Barfing BRB

I woke up this morning to find a regurgitated hopper in my snakes aquarium... this has happend once before but i thought that was because my roommate handled the snake too soon after feeding. I personally fed the snake and transported him back to his main tank. I was very gentle so i am convinced it is not because of rough handling... The tank conditions are normal:
Temperature- ~80 degree average
Humidity- ~65%

What could be causing this? Or is this normal?

Thanks,
-Brant

did the snake recently regurgitate the other one? or was that a while ago? the reason I'm asking is because if a snake regurges it's often best to skip a feeding and then start it back on food with a smaller than normal meal. Supposedly when a snake regurgitates it depletes much of the beneficial bacteria in it's digestive system so waiting before feeding again will give it time to build it back up. If you feed it again too soon sometimes this can cause a relapse of regurgitation due to lack of the levels of bacteria needed for proper digestion... leading to multiple chain regurgitations and a sick snake. I am sure a shot of nutri-bac or whatever products they have out there for beneficial bacteria would not hurt also.

If it's not that I don't really have another speculation... could be just a freak thing... I don't keep boas so I don't know off hand the requirements for proper digestion in BRB's. My only suggestion would be maybe being fed outside of the cage is more stressful than you thought and is causing this to happen. I don't feed any of my snakes outside of their enclosures for that reason. I just put down a paper plate or damp paper towel and stand by as they eat.

how warm is the hot spot in the tank? snakes need extra belly heat to digest.

also, is this a baby BRB? how many feedings have you given him so far that were NOT regurgitated? was the last regurge the last time you fed or were there some successful feedings in between?

The last regurgitation happened awhile ago so i dont think this is from a lack of bacterias... and i waited 3 days after it happened the first time and he ate just fine with no problems.

I'm not going to feed my snake outside its normal enclosure because it makes them more likely to strike when youre just reaching in to clean the tank or handle the snake; BRB are naturally more aggressive than BPs so im taking all the precautions i can to make it a ''calm'' snake thats used to being handled.

The warm spot is kept between 84 and 86. No, its not a baby. I've fed the snake 12 times total. the first regurgitation happened on number 7 and obviously the most recent is 12. So i have had successful feedings since the first regurge. (Feedings are weekly til it gets bigger)

-Brant

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Originally Posted by BRBrant

The last regurgitation happened awhile ago so i dont think this is from a lack of bacterias... and i waited 3 days after it happened the first time and he ate just fine with no problems.

I'm not going to feed my snake outside its normal enclosure because it makes them more likely to strike when youre just reaching in to clean the tank or handle the snake; BRB are naturally more aggressive than BPs so im taking all the precautions i can to make it a ''calm'' snake thats used to being handled.

The warm spot is kept between 84 and 86. No, its not a baby. I've fed the snake 12 times total. the first regurgitation happened on number 7 and obviously the most recent is 12. So i have had successful feedings since the first regurge. (Feedings are weekly til it gets bigger)

-Brant

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The feeding insdie the enclosure is the best wy to go. They will not strike you in association of the cage being opened feeding time every time. Its a myth that many newbies think is true. The transporting from one tank to another for feeding is enough to stress them out especially putting back after feeding. This alone can cause a regurgitation

You need to up the temp a bit on warm side to about 88-90 and cool side of 78-80. this will ensure proper digestion. each snake likes a certain temperature and thats up to you how you find it out.

I also say feed inside the enclosure. Feeding in the tank does not make it more likely that they will bite you. I have a few BRBs and they all have great feeding responses, but have never struck at me. All feeding outside the tank does is add stress to the animal because you have to handle it soon after a meal.

As for the temps, they sound good as long as there is a gradient. The temp should rarely be over 85F and never up to 90F. These guys need it a little more cool.

Hmm... most of the care sheets ive read are what told me about feeding outside the tank...but if you have multple BRBs and its working for you i guess it is false info... ok thanks this could be my reason... ill start feeding in the tank. If it happens again ill bring it back up...
Thanks,
-Brant

How old is the snake? I would wait for 2 full weeks before you attempt to feed again, like snake loving babe said.

We feed both of ours in the enclosure, we personally feel that handling before and after feeding is disturbing the snake, and our two like to hunt from their hides. Wait 48 hours before handling after feeding, just to be safe.

Do not let the temps go over 85, and have the cool end around 75-80. I would not recommend warmer than that, ever! This species needs cooler temps, with a higher humidity. The young need higher humidity more constantly. Think 70-75%. (Maybe even 80-85%, provide a humid hide is beneficial, but change the moss frequently)

I know this may not be related exactly, but I have heard that back when bloods we're being kept for the first time in captivity, some kept them very warm, which caused regurges excessively until the animals perished.

I would keep this in mind and use a temp gun to make sure your floor isnt too warm.

If it's a true regurge of an identifiable prey item (as opposed to vomiting), it is normally attributable to husbandry issues.

