Your one stop reptile community - New RTB parents w/ tongue flicks problem.

NB4Tinkerbell · #1 (**permalink**) 12-16-2006, 11:38 PM

My wife & I just purchased a RTB. She's beautiful. Got everything set up. Haven't fed her yet. Just letting her get comfortable. Had some inital heating issues. She spent about 24 - 36 hours at temps of 78 - 82. She came home with very active tongue flicks looking bright and chipper. Now I just got the heating problem fixed (82 to 91), but I am still concerned. Anytime I put her in the cage she would just find a place to sleep. She sleeps constantly and shows very little activity. NOW, when handled her tongue flicks are almost non existent. I am extremely concerned. The only thing I could think of was heating, illness, or most likely stress.

Please help some nervous parents.

mpgt · #2 (**permalink**) 12-16-2006, 11:45 PM

Welcome to a great site!!

She sounds fine to me. The initial increased tongue flicking was probably unusual, and due to the new surroundings. It's normal for them to spend most of the day in the hide/shelter (inactive). We like lots of pics

Yungair23 · #3 (**permalink**) 12-16-2006, 11:49 PM

Snakes can be boring but also are fascinating! She sounds ok what is your set up like? And pictures are a must!!

Brandon27 · #4 (**permalink**) 12-16-2006, 11:52 PM

Welcome to the site! I'm sure you'll find all the help you need, here!

As for the tongue flicking. If it's almost non-existent...that COULD be a sign of ill-health, but you should get a check-up even without noticing a difference in activity. It is ALWAYS worth the price of the vet bill just to know that it's healthy. If it's not healthy, you need to know ASAP so that you can get the problem fixed. If there is a problem, you may be able to get some sort of compensation from the petshop for selling you a sick snake. Either way, a vet trip is in order. Keep us posted!

NB4Tinkerbell · #5 (**permalink**) 12-17-2006, 12:05 AM

Thanks for the advice. Keep it coming. Here are those pics. The setup is a EXO Terra Terrarium, ceramic heater in one of the sconces (night heater), a light, 2 thermometers for basking and non basking areas. An Under tank heater (not sure if this will be too much heat or not still testing). I still haven't got a hiding area, but she likes to hide under the stump, and under the peat moss. I still have to build a stand for the whole thing. And I'm guess that this setup will last maybe two years before I'll have to build custom, but who knows.

dhonaker · #6 (**permalink**) 12-17-2006, 12:11 AM

welcome but i thank your tank there will only last a year
always good to see new faces

smash_57 · #7 (**permalink**) 12-17-2006, 12:13 AM

She's very pretty! I'm no expert, but I think that not having a hide may be rather stressful for her. You could use something as simple as an old butter bowl/cool whip bowl or something similar for now, until you get something nice lookin' if that's what you're wanting.

~Jenn

luker3232 · #8 (**permalink**) 12-17-2006, 12:20 AM

i like the set up a lot but it would be better for the snake if you had a halve log as a gut instinct i would go for a larger hide box

welcome to the site have fun!

Sponger05 · #9 (**permalink**) 12-17-2006, 02:20 AM

Is the bottom glass? What kind of under tank heater are you using?
Without much room to breath those heaters can spike and with a glass bottom can make the ground temperature over 120 degrees.

NB4Tinkerbell · #10 (**permalink**) 12-17-2006, 03:27 PM

I thought the under tank would be over kill, so I shut off everything else, and during the night it dropped to 75 degs!!!! Still no tongue flicks! I'm afraid a vet is just gonna look at her, and say "Yep, that snake isn't flicking her tongue! That'll be $200 dollars!" How do I know how to choose a vet that knows about snakes?

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