noodle🥺💚

[abigailpaige]

Oh poor baby, she didn’t deserved that. Thank you for taking away her suffering in the most humane way possible

[AshleyK]

Snakes make my stomach turn, however the thought of any living being feeling their insides slowly freeze makes me want to cry.

[silvercube]

"Today I'm going to explain how to know when you need to euthanize a reptile."

Lizard in the background: *nervous shuffling*

[SrslyCitrus]

I just recently had to say goodbye to my cat. He was 16 years old, and anything he ate came back up. He was thin, and got carsick, not to mention the current virus thing, so we had to have a get a get to come and euthanize him. He was older than me, so I really had a hard time saying goodbye. But he wasn't living his best life, so it just was the time. We miss him, and we said goodbye to him on March 13. He's buried in our front hard, so we can always kind of way hello. I miss him.

[paxtoner]

Me at 1:00 AM- I should probably sleep

Also me- *watches how to euthanize a snake even when I don’t have and probably never will have a snake*

[PageShearling]

I have a 10 year old corn snake with a kink in the tip of his tail. The tip of his tail ended up losing circulation through his sheds and it died/fell off. This has no effect on his overall health/well being. He was also attacked by my cat and I really thought he wasn't going to make it but he got stitches and now he just has a scar. He's a tough noodle and is still a voracious eater.

[rokukyus]

I doubt this will ever be read, but I am incredibly grateful for this video. Somewhat recently we found a small injured brownsnake in our yard and at the time, we had no means of taking him to a vet. We tried to care for his wounds but after about 24 hours, it was clear things were getting worse, and if not for this video, I probably would have ended up freezing him because it was what a friend (and one who works with animals, no less) said is the best option.

Thank you so much for this video. I'm glad that, in the end, we were at least able to put the snake down in a quick and painless way. I wouldn't have had that knowledge without this video.

[GrimElegance]

I’m glad I learned that freezing is not correct. I thought they lost consciousness before they felt anything.

[severalracoons]

As an ex euthanasia technician. Quantity of life =/= quality of life. If you take anything away from the video. Take away that little bit of knowledge.

[annaking]

Am i the only one who does not have a pet snake and just watches these videos for information even though most likely i will never use it? Just me? K
Edit: holy crap guys thank you for the likes

[olingecko]

I'm glad this video is out there. I found a baby rat snake that looked like it had been partially run over and also attacked by a bird. It was really hard to do, but thanks to it Emily taught me, I was able to properly ensure that it was humanely dispatched if not already dead.

[alisandraweaver]

I don’t even own a snake why am I crying over this video?

[SaturnStatic]

There's a lot of snake channels on here that only care about the money

Its always refreshing to see someone who - A) Loves the animals -
And B) who's focus is educating about these lovely creature.

Living in Flordia for a good while taught me that reptiles are awesome and not slimy or gross.
Its great that you teach kiddos the same

[superstarcurry]

Sad and difficult topic, you explained it so well. If an animal cannot have a good quality of life and will suffer, it is the right decision to let them go. Heart breaking but right.

[rebeccarose]

It's really unfortunate and sad that she had to come out like that. She seemed to have such a sweet little face and temper

[gabbyklo]

At 1:57,
Pink Lizard: FEED ME
Pink Lizard: PLEASE
Pink Lizard: I KNOW YOU JUST FED ME BUT I WANT TO GO TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD AND EAT