is this normal?

viper99 · 09-24-08, 05:20 PM

i fed my ball python on sunday and about 3 or 4 hours later i noticed a clear liquid comming from her mouth so i took her out of her cage and when i picked her up i noticed that the liquid was sticky does anyone what this is or if its normal??

**Aaron_S** · 09-24-08, 06:49 PM

I've seen the same thing come from my snakes. I believe it's just a bit of water coming back up. It's nothing to worry about.

viper99 · 09-24-08, 07:15 PM

thats what i thought at first but when i took her out it was sticky. could it still be water?

LadyParvati · 09-24-08, 09:41 PM

Sounds like mucous to me. Is it foamy looking at all? Does she yawn/gape frequently? Does she seem to be having any difficulty breathing? Respiratory distress is actually fairly common in BPs kept in captivity. What's your humidity? What day/night temps do you maintain? They are very sensitive to the temps & humidity, and as winter approaches in most regions, maintaining proper temps & humidity may become more challenging. Yet a 10 degree drop can be very bad for the snake's health.

At any rate, the sticky liquid could be a sign of illness, so your safest bet would be to take the snake to a herp-certified vet immediately (certified if possible; if not, at least someone who knows _something_ about snakes). Remember your snake has only one useful lung--if she gets pneumonia, it could be fatal. Better to spend the money on the vet & some meds than to lose the snake.

**Aaron_S** · 09-25-08, 05:16 PM

Mucus doesn't come from the mouth.

It would come out sticky because it's been in the digestive system for a period of time. It's not pure water or saliva.

If you feel more comfortable going to some "reptile knowledgable" vet then by all means. I don't quite believe in reptiles going to vets quite so easily...they have a hardy system for the most part. If they were fragile then they wouldn't survive in the wild at all. I do warn that you find out 100% if the vet knows things about snakes. A lot claim they do and they really don't. Risking giving your snake meds that it does not need and may harm it in the end. I've seen snakes treated for RI and wound up with chemical burns from the injections.

LadyParvati · 09-26-08, 10:00 AM

OK, so maybe I'm misunderstanding the photo and text in my book, THE COMPLETE BALL PYTHON, by Kevin McCurley?? On p. 67 there's a photo of a snake with "a possible upper respiratory infection." The text describes the symptoms of the illness, including
"wet mouth . . . mucous" all from the mouth. So that's where I got the info about mucous coming from the mouth.

Also, re the vet--I wasn't talking about your average, every-day dog & cat person. A vet who is a member of and is certified by the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV) would be best. Certainly the average non-specialist vet is unlikely to know much about treating herps.

You're correct that reptiles are fairly hardy--in the wild. The problem with keeping them in captivity is that too often their natural conditions are not well-replicated. If we take a tropical python & put it in sub-tropical conditions, it won't fare as well as if we ensure that (in particular) temp & humidity of its natural habitat are duplicated as closely as possible. Whenever we put an animal in artificial conditions we are adding stress to its system, which can adversely affect its health.

At any rate, Viper99, good luck figuring it out. Maybe it will turn out to be no big deal--I hope so!

totheend · 09-26-08, 11:21 AM

I agree with Aaron. It is just water from him/her drinking, no need to worry.

gonesnakee · 09-26-08, 01:09 PM

Sounds like saliva to me. Ensure that all its proper husbandry needs are being met & monitor it for a possible RI. The fact that it had just ate etc. I'm thinking it is most likely saliva & a trip to the vet, specially right after a meal will be stressful for the snake. Possibly cause a regurge & even actually get a RI during the trip putting it at risk for nothing. Mark

LadyParvati · 09-27-08, 03:07 AM

I stand corrected--it appears that most concur that the sticky liquid is merely saliva. I've never seen this happen with any of my snakes, but I don't usually mess with them a few hours after feeding. And I do agree that taking the snake traveling within a day after feeding could be stressful enough to cause it to regurgitate its meal; I wasn't thinking about Viper99 taking her to the vet instantly. However, I would definitely monitor the snake for a few days and check temps and humidity every few hours both day and night to ensure the snake isn't getting too cold and is comfortable. Proper temps are especially important for good digestion, as well as for the prevention of respiratory infections.

**Aaron_S** · 09-27-08, 10:42 AM

I agree that everything should be monitored more carefully. You should be doing it anyways to ensure nothing has gone wrong every day.

Madam Parvati, I agree that these animals are hardy, even in captivity with the right requirments. But then again, I'm believing that Viper has the ideal conditions for his snake and thus making my judgement based on that.

On a side note, snakes don't usually use their mouth for anything other than eating and drinking. Mucus comes out of the nose during an RI usually in the form of bubbles. When the snake starts "gaping", it's because it's nostrils are plugged and it can't breath without using it's mouth. Thus a sure sign of RI.

LadyParvati · 09-28-08, 10:13 AM

I'm with you about careful monitoring as a routine. Thank goodness I do, as I discovered last night that some temps were getting too high for our BP--we had a cold spell, so I turned up the regulator, then it got warm again, so I needed to readjust. I check day temps several times a day and night temps once or twice. I'm thinking that as cold weather comes, I'll monitor the night temps more often to ensure safety.

As for the mucous coming out of the mouth, I was just going by the photo in the book I have. As I have never had a snake get an RI, I can only "go by the books ."

All in all---Thanks to you guys---I'm learning a lot that may come in very handy in the future--though I hope I never have to deal with an ill snake, frankly! Thanks for sharing all your knowledge and expertise!

gonesnakee · 09-28-08, 11:53 AM

Might want to check into a thermostat for your setup. They cost a bit but give you more piece of mind & save having to "tweak" the temps manually with the weather changes. Mark

LadyParvati · 09-28-08, 05:03 PM

We have 2 Repti Temp 500 R Thermostats, one for day, one for night. The problem was that I was worried about it being warm enough when our local/outside temp got chilly, so I turned the dial on the daytime thermostat. My DH has since explained how they work, so I will leave them alone. I know more about the animals than I do about the electronics; he is the reverse--so it should work pretty well, right?

viper99 · 09-29-08, 05:19 AM

it doesent look foamy at all its more of a clear liquid.

gonesnakee · 09-29-08, 02:13 PM

Is it still doing so? Is its mouth gaping open as well? If so you may have an issue, Mark