Question About Vomiting

Hey, guys! I’m a new snake owner, here. I got my 7 month old ball python a week ago and he last ate on Sunday night. I left him alone Monday and most of Tuesday (he had a vet appointment that day), as well as most of Wednesday. I handled him for a little while last night and then left him alone until tonight when I put him in a humid box for an hour to try and take care of a particularly stubborn stuck shed. When I checked on him after an hour, he had vomited what was left of his meal that he had on Sunday. He also lost about 9 grams since last night. What could have caused this? Was it possibly the extra humidity or possibly something worse?

Short answer is too much movement after a meal. Otherwise, we need to know your husbandry numbers ie, warm side and cool side temperatures as well as the ambient temp. Humidity percentage. These are a couple things that, if not optimal, can cause a regurgitation in snakes. How are you measuring these is important as well and your method of heating the enclosure. Also, vomiting usually occurs within minutes or hours of a meal. Regurgitation is a different sign and occurs typically days after a meal and the meal is partially digested. What size prey did you offer him? Too large of a meal is also causative.

Has he had a warm enough hot spot during digestion? They have a most powerful digestion, but they need the correct heat for that to work. If the heat isn't where it should be, or the animal is not allowed / able to get to the hot spot, the digestion can't work the way it should. The food inside begins to "rott" and is expelled the quickest way possible.

Like Albert said, check your husbandry carefully. Now is the time to make sure that everything is 100% spot on. Also make sure that the snake has plenty of hiding spots, in warm and cool end, so that it doesn't choose privacy over warmth, etc. Make sure the enclosure is very private, not a "see through on all sides" tank.

After that, leave the snake alone but for the basic maintenance you have to do. Check on him, but do not handle him. Let him relax. Keep the humidity higher and mist if needed, to help his rough shed. I wouldn't even try to feed for at least 2 weeks. Regurgitation is very hard on them and can cause damage. Let him heal thoroughly and then offer a quite smaller then usual food item. If you rush now you may set him up to regurge again and that usually starts a vicious cycle with a sad ending.

Basically, get everything just right, give tons of privacy, wait 2 or 3 weeks and then a small meal. After which you give complete privacy once again aside from maintenance. After you have 2 or 3 trouble free meals, you can start handling. I know it stinks. It seems like a lot of time not being able to do much of anything with the new snake. But they can live 40+ years, so you will have plenty of time to enjoy your baby :) For now just get him over this hump..