my boa's acting funny, opinions please...

[dvs]

Ok, I've had this boa for a little while now... it's a male and I'm assuming he's about 2 1/2 years old and measure's about 6 1/2feet.

Lately he's been acting very strange..... he does this thing with his head that is really weird. He kinda curls his head back and sways his neck and head back and forth in a very sloppy manner. He usually only does it when I first pick him up and then again when I place him back in his enclosure.... neither one of my other boas has ever done this and I've never seen any other boas display this kind of behaivior.

I know it's hard to tell without actually seeing the behaivior for your self but does anyone know what might be causing him to do this? any opinions would be much appreciated.... I'm really lost and kinda worried something may be wrong with him, thanks in advance.

[Jungle Jen]

That does sound very odd, I would take him to a qualified herp vet if it were my snake. Things that come to mind are organophosphate toxicity and stargazers disease. Good luck and I hope you find out what's going on.

[dvs]

thanks junglejen..... I'll look those up and see what I can find.

Anyone else experience anything like this???

He's just recently started doing this with in I'd say the last 2 weeks....

[JDouglas]

It sounds like something is affecting his nervous system. I would take him to a herp vet. He could have a bacterial or viral infection, ecephalitis, IBD, toxicity, etc. I would quarantine him from other snakes and re-evaluate his cage set up and temps to make sure all is as it should be.

[dvs]

I am going to take him in to get checked out.

Lets say it does have something to do with his nervous system or it is some kind of infection, wouldn't he be doing this odd behaiviour all the time or on his own???? he's fine when he's in his enclosure and moves around just fine.... even when I take him out and set him down on the floor to let him roam free he's fine.... to me it almost actually seems as if he's throwing a temper tantrum or something cuzz it only happens when I first pick him up or when I put him back in is cage after him being let "free" to roam around for a while.... he actually snapped at me for the first time yesterday.

I don't know.... I'm just hoping nothing is seriously wrong with him. If there is it's a real shame cuzz his overall condition or maybe I should say appearance has improved ALLOT since I've received him..... he seriously looks like a totally different snake.

[UpscaleBoas]

glad to hear you'll take him to the vet...i would listen to jdouglas and"quarantine him.' if it is something viral infection, ecephalitis, IBD i would not let him in to contact with anywhere your othersnakes may go at least untill he has been given a clean bill of health. good luck to both of you

[chas*e]

Off to a Vet you should go...for sure keep him away from your other snakes

[eyespy]

There are odd neurological movements called intention tremors that are only triggered when an animal tries to move in a certain way, so on-again off-again problems can be just as worrisome as something that happens constantly.

Keep this animal in a separate room if possible and let us know how he makes out at the vets.

[Peruvianfanatic]

I had a snake years ago that did that.I thought it to be star cazing or IBD.Let me know what the vet saidbecause no one could pin point the problem for me,but it was also 11 years ago and alot more research has been done since then.