Hognose Blood *PICS*

[Removed_2815]

Greetings,
Well here's a new one: my largest female appears to have been bleeding between some of her lower labial scales while feeding! As just mentioned, I noticed this while I was feeding her, and, since the prey is frozen/thawed, the mouse could not have inflicted an injury. Also the blood was very red and heavily oxygenated (fresh) so it couldn't have been from the mouse. The only thing I can fathom is that the skin between the scales was torn a little due to the stress of distention.
She is an adult feeding on hoppers so the prey was smaller than she can handle..... Beats me....
I am not too concerned though, just thought I would share.
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rbolton1/Folder/Blood.JPG
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rbolton1/Folder/Blood2.JPG
Also, let me know if the pics work, I don't know if cogeco allows outside linking.
Cheers,
R
P.S. It is well published that Heterodon has heavily vascularised mouths and the delicate skin is easily ruptured and this rupturing is under neural control (will bleed as part of the death-feigning display), perhaps she bled from her mouth and it dribbled down to her chin?? Who knows.....

[Derrick]

pics work fine. interesting post

[snakehunter]

WOW, ill have to watch out for that when i get my pair, thanx for the info

[Wuntu Menny]

Does she get very agitated during the feeding ritual? Is there any hooding, hissing, bluff strikes, etc prior to actually taking the prey? I've watched a hoggie run it's whole repertoire except for feigning death when prey was offered, but never anything like this.

WM

[Vanan]

perhaps she bled from her mouth and it dribbled down to her chin??

That's the first thing that came to mind when I saw your pics. Doubt that she would have distended her skin until it tore. Especially since you say that it was a regular sized meal. Unless she was eating it a la hoggie style i.e. sideways!

[Removed_2815]

It is certainly an anomaly. She is my most docile hognose. She is very calm in her cage, she mainly moves to thermoregulate. One of my males, on the other hand, is constantly digging and if anything he should be the one sustaining trauma.
She took the mouse nose first, and, as I had mentioned it was smaller than usual. Also, she merely started consuming it with no aggression or anything (just slithered up and opened her mouth). It is entirely possible that the blood came from the mouse, but I find that hard to believe because the blood looked so fresh (but I cannot be sure it didn't come from the mouse).
I will just have to keep an eye on her, this is the first time I have ever noticed this. She sheds, eats, defecates etc, perfectly so her health is in perfect condition.
Definitely an anomaly....
Cheers,
R

[Joe]

here's some interesting info on hoggs, not sure if it would apply but I have read about it in a few different areas
http://www.desertmuseum.org/books/hognose_snake.html