Bloated snake

Hi, new to the forum here, question isn't specifically about breeding, but is related to it.

I noticed about 3 days ago my bp (female, age 24, about 4'2", 3200g) was bloated about 1 foot up from the tail.
She has been off feed since november which happens every year, so she shouldn't have had much food in her system, and she had a large defecation in january, so I was pretty sure it wasn't constipation.

I thought she was a male, but after seeing the vet and doing ultrasound and xray, he said it was the follicles causing it.
So obviously he is now a she, I have to wait a week and contact them again if she is still bloated.

I'm curious how it works, how normal is this? Cause I've never noticed it before.
So if no mating occurs, what happens with the follicles? Do they turn into unfertilized eggs and get laid, or maybe get absorbed?

I also observed about 2-3 weeks ago she was drinking a lot of water, more than usual anyway.
Also, she looks slightly better today, viewed from above you wouldn't really notice any problem with her.
The vet said to try feeding her again, which I will do today.

Thanks for any advice, cause I don't know anything about the breeding / reproductive side of it all.

It is a rarity but could be a case of parthenogenesis. Has she ever been housed with another BP?

24 years old is impressive.

Follicles will either be fertilized or reabsorbed at a certain point...anything else is in the 'oddity' category (<1%)

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Originally Posted by PghBall

It is a rarity but could be a case of parthenogenesis. Has she ever been housed with another BP?

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No, never. I've seen a video on youtube of a BP laying eggs from parthenogensis.
That would be amazing if it happened, but I think we could realistically rule it out.

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Originally Posted by colin-java

No, never. I've seen a video on youtube of a BP laying eggs from parthenogensis.
That would be amazing if it happened, but I think we could realistically rule it out.

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Yes I doubt that's the case as well. Just mentioned it as it has happened on extremely rare occasions.

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Keep us posted, you never know. I had an older desert rosy boa many years back that was never with a male snake & had one live (sadly defective) neonate
the first summer after she came to live with me. She'd produced slugs in the past, when she was kept by a local nature museum. She'd been very stressed
there -kept in a 2' x 2' cage with 2 other female rosies :( & had rarely eaten for the last couple years...that's why they gave her to me. I offered suggestions
for improvements to their snake/reptile techniques (they weren't kept warm enough & regurged their meals so often that the staff thought that was "normal"!).
They knew she'd be in better hands with me, & she went on to reproduce extremely well in subsequent years, while the 2 poor snakes they kept died about a
year later from a nasty infection. Anyway, the female rosy boa that came home with me was past "middle age" for her species, just as your BP is at age 24...
so never think it can't happen. ;)

1 foot up the tail sound like mid section so you have a few options considering she has not fed since november.

Building up or even ovy

Health issue

Do you have a picture? Side, front and back, holding her head up and tail down?

Where does she spend most of her time in her enclosure?

Thanks, she doesn't eat this time every year though, so I don't expect her to eat, but it normally starts soon as the weather gets warmer.

She spends all day in the hide box mostly, and comes out to drink as well.

Some pictures here...
Its not as bad as it was though, seems to be less bloated now...

https://imgur.com/a/iUdUYU9

Yeah, same here.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...atermarked.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by colin-java

Thanks, she doesn't eat this time every year though, so I don't expect her to eat, but it normally starts soon as the weather gets warmer.

She spends all day in the hide box mostly, and comes out to drink as well.

Some pictures here...
Its not as bad as it was though, seems to be less bloated now...

https://imgur.com/a/iUdUYU9

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To me it looks like this female is building up.

Ok, what does that mean exactly, also the swelling has reduced over the past few days, it was quite noticeable before.

I'm curious why its never happened before if its normal, or maybe it has and I haven't noticed it after the bloating has returned to normal.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by colin-java

Ok, what does that mean exactly, also the swelling has reduced over the past few days, it was quite noticeable before.

I'm curious why its never happened before if its normal, or maybe it has and I haven't noticed it after the bloating has returned to normal.

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If she is/was building up (and I say that based on location of the swelling as well as the fact that she is on empty) this means follicular development.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Deborah

If she is/was building up (and I say that based on location of the swelling as well as the fact that she is on empty) this means follicular development.

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Yeah, the vet said it was the follicles, and not a food blockage (I didn't think it was food anyway cause he had a massive defecation in january so was basically empty).

So you think the follicles are being absorbed now as the bloating has reduced a lot? :snake:

She didn't eat the rat I gave her yesterday, I'll warm it up again and try it tonight before I throw it away.

Thanks for the advice.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by colin-java

Yeah, the vet said it was the follicles, and not a food blockage (I didn't think it was food anyway cause he had a massive defecation in january so was basically empty).

So you think the follicles are being absorbed now as the bloating has reduced a lot? :snake:

She didn't eat the rat I gave her yesterday, I'll warm it up again and try it tonight before I throw it away.

Thanks for the advice.

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Wait another week before offering food again. Offering too frequently can possibly develop a routine of refusing prey. If she refuses next week wait another 7-10 days before trying again


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Ok thanks, she's a decent weight anyway, she tends not to miss a meal in the summer time.

I noticed she's been turning on her side and almost upside down from time to time lately, she's doing it now also.
I wasn't too worried cause her head and neck are always the right way up so its not likely a neurological issue.
I think I saw on youtube that they can sort of turn over during follicle development time, is that rightl?