Stress due to excessive handling is one issue that can cause a regurge, as can overfeeding, enclosure temperature (too high or low), a lack of a secure hide(s), etc.

After a snake regurgutates it is advisable to wait a minimum of seven days before you attempt another feeding.

While I am not familiar with rainbow boas, I have had issues with cribos regurgitating when they are kept at either an improper humidity level (low) or too high a temperature. They then will attempt to soak themselves to correct their cage conditions and will cool themselves down in the process to the point where they inhibit the digestive process.

I had this problem crop up when I constructed my herp building. It was finished in the spring. During the middle of the following summer, the air conditioning ran to keep the ambient temperatures optimum. However, the AC lowered the relative humidity in the room about 20 to 25%. This caused my drymarchon to begin soaking themselves to stay hydrated which resulted in regurges. Once I corrected the humidity issue, they had no further problems.

As to feeding outside of the enclosure - as others have alluded to, snakes are not made more aggressive or prone to bite if fed in the enclosure. Additionally, handling a snake that has recently eaten can injure their distended digestive systems.

Skiploder its MANDATORY you wait a minimum 14 days to allow the stomach acids to re-build up other wise at 7 days thers not enough left and will result in another regurge.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by flameethrower

The feeding insdie the enclosure is the best wy to go. They will not strike you in association of the cage being opened feeding time every time. Its a myth that many newbies think is true. The transporting from one tank to another for feeding is enough to stress them out especially putting back after feeding. This alone can cause a regurgitation

You need to up the temp a bit on warm side to about 88-90 and cool side of 78-80. this will ensure proper digestion. each snake likes a certain temperature and thats up to you how you find it out.

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I am going to have to respectfully disagree with the temps you recommended. I am not saying that I am a pro, but to my knowledge, any temps over 88 deg can prove harmful to a BRB. They need a cool side of about 75 degrees with the ambient at about 80 degrees and the warm should be around 85 degrees and should never be allowed to go over 88 degrees. This is the recommended thermal gradient for a BRB that I have knowledge of. If the enclosure is to reach temps as high as 88 degrees, it should not remain there for any extended period of time. Also, if it isn't yet a yearling, humidity should be a little bit higher.

I will not have mine for another few weeks, but this information is based off of the obsessive amount of research I have done on this particular snake over the last several months in preparation of getting one.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BeastMaster

I am going to have to respectfully disagree with the temps you recommended. I am not saying that I am a pro, but to my knowledge, any temps over 88 deg can prove harmful to a BRB. They need a cool side of about 75 degrees with the ambient at about 80 degrees and the warm should be around 85 degrees and should never be allowed to go over 88 degrees. This is the recommended thermal gradient for a BRB that I have knowledge of. If the enclosure is to reach temps as high as 88 degrees, it should not remain there for any extended period of time. Also, if it isn't yet a yearling, humidity should be a little bit higher.

I will not have mine for another few weeks, but this information is based off of the obsessive amount of research I have done on this particular snake over the last several months in preparation of getting one.

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Yup.

There is a difference between regurgitation and vomiting. There is also a marked difference in the potential damage that can occur depending on the whether the snake regurges or vomits.

A regurgitation is a a relatively "minor" incident in which the prey item is voluntarily ejected from either the esophagus or the beginning of the digestive tract before real digestion begins. If you feed your snake at night and wake up to an entire prey item - then it's a safe bet that it was a regurge. The key with a regurge is that the prey is usually undigested.

If that's the case, then there is usually no expenditure of beneficial gut flora or trauma to the esophagus and digestive tract from digestive enzymes. Consequently there is no problem in attempting another feeding within a week's time.

If your snake has vomited, the thing to look for is the amount of digestion that has occurred and the amount of time that has elapsed since the prey was consumed.

This can tell you several things - foremost is narrowing down the probable cause of the incident. Second is the amount of trauma that may have occurred from the event.

Vomiting is a much more violent process in both the mechanics (it often involves bringing up items that have moved down farther into the digestive tract) and involves depletion of beneficial gut flora along with irritation from digestive enzymes in the esophagus. It also, unlike regurgitation, is a much more forceful process. If your snake has indeed vomited - it is advisable to let him recuperate for a much more extended period of time.

Telling people that there is a mandatory waiting period, while safe, doesn't encourage people to identify the process and use it to address the problem.

Again - regurgitation is different than vomiting. While some of the causes overlap, vomiting is a much more serious event that requires not only an investigation into your husbandry techniques, but also ruling out some potential pathogens. Regurgitation is a relatively mild event that usually involves no trauma to the animal and can be addressed by examination of your husbandry skills.

There are some excellent articles out there that address the differences, the causes and suggested treatments. I would strongly suggest that the OP research this information, examine exactly what may have occurred, check these against the husbandry requirements for his snake and then identify whether his snake regurged or vomited before adjusting temps, bumping humidity or fasting his snake for an extended period of time.