Tina acting a bit strange

[RBDTerrell]

Hello all,

I have a couple of questions that maybe some of you with more experience would be able to answer for me. This will be my first year attempting to breed carpet pythons so i'm not familiar with all of the signs yet. The last snake I had that was gravid was like that when I purchased her and I had a surprise clutch so I wasn't documenting behavioral patterns like I am with this snake.

I put a male in with her 22 days ago and from the minute I put him in there she was flicking her tail like crazy and rubbing her tail and cloaca all over everything. (I'm assuming to let him know she was ready). I left him in there for a few days and took him out and could spot track marks on the newspaper and they were now distancing themselves from one another. Since them I've put him back in for a little then removed a couple times.

Now she is behaving strangely and looking a bit different. She moves around slowly and several days ago there seemed to be a bulge in her mid section which has sort of moved its way down more towards her cloaca. Hasn't moved from there and when I take her out to clean or inspect her behavior she tries to not have that portion of her body make contact with the ground.

Am I seeing signs of her becoming gravid if she already isn't? What else should I look for to be sure that she isn't ill? I have checked her out a couple times and she has appeared fine other than she has become less active. Oh and she has eaten and defecated with no negative signs to be seen.

Sorry for the drawn out post, but wanted to be clear in my findings! :eek:

[GUITARZAN509]

Sounds like congradulations to me, although my female bredli went off food when she was within a month or so of laying, male went off food long before that, some females will continue to eat the intire time some will go off, good luck

[RBDTerrell]

I am going to try and feed her today and see if she'll take any food.

[millertime89]

Sounds like she's gravid. Don't be surprised if she eats and is still gravid. Some snakes will eat all the way up to the day they lay.

[RBDTerrell]

Alright thanks for the input. Like I was saying this is my first time intentionally breeding so just trying to get familiar with signs and behaviors.

[millertime89]

Different species behave differently as well so keep that in mind if you decide to branch out. Ball python females for example tail wag when a male is introduced and they're receptive. In retics it's the opposite, a female tail wagging is a sign she isn't ready to breed and if you're unlucky she's about to piss everywhere.

[Derek Roddy]

I don't know.....something doesn't look right with her body structure.....could you get me a better picture of the "swelling" on a flatter surface? And a more straight on view?

Something looks strange with her spine to me.

D

[RBDTerrell]

I don't know.....something doesn't look right with her body structure.....could you get me a better picture of the "swelling" on a flatter surface? And a more straight on view?

Something looks strange with her spine to me.

D

Here are some pictures from a few days before the male was introduced and as far as I can remember it's only been a few days since I noticed it. I will try and get a picture of her currently when I check on her later.

[Derek Roddy]

Yeah, get some current pictures of her from the side view.

Looking at this picture.....I see something that looks like a lump or swelling (not related to ovulation or follicle growth)..... Looks wrong.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/derekroddy/Carpets/IMG_20140516_183551.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derekroddy/media/Carpets/IMG_20140516_183551.jpg.html)

You can barely see it but, it's there in these pictures.

Hit us back with a current shot.

D

[RBDTerrell]

Here's some pictures I took last night and this morning. The indentation is definitely not as bad as it was but it is still there if you're looking for it. Let me know what you guys think. She also ate 2 days ago FYI.

[Derek Roddy]

Hard to tell from those angles.....just keep an eye on her. Usually, breeding "swelling" is in a much larger area and not so confined to such a small mass. Things that make you go hummmmmmm.

D

[Derek Roddy]

This picture is the one that caught my eye originally....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/derekroddy/Carpets/20140616_221639.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derekroddy/media/Carpets/20140616_221639.jpg.html)

No snakes spine should ever look like a roller coaster. There looks to be swelling on either side of it (in yellow).....just looks weird to me. Not what ovulation or follicle growth usually looks like.

A picture of that area from the side with a straight on view, is what we need to make a better assessment.

