Yawning?

Ok, quick question, I just got my bp today, and I've got his tank all set up and he's just cruising around, but every now and then he opens his mouth REAL WIDE and closes it, just like a yawn. Is that what he is doing?

How frequently? And was he shipped to you?

Pretty often. And no, I bought him from a local place. Is that bad?

Hmm, my guy did that when I first brought him home as well; but I recall reading somewhere that they sometimes do this while exploring.

If you notice any mucous or wheezing; it could be Respiratory Infection, just be sure to watch over him to see if anything develops.

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Originally Posted by Scotteeo

Pretty often. And no, I bought him from a local place. Is that bad?

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No - not necessarily bad - unless they weren't keeping him properly. I would leave him alone and let him get settled in - make sure he has a good warm spot (a UTH with a thermostat controlling the heat) and just watch him. If he continues this for another day or two - it's time to get him to a vet to get tested for a Respiratory Infection.

Ok, cool. I also read he could have substrate in his mouth too. His tounge seems to be hitting the subtrate a lot so that might be it too because he was fine at the store I got him at.

I've seen mine doing this a total of 3 times since I got him this past saturday and was wondering the same thing. Just noticed it at night while he was out cruising around and thought it was ok. Is it bad if they continue to do this? Each time, I took as good a look as I could (because it was fairly quick) and didn't notice any mucous or wheezing. My temps are good also.

I don't know that this helps any, but I also have a relatively new pyton, and have witnessed him yawning 3 times. Twice while in a feeding bin TOTALLY ignorning his dinner, and once while he was exploring his enclosure right after that.

Like the others said, so long as he's breathing normal, and no mucus, I think it's probably fine. Just keep an eye on him.

:)

Snakes will yawn recently after they've eaten, to "relocate" their jaw. (Which is an incorrect way of putting it, as their jaws aren't "located" in the first place.) Perfectly normal.

Another explaination is that they have an RI and have difficulties breathing through their nose. Other signs of an RI include mucous in the mouth, or around the mouth, nose, and eyes, wheezing, and whistling. RIs are easy to treat if caught early, but can become advanced quickly if not treated. If you think your snake has an RI, seek vet care. There are some simple antibiotics that are readily available. Personally, I don't feel entirely comfortable giving my snakes meds, so I had my BP's RI treated via injections every 2 weeks.

"Stargazing" may be confused with yawning, but I don't believe that is the case with your snake. Stargazing is the term for when a snake tilts its head back and opens its mouth. Stargazing (which is often confused with open-mouth breathing; these two are not the same) is a sign of IBD, inclusive body disease, which occurs in boids and is untreatable and highly contageous (not for people; IBD is feared among those with large collections and is the main reason why newly acquired snakes are quarantined for a few months). It doesn't sound like your snake is stargazing, so I wouldn't worry if I were you.

The following is my personal hypothesis, based on what I know about cats and snakes and what I have observed. Snakes, like many animals such as cats, have an organ on the top of their mouths called the Jacobsons organ, which works the same way our nose does but is much more sensitive. This is why they "smell" with their tongues. They touch things (or air, if they are smelling the air) with their tongues, then retract their tongues and put them to the roof of their mouth; thus, the Jacobson's organ "smells" what particles have been picked up by the snake's tongue. On to cats. When cats hunt, they open their mouths slightly to get a better smell of their surroundings. I think this may be what you are noticing with your snake (mine has done the same thing). I think he is exploring his new home and is opening his mouth to take in scents directly to the Jacobson's organ, rather than picking up scents with his tongue.

Just my two cents. Unless you see mucous or something, I wouldn't be concerned.

Yeah, nothing is bubbling or looks infected. What you said makes the most sense because his surroundings have COMPLETELY changed from aspen to jungle, different hides and all that jazz. I will keep an eye on him though. I noticed no reddness in his mouth either when he did that. Btw, what are other signs of star gazing? Just curious so I can be on the look out.

I'm no expert, I haven't even read that much about it, but the main tell-tale symptoms of IBD are star-gazing and an inability for the snake to right itself. Sadly, there is no current treatment for IBD, and snakes with it should be humanely euthanized. It can cause a lot of pain. Unfortunately, it is also very hard to diagnose, I believe the only way to know for sure is to have a blood test or a biopsy.

Here's a great article by Anapsid.
http://www.anapsid.org/ibd.html



EDIT: IBD is actually for inclusion body disease, my mistake, I put inclusive body disease in my last post.

Bp's yawn to relieve building pressure in their body. If they didn't, they'd explode. Seen it happen. True story.

Building pressure? What causes it? Stress from moving into a new viv? That would make SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much more sense to me.

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Originally Posted by Crazy4Herps

Snakes will yawn recently after they've eaten, to "relocate" their jaw. (Which is an incorrect way of putting it, as their jaws aren't "located" in the first place.) Perfectly normal.

