New owner concerned about possible respiratory infection

I am a new ball python owner, and I'm a little concerned about my snake. I hope that I am just overreacting but I've noticed that over the past week or so my snakes nostrils have become quite red. It's possible I'm overreacting, he has no other signs of respiratory infection: No mucus or crust around the nose, no mouth breathing, no wheezing or popping while breathing. However if there is something wrong i'd rather catch it fast. My snake Azul is a Blue Lucy and as such is pure white, this makes the red nostrils quite visible. I've already reduced the humidity and changed the substrate entirely, but I don't know what else I can do. I'd appreciate any suggestions or advice on how to further diagnose if this is early stages of a RI or just me being paranoid. Thanks!

I'm new too and I hope you get some good advice because I have not been able to find a checklist of symptoms for early RI either. My snake has made a few popping sounds but no other signs and is eating fine and I'm not sure if it is a possible RI or something else! Hope you get some good advice!

Pictures would help. What is your humidity and temps?

I will post pictures as soon as I can. My temp ranges from about 90 to 80 on the warm side and 80 to 70 on the cool side. I try to keep my humidity at around 60 but because I don't have an automated mister hooked up yet it tends to fall to about 30 when I'm at work or away from home for a few hours.

You need to stabilize your temps better. If you consider worst case.... 80-70... Your snake can and probably will get RI at those temps.

Any tips on how to stabilize the temp? I have a ceramic heating element, a basking light, and a blue night bulb, as well as an under tank heater.

That humidity range should be fine.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ItzalRevenant

Any tips on how to stabilize the temp? I have a ceramic heating element, a basking light, and a blue night bulb, as well as an under tank heater.

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Do you have a thermostat regulating any of those heating elements? How much temperature swing is there in the room you keep him in?

How are you measuring your temps and do you have a thermostat?

Yeah when you consider the wide ranges you have on both temps and humidity, you're going to be susceptible to RI. If things dipped to 80/70 and 30% for even just a moderate span of time, you're looking at perfect conditions for an infection

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Annarose15

That humidity range should be fine.



Do you have a thermostat regulating any of those heating elements? How much temperature swing is there in the room you keep him in?

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x2

Anything below 75 is dangerous and can cause respiratory infections.

You should aim for:
Cool: 79-81
Hot: 88-90

Your humidity sounds fine.

I just want to say thanks to everyone that has replied so far. I will increase the temp as suggested, I tried taking pictures but none of them showed the affected area with any detail. His nostrils are already looking less red with the reduced misting, (slightly, doing my best with what I have) increased temp, and changed substrate. I'm hoping to move him to a bigger tank soon with a larger under tank heater and bigger basking and night bulbs as well as a larger ceramic heating element. I've also bought an automated mister I just need the proper power strip to be able to regulate it. Until then however I have to work with what I got. I've noticed my room itself is a little cold so also increasing the ambient room temperature.

If anyone has other suggestions on cheap ways to increase his heat and stabilize his humidity while I am getting his new habitat set up I would be very grateful.

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I just want to say thanks to everyone that has replied so far. I will increase the temp as suggested, I tried taking pictures but none of them showed the affected area with any detail. His nostrils are already looking less red with the reduced misting, (slightly, doing my best with what I have) increased temp, and changed substrate. I'm hoping to move him to a bigger tank soon with a larger under tank heater and bigger basking and night bulbs as well as a larger ceramic heating element. I've also bought an automated mister I just need the proper power strip to be able to regulate it. Until then however I have to work with what I got. I've noticed my room itself is a little cold so also increasing the ambient room temperature.

If anyone has other suggestions on cheap ways to increase his heat and stabilize his humidity while I am getting his new habitat set up I would be very grateful.

I have 1 humidity gauge and 2 thermometers, one on each side of the tank. I set up a zoo med fog machine on a timer to help with the humidity but it isn't doing much. And no I do not yet have a thermostat power strip.

Basically i've discovered ALL the things I've bought so far are crap. I just went out and got a new exoterra cage I was able to get a great deal on it and I plan on having an entire new set up by the start of December including: 50 gallon tank (exoterra), automated mister (exoterra), a night and basking light, as well as 2 ceramic heating elements and an under tank heater all plugged into a exoterra humidity and temperature control station.

I'd buy all of it now but I'm waiting for a sale at the end of the month at my local pet store. (20% off everything store wide) I'd love to purchase it all now but I just cant afford to lose that much money.

For now I'm just trying to keep my current set up habitable long enough to finish the new tank. I increased the ambient temperature of the room, and with the addition of a second night bulb I've been able to raise his night time temperatures up to healthy levels (85 on the hot side and 75 on the cool side again these are NIGHT TEMPS)

His nostrils are already looking better.

However, he really doesn't seem to like the fogger. I'm not sure if it's just because it's new but he puffs at the fogger when he's close to the exit tube and it's on. I know the fog isn't hot or anything and i'm fairly sure it can't harm him. Has anyone else had their snake react this way to a fog machine?