Help! Ball python making weird breathing noises!

[JeanTownsend]

My ball python is making small breathing noises she wasn't making before. I've just noticed it now.
Her behavior has been typical. She finished shedding on Tuesday. She ate on Friday. She's been drinking. She has her nightly excursions through her enclosure, which is bioactive, though I'm not sure what's happened to the springtails. Her droppings seem normal. Her humidity level is usually what it is supposed to be, as is her enclpsure's temperature.
Except that last night, I heard her cough or fart, I'm not sure which. Every now and then she'll do this. I read that it wasn't a big deal?
In her enclosure, the ventilarion strips are up toward the top on the sides, and there's a bit of space on the wood that the screening is into. She'll climb up to these and explore. But she cannot fot her entire body up onto it, and when she tries to, she falls off. So far she hasn't hurt herself, as she'll be moving around as normally immediately after. She can only hurt herself on her cave hide and her water bowl, which is stone. But I'm wondering if these could be related? I have checked her over, and nothing seems out of place. I have made a habit of doing this whenever I handle her, so I know what her structure should be like and what it should not.
Tonight I heard her making small breathing noises. Any ideas as to why? Could a nostril be partially plugged? I'm hoping it's not a respiratory onfection, but if so, what do I do?
I'm really concerned.
Thanks for any advice you have.
P.S. As I've been writing this, I haven't heard her breathe weirdly. Sne's stopped. Could it be just a fluke???

[alittleFREE]

What are your temps?


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[Stewart_Reptiles]

Well not being able to hear what you hear or examine your animal in person the only things people can do is guess

There are 3 possibilities

1 Stuck shed in the nostril

2 Deformed nasal cavity (in that case the animal would have make noise from the start)

3 Respiratory infection

You are the only one that can figure this out and in the event it is a RI the only course of action is going to a vet.

[Bogertophis]

Snakes cannot actually cough...that's why having an R.I. is to be avoided. (when they get bad, the snake cannot breathe)

You say she just shed, have you checked her nostrils? sometimes a bit of shed (or even other cage debris) may be causing this.

Snakes can & sometimes do pass gas. When I suspect a snake has an R.I. I hold them with their head to my ear & listen for whistling, crackling, wheezing sounds.

[PitOnTheProwl]

Need to know what the exact temperatures in the enclosure are. Taking from the hottest places your animal can touch!
What are you using as a heat source as well.

[JeanTownsend]

Thanks for responding so quickly.
I did check her nostrils, and I couldn't see anything. They looked clear.
The temperature on her hot side can reach 95° Fahrenheit at the most, but usually stays between 80° and 90° during the day. We have been having warmer days here, so on these days I turn her heater off. Her cool side is a few degrees less.
At night, it usually goes down to 75°, but sometimes stays around 80°, again on those excruciatingly hot nights. I do have a fan going almost constantly in the room, including at night.
I'm using one ceramic heat emitter. I had two, but one broke, and during the summer I don't think she needs both. Once autumn comes, I'll have to buy a new dome. The other one was a decade old, so it wasn't really reliable.
Her humidity stays between 50% and 65%, but when I spray the enclosure or give the plants water, it can go up to 80%, sometimes a bit more. It usually goes back down after this quickly, though.
Maybe she had a bit of dirt up a nostril, but it came out last night? Again, I haven't heard her breathe that way. As for the actual sound she was making, it was only soft, a slight whistle, I guess. It's somewhat difficult to describe.

[PitOnTheProwl]

95 degree surface or air temperature?
Little on the warm side but not too bad as long as thats not ambient temp.
Just keep an eye and ear open....

[Zincubus]

My ball python is making small breathing noises she wasn't making before. I've just noticed it now.
Her behavior has been typical. She finished shedding on Tuesday. She ate on Friday. She's been drinking. She has her nightly excursions through her enclosure, which is bioactive, though I'm not sure what's happened to the springtails. Her droppings seem normal. Her humidity level is usually what it is supposed to be, as is her enclpsure's temperature.
Except that last night, I heard her cough or fart, I'm not sure which. Every now and then she'll do this. I read that it wasn't a big deal?
In her enclosure, the ventilarion strips are up toward the top on the sides, and there's a bit of space on the wood that the screening is into. She'll climb up to these and explore. But she cannot fot her entire body up onto it, and when she tries to, she falls off. So far she hasn't hurt herself, as she'll be moving around as normally immediately after. She can only hurt herself on her cave hide and her water bowl, which is stone. But I'm wondering if these could be related? I have checked her over, and nothing seems out of place. I have made a habit of doing this whenever I handle her, so I know what her structure should be like and what it should not.
Tonight I heard her making small breathing noises. Any ideas as to why? Could a nostril be partially plugged? I'm hoping it's not a respiratory onfection, but if so, what do I do?
I'm really concerned.
Thanks for any advice you have.
P.S. As I've been writing this, I haven't heard her breathe weirdly. Sne's stopped. Could it be just a fluke???

Can you advise / describe or add a photo of the thermometer and hydrometer you're using for temps and humidity ??


Everything else aside , Royals will climb and indeed love climbing despite what many want to believe .. Fix some branches in there with hot glue and she will entertain you in the evenings ...


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[JeanTownsend]

The temperature is ground level.
I'm using Zoo Med thermometer and hydrometer, and a Chinese one. The label is in Chinese, so I've no idea what brand. Unfortunately I can't read the language, though I'd like to learn.
I am planning to add branches and dowels to the enclosure sometime soon. I know they love to climb, and I wanted to do it while we were builsing the enclosure, but didn't get to. Isn't it weird how people claim that they don't climb at all, when they are semi-arboreal and will climb, if given access? If they were only terrestrial, she wouldn't be climbing up to where the ventilation is...
Thanks.

[Zincubus]

The temperature is ground level.
I'm using Zoo Med thermometer and hydrometer, and a Chinese one. The label is in Chinese, so I've no idea what brand. Unfortunately I can't read the language, though I'd like to learn.
I am planning to add branches and dowels to the enclosure sometime soon. I know they love to climb, and I wanted to do it while we were builsing the enclosure, but didn't get to. Isn't it weird how people claim that they don't climb at all, when they are semi-arboreal and will climb, if given access? If they were only terrestrial, she wouldn't be climbing up to where the ventilation is...
Thanks.

Is it similar looking to this ?

Are there any wired probes ?


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