D

[RBDTerrell]

This picture is the one that caught my eye originally....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/derekroddy/Carpets/20140616_221639.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/derekroddy/media/Carpets/20140616_221639.jpg.html)

No snakes spine should ever look like a roller coaster. There looks to be swelling on either side of it (in yellow).....just looks weird to me. Not what ovulation or follicle growth usually looks like.

A picture of that area from the side with a straight on view, is what we need to make a better assessment.

D

That's why I wasn't sure what was going on because it didn't look normal to me at all. I posted more recent pictures above your post of it from the side and more in line. What did you think of those? The guy that I got her from had her since birth and she is in the 9-10 year old range. I have had her for a little while now and like I said, never noticed it until I took that first picture where you can see something is clearly not right. It doesn't look like that anymore now. Only slightly. :(

[Vysathi]

Can you describe where on her the lumps and bumps are? (the swelling?)
Front third, middle third or hind third?

[RBDTerrell]

Can you describe where on her the lumps and bumps are? (the swelling?)
Front third, middle third or hind third?

In the mid to hind range.

[Vysathi]

I'm no expert, certainly, but I think you should consider taking her to the vet to have her checked for gout and/or renal failure. Those are the conditions that I found (admittedly, through a haste search) that fit reasonably well with that swelling.

[RBDTerrell]

I'm no expert, certainly, but I think you should consider taking her to the vet to have her checked for gout and/or renal failure. Those are the conditions that I found (admittedly, through a haste search) that fit reasonably well with that swelling.

I am strongly considering taking her the vet soon.

[Derek Roddy]

I posted more recent pictures above your post of it from the side and more in line. What did you think of those?

I made a post with one of those pictures a few post up. I circled something there (in red) that didn't look right to me either.

D

[Derek Roddy]

In that first picture....almost looks like a broken spine. If that was the case, I'm sure there would be swelling that would cause the bulge on each side.

It could have been the way she was laying but still.......doesn't look right.

Could also be tumor related or some other internal organ failure but, that spine..... defiantly something up there.

D

[RBDTerrell]

In that first picture....almost looks like a broken spine. If that was the case, I'm sure there would be swelling that would cause the bulge on each side.

It could have been the way she was laying but still.......doesn't look right.

Could also be tumor related or some other internal organ failure but, that spine..... defiantly something up there.

D

Yeah it seems off to me as well so I'm making an appointment for her to see a vet. There's nothing for her to fall from in her cage and she hasn't been dropped or anything of the sort in my care but that doesn't mean it wasn't preexisting and I just didn't notice.

[Derek Roddy]

that doesn't mean it wasn't preexisting and I just didn't notice.

You're most likely right there.

If she's eating....that's a great sign and, no need to go into panic mode....yet.

Also, when animals thin out (or even gain weight) it sometimes makes these types of "old injuries" more apparent. Maybe she IS having follicle swelling and THAT'S what made the spine (if in deed is an injury) more apparent.

Won't know til you get an XRay but, eating points to better signs than worse.

D

[RBDTerrell]

You're most likely right there.

If she's eating....that's a great sign and, no need to go into panic mode....yet.

Also, when animals thin out (or even gain weight) it sometimes makes these types of "old injuries" more apparent. Maybe she IS having follicle swelling and THAT'S what made the spine (if in deed is an injury) more apparent.

Won't know til you get an XRay but, eating points to better signs than worse.

D

She has eaten every chance I've given her and Is attentive and alert. Just have to wait and see.

[Vysathi]

It seems to me that it would be hasty to believe it's the spine- the reading I did appeared to indicate it could also be swelling of internal organs.

[Derek Roddy]

It seems to me that it would be hasty to believe it's the spine- the reading I did appeared to indicate it could also be swelling of internal organs.

Yes, that's possible...I mentioned that as well. But swollen organ's wouldn't cause the spine to roller coaster like that.

I've seen my fair share of internal organ failure and tumors with the Black Headed Pythons (because of the rodent diets)....never seen it displace the spine.

D

[RBDTerrell]

If anyone were to guess, how much would you think an x-ray would be? Trying to get an idea of what I'm in for. I took one of my baby ball pythons to the vet a couple months back and it was 201.00 for the office visit, stitches, and medication.