Emerald acting strange

[mumbling54]

I was just curious if anyone has seen this type of behaviour before...My emmy usually is fairly curious at night, looking all around but for the past couple of days it has been planting the tip of its mouth against the bottom of the enclosure and not moving, it stays posed in the same spot for hours, and its the same spot every night, within probly 1/4 inch. I have no water dish in there so I thought at first it was drinking from the water on the bottom of the enclosure, but it cant drink for hours without moving???

I seems healthy and stuff, eating regularly, defacating fine, temps are good for the first part of the evening it hunts as usual, then sticks its face in that spot.

I am posting a pic of her in the pose I am talking about, It is pretty dark in the room but I set a long shutter speed on my camera to get a clear pic...

I would really like to know what you all think, I am also posting a pic of her eating, I havent seen very many of them out there so I took a few good ones...

Ben
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a377/Mumbling54/Eating/snake.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a377/Mumbling54/Eating/IMG_0480.jpg

[mumbling54]

One more thing I just noticed, her mouth seems open a little near the front of the mouth, not really open, looks a bit swollen, maybe cant close as much as it should...

I may be paranoid, but I will try and get a pic if its like that still in the morning.

Thanks

[kronic2005]

My friend had an emerald that was doing the exact same thing, He couldnt figure out what it was or why. His snake developed respitory infections a year and a half later. Im not sure if their linked in any way, but i would get ur snake checked out.

[mumbling54]

K, sorry, the mouth thing is nothing, i just looked again and the mouth was closed, I was just paranoid, but the first post still holds true.

thanks,
Ben

[BOAS_N_PYTHONS]

Is that a WC Emerald?
Fedding history since in your care "meaning has it eaten everytime for you and for how long"?

Reason I ask is because in those pics it looks very thin, maybe its the photos.

[mumbling54]

BOAS_N_PYTHONS,

I cannot be sure if it was wc or not, I was told that it wasn't
however I dont have proof so I guess it could be but I dont think so.

As far as eating goes, I have had it since september 05,
and it didnt eat for the first month and a half, at that time
I found mites, and completely wiped them out, I took care
of them good and havent seen one since...

After the first month and a half or so it has eaten every 14-15 days,
the first one was a large live mouse, witch it ate no problem,
then I tried a frozen thawed, that took a little convincing but
after 2 hours it ate, since that I decided to feed it live for a
while because it seemed to prefer that and I plan on going back
to frozen soon...

I got her from an exotic pet shop (where I will never go
again because of thee mite ordeal) and one guy there told me
it was 8 months old, the other guy later told me she was 2
and a half years, so they obviously dont have their **** together.

Anyways, perhaps the food items I have been giving her
arent big enough? I have been using large mice because
the place I get them doesnt have small rats, maybe I should
look for something a bit bigger?

I didnt think she was "very thin" I thought she was just slender,
but I am posting more pics for your opinion, I am SURE you know
better than me so please tell me what you think...

Thanks a bunch,
Ben
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a377/Mumbling54/Emmy/IMG_1238.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a377/Mumbling54/Emmy/IMG_1235.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a377/Mumbling54/Emmy/IMG_1233.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a377/Mumbling54/Emmy/IMG_1231.jpg

[kronic2005]

Your snake looks malnourished, It is not just slender, its anorexic(from what ive seen, maybe pics are just bad for size viewing). Ive never really worked with Emeralds, so im not sure what you can do to start reversing this, but plenty of people hear own ETBs and can probably shoot you in the right direction. Good luck

[BOAS_N_PYTHONS]

@ mumbling54

First off the second set of photos are amazing (photographically speaking - you got skills and overall very beautiful photos).

Now there is concern because you can actually see more detail compared to the first set you posted. Again without physically seeing this ETB, all I can go on is details you can share and these photos.

This ETB is slightly thin, especially for a female. You can actually see the ribs in photo 3 and 4. The skin in photo 2 around the neck 2nd coil near the perch shows rippling (this is a sign of that this animals does need bigger meals and maybe before you had it it was being less feed even or had trouble eating. So congrats to you for stablizing or even improving this animal from the pet stores care. The idea of mites can be a store issue, or where ever they got this ETB from (my opinion its a WC - all signs show that to be the case. The fact that 2 people at the same store can' t even put a "BS" story together for you to please the sale states they themselves can' t admit its a WC. I mean there are more cons than pros to owning a WC, but WC are sold just as many as CB....do they have a future in the same comparison all depends on the animals health and who is caring for them.

The rule of thumb in feeding boas and most snakes is a good lump in the belly after a meal, nothing monsterous but something visual at least. ETB have a slower digestive track so don' t power feed - but instead build up the appetite and the animal' s weight by increasing meal size.

I am guessing and only guessing that perch is about 1 inch thick, if yes then that ETB can easily eat a small rat. Two reason is because of my guess and adult mice just don' t cut it for growing an animal the size of that ETB now. What you can try to set it up a notch would be 2 adult mice and after say 2 - 3 meals like that a small rat is the next step. You will have to adjust this schedule with the behavior of your animal. Now feeding live is not the best choice as there are again more cons than pros. And it might be another point to prove this ETB is WC, but since you stated it does eat frozen thawed then it either has been trained well or is very accepting of food, which in turn means you got lucky and have a great future animal in your care. With feeding make sure there is fresh water provided for this ETB, I notice that with my collection they always go for a good drink after a good sized meal. Also never disturb your ETB during a meal (no sudden movements or noise - they can be so picky on how they enjoy there meals). Best thing to do is totally 100% switch over to frozen thawed, reason being overall its best for your animal and if in time you have a meal missed you canm always introduce live for 1 meal to start things up again, but vice a versa just don' t work as easy.

Goodluck and hope this all helps.

[mumbling54]

BOAS_N_PYTHONS,

Well, thanks VERY much for taking the time to help me out, I have always wanted an etb, and I have invested lots of time worrying and money as well, you are right about it having come along way since I got her.

For a while I was very worried about her...not eating, the mites, not moving day or night for days at a time...

She is obviously not quite perfect but I still really care about her and hope to soon have her in perfect health...I will definatly step up the food size though I do not feel the need to work up in notches, she is pretty fiesty, she would be more than happy to take a chunk out of anything that I put in there, hand included.

As far as the "bs" story I got when I picked her out, first I was told she was young then after I paid and went to pic her up I was told the older age by the other guy. I think the guy that sold her to me was trying to pass her off as younger to explain the size issue. Needless to say, I havent been back to that shop.

Thanks also for the coment on my photography, its a newly aquired hobby.

Thanks again for your help, I will keep you posted, and you were right about the perch, it's 1 inch.

Ben

[BOAS_N_PYTHONS]

@ mumbling54

Your welcome and yes keep us posted.
ETB' s are a great addition to any collection hope yours thrives and makes you even more addicted to own a small colony (well that is actually a good thing :) )