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  • 02-21-2012, 08:00 PM
    princess17
    She opens her mouth when I hold her..
    So I held my ball python 24 hours after I fed her and she opens her mouth. She doesn't hiss or anything. I just hear a little popping noise when she first opens her mouth. She doesn't have any mucous or anything. And she only does it when I hold her. She's very sweet.. Any ideas as to why she's doing this?
  • 02-21-2012, 08:12 PM
    cmack91
    sounds like a possible RI to me, is she wheezing at all?
  • 02-21-2012, 08:19 PM
    rebelrachel13
    She probably "yawned" - snakes open their mouths widely sometimes as a method of resetting their jaw after eating. They also seem to just do it randomly every once in a while. It's actually pretty cute, heh. The tiny popping sound you described was probably just her jaw.

    It can be cause for concern, but only if it is done excessively and with other symptoms like mucus, frothing, bubbles, or popping/wheezing. Pardon me, I'm slightly confused - did she only do it once, or is she doing it multiple times during handling?
  • 02-21-2012, 08:22 PM
    princess17
    She isn't wheezing at all though.. And she does it every time I handle her. and she doesn't open her mouth wide. It's just like open.
  • 02-21-2012, 08:24 PM
    dragonboy4578
    I would keep a close eye on her for the next few day. It could very well be nothing, but by keeping a close eye on her you will be able to see if it is something more.
  • 02-21-2012, 08:25 PM
    rebelrachel13
    Oh, I see. So it's like she's just holding it open? If you got her recently from Petsmart/Petco, it's possible that you bought a sick snake. They don't tend to have the best care of them there.

    Keep watching for signs of RI or other issue and let us know. If you can get a picture of her doing it (or find a picture that looks like it) then that might help.

    Hope she's okay. :)
  • 02-21-2012, 09:09 PM
    princess17
    Should I take her back and have them look at her? I got her from petsmart:/
  • 02-21-2012, 09:20 PM
    Mike41793
    No dont take her back, i highly doubt they would know if she was sick or not since most, not all, but most of the employees are idiots. Bump up her ambient temps for the next week or so.
  • 02-21-2012, 09:21 PM
    princess17
    Okay:/ is there anything else I can do for her?
  • 02-21-2012, 09:36 PM
    jdouglas
    Make sure her husbandry is spot on, and just check on her a few times a day.
    I would do a little reading into RI's that way you can find the signs to look for.

    Also If you have not already I would start searching for an Exotics vet in your area in case you need one.
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