Another explaination is that they have an RI and have difficulties breathing through their nose. Other signs of an RI include mucous in the mouth, or around the mouth, nose, and eyes, wheezing, and whistling. RIs are easy to treat if caught early, but can become advanced quickly if not treated. If you think your snake has an RI, seek vet care. There are some simple antibiotics that are readily available. Personally, I don't feel entirely comfortable giving my snakes meds, so I had my BP's RI treated via injections every 2 weeks.

"Stargazing" may be confused with yawning, but I don't believe that is the case with your snake. Stargazing is the term for when a snake tilts its head back and opens its mouth. Stargazing (which is often confused with open-mouth breathing; these two are not the same) is a sign of IBD, inclusive body disease, which occurs in boids and is untreatable and highly contageous (not for people; IBD is feared among those with large collections and is the main reason why newly acquired snakes are quarantined for a few months). It doesn't sound like your snake is stargazing, so I wouldn't worry if I were you.

The following is my personal hypothesis, based on what I know about cats and snakes and what I have observed. Snakes, like many animals such as cats, have an organ on the top of their mouths called the Jacobsons organ, which works the same way our nose does but is much more sensitive. This is why they "smell" with their tongues. They touch things (or air, if they are smelling the air) with their tongues, then retract their tongues and put them to the roof of their mouth; thus, the Jacobson's organ "smells" what particles have been picked up by the snake's tongue. On to cats. When cats hunt, they open their mouths slightly to get a better smell of their surroundings. I think this may be what you are noticing with your snake (mine has done the same thing). I think he is exploring his new home and is opening his mouth to take in scents directly to the Jacobson's organ, rather than picking up scents with his tongue.

Just my two cents. Unless you see mucous or something, I wouldn't be concerned.

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In other words...He'll be ok...

lol, I couldn't help but laugh at your name Monty. When I was thinking of a name, Monty Python came to mind, but then I thought about how origonal that name was, and how many millions of BPs were stuck with that name. I ended up naming him Kratos. Kratos is the God of Strength, and when I first got him, I couldn't get him off my finger because he was hugging so tightly. But it's good to know he'll be ok. My lamp broke so I have to get a new bulb tomorrow otherwise I'd take pics. I'd feel irresponsible taking pics of him without the proper care being shown. Right now he's learning about the screen top on the cage and how it's blocking his pathway out of it. BPs are so SEXY! I can't wait till I can have more, and maybe even breed them! :banana:

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Originally Posted by Scotteeo

BPs are so SEXY!

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You can say that again!

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Originally Posted by Scotteeo

I can't wait till I can have more, and maybe even breed them! :banana:

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You, my friend, are showing signs of a little thing we like to call "herp fever". :D I've got it too! Although I don't suggest breeding until you've had at least a year of experiance... if snakes that aren't 100% healthy are bred, it can lead to some major problems. It's also best to really be acquainted with the species before you breed. But definitely something to look forward to/plan for (I sure am!). :)

Haha, well I'm still at the parents house and will probably be here until I get my degree, which is only a couple years out, but when I do leave,I'm going to have a freakin museum of reptiles at my house. Bearded Dragons, Leopard Geckos, Ball Pythons,and I have a weird fantasy about rattlesnakes, although I'll probably never get one. I love a lot of the morphs I've seen here though. I'm very excited about my future in reptile care, mainly BPs.

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Originally Posted by Scotteeo

Haha, well I'm still at the parents house and will probably be here until I get my degree, which is only a couple years out, but when I do leave,I'm going to have a freakin museum of reptiles at my house. Bearded Dragons, Leopard Geckos, Ball Pythons,and I have a weird fantasy about rattlesnakes, although I'll probably never get one. I love a lot of the morphs I've seen here though. I'm very excited about my future in reptile care, mainly BPs.

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I am too. I have fantasies about "when I'm 18..." Although I'm aiming to be a cardiac surgeon, so I won't have a whole lot of time for pets, with college, med school, internship, etc. Strangely, I'm actually looking forward to retirement (a long way off, but still). All the time in the world to expand my collection and the money for it too; if I end up as a surgeon, I'll have a decent pension. :D

Ball pythons explode?
Wha!?:snake:[BOOM!]

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Originally Posted by Crazy4Herps

I am too. I have fantasies about "when I'm 18..." Although I'm aiming to be a cardiac surgeon, so I won't have a whole lot of time for pets, with college, med school, internship, etc. Strangely, I'm actually looking forward to retirement (a long way off, but still). All the time in the world to expand my collection and the money for it too; if I end up as a surgeon, I'll have a decent pension. :D

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lol, yeah you'll have money alright! I'm in college to become a teacher. I'll never have money, just passion and three months off to care for reptiles. It's a family curse. I tried the normal universities in the area and I hated them with a passion. Now I'm going to University of Phoenix. The program is easy. Just got to plow my way through it really. I want to integrate reptiles into the classroom. So far that excuse hasn't flown really well with the parents, but I think I can break them. The only other thing in my way is that I have a small room and no where to put the cages. Btw, according to my shop, tomorrow is Kratos' feeding day. Being that I bought him today,would it be smarter to wait until next thursday to feed so I don't risk a regurge due to all the stress?

