Help pls!!!!!

[LucytheBallPython]

My ball python i got a few weeks ago is acting strange. I just went to check on her, and found she had burrowed underneath her aspen bedding. I took her out and now there is a popping noise when she breaths! She just ate today too. What do I do? Im really worried!

[Zincubus]

Hopefully someone will have the difinitive answer but I have heard similar noises being due to aspen getting stuck in their mouth or heat sensors or similar .

I hate the stuff myself , hopeless for holding moisture so doesn't help with humidity , looks unnnatural , the snakes don't show upon it and it gets all over the carpets !

Rant over

[melcvt00]

The burrowing is no big deal. That's normal for ball pythons, even if they have nice snug hides to feel safe in.

The popping sound COULD be a respiratory infection. You need to find a good vet for Monday, not just a vet that sometimes sees snakes.

In the meantime, husbandry details are needed: enclosure type, heat source(s), temp/humidity, and what kind of device is being used to measure them.

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[Zincubus]

I immediately thought RI and kinda skated over RI as there are so many other things that those noises usually turn out to be .. plus it's eaten today and I read somewhere that they won't eat if they have a RI - I'm far from being an expert of course !

[CALM Pythons]

The problem is like above stated, we can list all kinds if things it "could be" but thats little to no help. Call a vet asap, that noise is more than likely serious than not and will need treatment.

[JodanOrNoDan]

There are a few symptoms to RI beyond a couple sounds. I am not a vet, however that alone is not enough to make me take an animal to the vet. Do some research on RI. I would expect some mucous issues. I have one snake that has made RI like sounds every time she is picked up since the day I got her and there is nothing wrong with her. I would also look at probable cause. If the animal is being kept properly, there is a far less likely chance of it having an RI. The snake could be burrowing to get closer to heat. The OP says that they got the snake a couple weeks ago. I would ask from where and how are they keeping the animal. There could be husbandry issues. If that is the case the likely hood of RI goes way up. In short, OP, we need more info about how this animal is being kept and if you are seeing more symptoms than just the sound. Please take a look at this and see if you are meeting the requirements of the animal. If you are unsure then by all means go to the vet but it will not be a cheap visit. It you do visit a vet make sure it is a reptile vet. Many vets don't know squat about ball pythons.

[LucytheBallPython]

I keep the temp. 90-95 during the day, and 85 degrees F. at night. I also keep the humidity 50-60%. I clean the water bowl daily and use clean, distilled water. I clean up the fecal and urates after they are relieved by the animal. I replace the entire bedding entirely once a month. I keep my other ball pythons in the same conditions and they are perfectly healthy. Could the animal have been sick when I purchased it, and is now showing symptoms? Is there anything I am doing wrong?

[zina10]

Did she burrow down to get closer to the heat source ? Do you have under tank heat ?

If she ate today, she could be seeking out the heat source to help digestion.
You picking her up so shortly after eating could have caused the "pop". She has a big meal in her and her juices are running and you could have "re-arranged" the meal slightly by lifting her up. Is she popping with each breath??

Did she open her mouth? Blow bubbles ?

If not, then I highly recommend you just leave her be. Even if she is starting on a RI , you should give her a day or two in peace. If you stress and handle her to much so shortly after eating, you could cause a regurgitation, and then you have a LOT more problems on top.

95 seems high. Is that the "ambient" or the heat on the substrate ?

If you have undertank heat, is it connected to a thermostat ? If not you NEED to do that, if she burrows close to that and its hotter then it should be, your snake will get a nasty burn..

[DLena]

Is shedding time approaching? I have a couple that make sounds around shedding and at no other time. If not...snake vet!

[LucytheBallPython]

I believe she is going into shed.