Pet Store Bull Snake

[Ghroller]

I was in a petstore the otherday the the owner there has a Bullsnake there that she's had for years. He looks healthy but looks can be decieving.

Anyways i was looking around the shop when my girlfriend nudged me and said "hey look at this! That normal?", I turned around to see the bullsnake bite itself and then spasm around his terranium. After he was done he curled up in a corner to hide.

I figured I should probably let the shot keeper know her snakes acting very very strangley. She said they had him checked out at the vets, Vet gave him a clean bill of health? Then proceded to tell them that sort of behaviour was common with bullsnakes?

What do you guys think?

[John_White]

The behavior described is not normal.
Some snakes have physiological problems. Or perhaps this is some sort of neurological disorder that the vet can't detect.

[telefrag]

I have had dozens of bullsnakes over the years.
That is NOT normal.


It sounds like it may have mites, or.... as JW said, some type of physiological, or even neurological problems.

	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks

[toker]

It sounds like it may have mites, or.... as JW said, some type of physiological, or even neurological problems

I would hope that if they really took it to a vet that the vet would notice mites... but you never know.

	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks

[Ghroller]

Yeah thats what the owner thought at first, but alas no mites

	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks

[herpkingdom]

I have seen similar behavior before.

I had that happen to some juvenile gopher snakes. I inadvertently placed them in a snake bag, that was treated for mites, while cleaning their cage. The bag had been sprayed with Black Knight. All of the snake died. But before they did they started twitching and spasming and biting themselves. All of this seemed to me to be uncontrollable.

But, that is what happened to me. Maybe there is another explanation. Who knows?

I sure hope you didn't buy the snake.

	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks

[Ghroller]

No the Snake is owned by the store owner. They Don't remember who gave it to them, was a few years ago. Think they said it was a customer who was moving to a no snake zone?