Jungle Carpet Python Help

a close friend of mine just showed me his CP's today and is expecting a litter. they are usualy really agressive and move and do all sorts of odd things. it seems to be normal. i say if it eats and generaly seems to be living fine DO NOT uthanize it. it is not at all uncommon for a CP to act a lil wonky and look to strike when its getting used to things. hell i almost got bit multiple times tonight and my breeder friend got bit twice showing me one of his ESTABLISHED females. CP are generally mean. its just the way they usualy are.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JeffJ

a close friend of mine just showed me his CP's today and is expecting a litter. they are usualy really agressive and move and do all sorts of odd things. it seems to be normal. i say if it eats and generaly seems to be living fine DO NOT uthanize it. it is not at all uncommon for a CP to act a lil wonky and look to strike when its getting used to things. hell i almost got bit multiple times tonight and my breeder friend got bit twice showing me one of his ESTABLISHED females. CP are generally mean. its just the way they usualy are.

---

Did you actually watch the video? The behavior reminds me of a really bad spider "wobble". That is nothing like "the way they usually are". It's not about being mean.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by waltah!

Did you actually watch the video? The behavior reminds me of a really bad spider "wobble". That is nothing like "the way they usually are". It's not about being mean.

---

mmm no there is a vid?.... must be the empty post i have flash blocked as it browses quicker.

ill watch now.

EDIT i watched the vid. :( that is deaf not normal.

that is IBD or a genetic defect for sure. it is having issues with motor functions and head movement.


can it right its self from an upside down position? if u got it by its rear section can it point its head upright and climb up its own length to your hand?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JeffJ

mmm no there is a vid?.... must be the empty post i have flash blocked as it browses quicker.

ill watch now.

EDIT i watched the vid. :( that is deaf not normal.

that is IBD or a genetic defect for sure. it is having issues with motor functions and head movement.


can it right its self from an upside down position? if u got it by its rear section can it point its head upright and climb up its own length to your hand?

---

It can, yes. When I disturb it, it does the weird stuff. When I walk away, but stay in the room, he stops freaking, then straightens out and acts normally. I'll try to take a normal action video tonight, if I can catch him out of the hide again. He's been taking a cruise around the cage just before dawn on a near daily basis...

I just popped in on him, and he's aparently done cruising, and aparently feeling safer. He's coiled in a corner, outside of the hide, and looking quite comfortable (no contorting or strange coiling). Tongue flickers when I aproach, showing alertness, and he's not startling like before (rigid body and strange movements). I HAVE NOT attempted to disturb him or his cage today, and won't again until food is offered. I am hoping I can catch him in the act of exploration, as it seems impossible that he could grip the branches the way he does if this were an extreme issue like ibd. On the first page there is a picture of him sleeping on a branch.

Hopefully (fingers and toes crossed) the issue is stress related. He had a LONG drive back from the show... I hope and pray he shows prey drive sunday!

It looks like I missed the move. He's back in the hide now... I'll try again this evening.

Idont know what to say.... is this just this snakes way of expressing stress? or is there something wrong. i would say keep its contact with the rest of your collection limited to none. and watch him for a week or 2. see if he snaps out of it.

I have never seen a healthy snake contort like that though. and ive seen a fair share. but then again every snake is different.

It only acts odd when stressed or handled (stressed). Today he's trolling, looks like he's hunting (there is a mouse in the room, ten feet away). Once again, i missed the trolling video, but i did get some non-decent pictures....

Here he is coiled outside of the hide, smiling for the camera...

http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/t...cture095-1.jpg
http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/t...Picture094.jpg

Like the post above, just keep him seperate from the rest of your collection(JUST IN CASE) and monitor him closely, offer him a meal like normal, I would just take him to a vet, to possibly get a professional opinion. I've seen some snakes act weird, but not like that. Try to find like a School Vet thing, like around here they have LSU vet which are on salary, so they are more concerned about the animals. Remember Clinics are businesses before they're clinics.

Neurological symptoms cover a whole host of ailments in snakes. They include:

- OPMV
- Meningitis
- Septicemia
- Various viral and bacterial infections
- Issues with metabolism/organ disfunction
- Exposure to extreme temperatures
- Previous head injuries
- Previous exposure to toxins
- Inherited genetic issues
..and IBD.

The fact that he can climb and perch and do other things that require coordination is fairly encouraging. The only advice I think is worth it's salt is to QT him and take him to a Vet.