ok so it might not be form shedding

Richpass · #1 (**permalink**) 02-14-2007, 06:27 PM

well my snake hasnt shed yet but him popping noise is there once in a whil ebut now i guess oyu can say it sound sliek a sneeze or caugh other times and he opens his mouth alittle when he does it. they is no dripping of any liquids. so i am just not sure.

JuliusSqueezer · #2 (**permalink**) 02-14-2007, 06:40 PM

Open mouth breathing and popping is common when a snake is about to shed. The nostrils shed too and when the skin inside pops loose, it clogs them up a bit and forces them to breath through their epiglottis (tubular breathing opening inside the mouth behind the tongue but well forward of the esophogus opening also sometimes called glottis) If there is no fluid, I'd wait for a shed to panic.

John_White · #3 (**permalink**) 02-14-2007, 06:46 PM

While I agree with JS (not time to panic), as a prophylactic measure I'd bump the temps up a bit to near the optimum limit for your species.

Richpass · #4 (**permalink**) 02-14-2007, 08:13 PM

ok the temps righ tnow in the tank are alwasy 90-91 on the warm and 76-78 on the cool. he has been sleeping alot lately.(in the warm hide). i mena he made a noise when he opened his mouth lieka sneeze or a cough.... but i will wait it out for after the shed.. see what happens. the problem is i am goni away and leving the snake wiht a friend. so i will tlel him to take a look and watch him for any other signs.

JuliusSqueezer · #5 (**permalink**) 02-14-2007, 08:15 PM

What kind of snake is it?

Richpass · #6 (**permalink**) 02-14-2007, 09:43 PM

its a Ball Python.. at night i usually shut the ligth and let it drop to around 75-80 but if he is sick i am gunn keep it warm for a bit.

JuliusSqueezer · #7 (**permalink**) 02-14-2007, 10:52 PM

He's probably gasping for air from overheating as it is. I know you are within the guidelines of most caresheets but they were seemingly written and regurgitated over and over by people who never took into consideration that ball pythons spend their days in cool underground burrows avoiding heat and come out at night. If you will drop the hotside temp to about 85 and the cool side to the low to mid 70s and drop the hotside temp at night so that the whole cage is in the low to mid 70s, I think your snake will move around more and be generally more healthy. I don't think he has an RI. I think he's just dried out, over heated , gasping for cool air and probably as I stated before, has his nostrils clogged from his upcoming shed.

luker3232 · #8 (**permalink**) 02-14-2007, 10:54 PM

good luck w/e it is

Richpass · #9 (**permalink**) 02-14-2007, 11:45 PM

ok soudns good... i have a 75 watt bulb heating the cage should i go to a 50? to ge the temp lower? but the only problem is that when he looked liek he was gaspign.. he made a noise.. this happened when i was holing him. but i iwll lower the hot spot tp 85 and have the cool side be liek mid 70's

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