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Originally Posted by Scotteeo

I want to integrate reptiles into the classroom

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A teacher is a great job. A hs biology teacher is on my "list". Sure, they don't get paid as much as some, but that's not what counts. You want to do something you enjoy, which may not neccessarily come with a great paycheck. Anyways, I think that child reptile education is very important. Learn about which are pets, which aren't, proper husbandry, etc, etc. That's great! :gj: Good luck with everything!

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Originally Posted by Scotteeo

Btw, according to my shop, tomorrow is Kratos' feeding day. Being that I bought him today,would it be smarter to wait until next thursday to feed so I don't risk a regurge due to all the stress?

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Yeah, I'd definitely wait a week. It's worth it to avoid a possible regurge.

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Originally Posted by Crazy4Herps

A teacher is a great job. A hs biology teacher is on my "list". Sure, they don't get paid as much as some, but that's not what counts. You want to do something you enjoy, which may not neccessarily come with a great paycheck. Anyways, I think that child reptile education is very important. Learn about which are pets, which aren't, proper husbandry, etc, etc. That's great! :gj: Good luck with everything!

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Thank you very much! And the same goes to you. Major props fro being able to handle such a school load. I don't have to patience to learn all that needs to be learned to be a doctor of any kind. And thank you for all the advice. It's uplifting knowing I'm doing things correctly, and not risking a beautiful creature's life.

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Originally Posted by mrshawt

Bp's yawn to relieve building pressure in their body. If they didn't, they'd explode. Seen it happen. True story.

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What? I've never heard of such a thing ever before!

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Originally Posted by Scotteeo

lol, I couldn't help but laugh at your name Monty. When I was thinking of a name, Monty Python came to mind, but then I thought about how origonal that name was, and how many millions of BPs were stuck with that name. I ended up naming him Kratos. Kratos is the God of Strength, and when I first got him, I couldn't get him off my finger because he was hugging so tightly. But it's good to know he'll be ok. My lamp broke so I have to get a new bulb tomorrow otherwise I'd take pics. I'd feel irresponsible taking pics of him without the proper care being shown. Right now he's learning about the screen top on the cage and how it's blocking his pathway out of it. BPs are so SEXY! I can't wait till I can have more, and maybe even breed them! :banana:

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Is a light your only heat source? Heat lamps do tend to suck the humidity right out of the enclosure and are not required sources of heat for ball pythons. Belly heat aids in digestion and is the preferred method of heating by most ball python keepers.

I hope no one was taking me seriously haha...

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Is a light your only heat source? Heat lamps do tend to suck the humidity right out of the enclosure and are not required sources of heat for ball pythons. Belly heat aids in digestion and is the preferred method of heating by most ball python keepers.

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I do have a heating pad but it's not getting warm enough in there for him. I've got a spray bottle and everything though too for humidity. I'm going to use a ceramic heater because I've got normal lights in my room to help with the day/night cycle. That and I need another cave hide. I've got a cave and a log, but I've read all too often on here the importance of two hides looking the same SOOOOOOO I'm going to get one of those as well.




And were you kidding Mr.Shawt? Because I TOTALLYtook you seriously.

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Originally Posted by Scotteeo

I do have a heating pad but it's not getting warm enough in there for him. I've got a spray bottle and everything though too for humidity. I'm going to use a ceramic heater because I've got normal lights in my room to help with the day/night cycle. That and I need another cave hide. I've got a cave and a log, but I've read all too often on here the importance of two hides looking the same SOOOOOOO I'm going to get one of those as well.




And were you kidding Mr.Shawt? Because I TOTALLYtook you seriously.

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ball pythons don't explode unless you put something combustible in them light it, it burns and expands at such a rapid rate it causes mass destruction.

so no he wasn't serious :P

mine does it occaisonally too.....i never heard it being anything serious,unless its really frequent.

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Originally Posted by Scotteeo

lol, I couldn't help but laugh at your name Monty. When I was thinking of a name, Monty Python came to mind, but then I thought about how origonal that name was, and how many millions of BPs were stuck with that name. I ended up naming him Kratos. Kratos is the God of Strength, and when I first got him, I couldn't get him off my finger because he was hugging so tightly. But it's good to know he'll be ok. My lamp broke so I have to get a new bulb tomorrow otherwise I'd take pics. I'd feel irresponsible taking pics of him without the proper care being shown. Right now he's learning about the screen top on the cage and how it's blocking his pathway out of it. BPs are so SEXY! I can't wait till I can have more, and maybe even breed them! :banana:

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It may not be original here at the forums, BUT i'll have you know...everytime i show my BP, they ask whats his name...When i say Montie....they all laugh...(Especially, that I do comedy:rolleye2:...) So its original outside of BPnet, It's a good thing I don't know any snake owners...

Mine has only done it a couple of times so, hopefully no problems. I did have a great night last night though. I attemted to feed my bp for the first time and she ate right away! yaaaaayyy! haha:banana:

:clap: Woohoo! It's always so great when they eat! :D

I'm going to be posting pics of him in just a minute!!! I'm uploading them on photobucket as we speak. I'm going to name it "First Pics of Kratos!" Check it out when you see it!