Growling?

emseeKAY · 05-19-10, 08:57 PM

Today I let my gf handle my BRB like normal, shes done this many times and has never encountered anything weird. She said that he was acting unusual after i left the room and started making a growling noise making sure it did not sound like an RI wheezing, cracking, whistleing etc. Could this be the start of an RI? i had him out after she told me and he was completely fine. no growling or any noise but was acting a little jumpy before i got him out completely. any questions?

Temps: 80-85f on hot end
70-75 on cool end

Aspen by Zoo Med
Humidity read at 85%

Just shed a few days ago and ate aprox 72 hrs ago Whats going on?

marvelfreak · 05-19-10, 11:13 PM

How big is he?

emseeKAY · 05-20-10, 08:53 AM

in the area of 4-5 feet about 2-3 years as well

Will0W783 · 05-20-10, 09:22 AM

I've never heard of snakes growling. They don't have any vocal chords so all they can do is hiss and wheeze if they are sick.

emseeKAY · 05-20-10, 09:36 AM

I've never heard of it either but she made sure it wasn't a wheeze or snapping or anything it was a deep sound like growling. maybe it was something else in the room? thats all i can come up with, he isn't acting strange or different at all and i didn't hear anything of the sort after i handled him for a bit.

Will0W783 · 05-20-10, 09:37 AM

Yeah I can't imagine a snake actually growling. They just don't have the capability as far as I know.

emseeKAY · 05-20-10, 09:42 AM

exactly what i thought, figured id check with you all just to make sure. to be honest everything seems fine in his enclosure. if it happens again i'll try and be there lol

Will0W783 · 05-20-10, 01:09 PM

Oh one thing I just realized, if a snake has recently eaten (like in the last 3-5 days) sometimes when I pick them up, I have a few that will squirm a bit and slip and it kind of squeezes their stomach region and sometimes they make a squeaky/gurgly sound. I am pretty sure it's just gas escaping from the digestive tract, but maybe that is what she heard? If she lifted it from an area back towards the digestive tract, that's a possibility. I have only had it happen twice and it startled me both times.

emseeKAY · 05-20-10, 01:40 PM

it wouldnt surprise me actually, because he seems to love exploring i can almost guarantee that she would have picked it up at some point in that general area, lol so this was all a stomach growling haha thanks for the help

Will0W783 · 05-21-10, 10:40 AM

I can't guarantee that is what it was, but I've had the stomach growl/gurgle/squeak thing happen so it might be likely that is what it was.

Herpster · 07-19-10, 06:44 PM

Snakes can - and do - growl. My boa constrictor, who is now a proud 22 years old, has been known to growl on occasion. She'll open her mouth wide, facing upwards, and, pushing all the air out of her lungs, she'll make a growling sound not unlike the sound of a cat choking on a hairball! She only started doing this a few years ago, and she only does it occasionally. The first time I heard it, I nearly jumped out my seat - it was that frightening (also, at the time, I was sitting within a couple feet of her terrarium). Of course, it was the middle of the night, so I could do nothing about it besides panic (which I did)!

In the beginning, I thought she was hungry, so I fed her, and she seemed fine for the next couple weeks. When it happened again, I figured it had to be due to something else, since I had just fed her. I tried cleaning her terrarium, giving her a bath, holding her (this, actually, seemed to help somewhat), providing her with new bedding, but her growling was never consistent.

At any rate, I still don't know if it's just due to general discomfort, a specific need or just age, because, otherwise, she is probably the most docile and well-behaved boa constrictor I have ever known. And, if she's still going strong after 22 years, I must be doing something right, yes?

king216 · 07-20-10, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by will0w783

oh one thing i just realized, if a snake has recently eaten (like in the last 3-5 days) sometimes when i pick them up, i have a few that will squirm a bit and slip and it kind of squeezes their stomach region and sometimes they make a squeaky/gurgly sound. I am pretty sure it's just gas escaping from the digestive tract, but maybe that is what she heard? If she lifted it from an area back towards the digestive tract, that's a possibility. I have only had it happen twice and it startled me both times.

is that a fart? Lol

emseeKAY · 09-19-10, 07:35 PM

think more stomach grumble lol

gonesnakee · 09-20-10, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herpster

Snakes can - and do - growl. My boa constrictor, who is now a proud 22 years old, has been known to growl on occasion. She'll open her mouth wide, facing upwards, and, pushing all the air out of her lungs, she'll make a growling sound not unlike the sound of a cat choking on a hairball! She only started doing this a few years ago, and she only does it occasionally. The first time I heard it, I nearly jumped out my seat - it was that frightening (also, at the time, I was sitting within a couple feet of her terrarium). Of course, it was the middle of the night, so I could do nothing about it besides panic (which I did)!

In the beginning, I thought she was hungry, so I fed her, and she seemed fine for the next couple weeks. When it happened again, I figured it had to be due to something else, since I had just fed her. I tried cleaning her terrarium, giving her a bath, holding her (this, actually, seemed to help somewhat), providing her with new bedding, but her growling was never consistent.

At any rate, I still don't know if it's just due to general discomfort, a specific need or just age, because, otherwise, she is probably the most docile and well-behaved boa constrictor I have ever known. And, if she's still going strong after 22 years, I must be doing something right, yes?

Sounds more like trying to clear its throat, I would be checking into a possible RI Mark