Blue Eyed Leucistic Ball Python head shake

[leskoluke]

So I just got a Blue Eyed Leucistic ball python from bhbreptiles and as soon as I put it in its cage I noticed its head was wobbling back and forth as it looked at me. At first I assumed it was of course just scared but then I noticed it's head shaking a lot everywhere it moved. The snake just couldn't move in a straight line at all. It tried climbing on the glass then flipped backwards. Is this just because it's a little scared or is this actually a problem?

[Sunnieskys]

The call and talk to Brian or Cindy tomorrow.

[JodanOrNoDan]

So I just got a Blue Eyed Leucistic ball python from bhbreptiles and as soon as I put it in its cage I noticed its head was wobbling back and forth as it looked at me. At first I assumed it was of course just scared but then I noticed it's head shaking a lot everywhere it moved. The snake just couldn't move in a straight line at all. It tried climbing on the glass then flipped backwards. Is this just because it's a little scared or is this actually a problem?

This is most likely one of three things.

1. Bad... Snake got too hot during shipping or was exposed to a chemical.
2. Not bad... It is a spider. I would ask the breeder if the mother or father was a spider. If you post a good picture of the animal I can probably give you a good guess. I produce those, so I know what to look for.
3. Bad... Not very likely but the snake could have a disease.

In any case make sure the animal is quarantined.

[Kaorte]

Can you film its behavior and post it? Is this your first snake?

[tttaylorrr]

when you're talking about the head shake/wobble, is the movement really dramatic or is it subtle? when Coffee Bean first came out of the bag she had this subtle side-to-side head shake going on; you could only tell if you held her still (you can see it in my unboxing video 2:04-2:08). knowing her personality now, i can only assume she was scared out of her mind. there is no sign of a wobble now and she is 100% healthy. all this said, she moved just fine and never had an issue crawling into her hide. not being able to move in a straight line does not sound okay.

definitely call BHB and let them know the situation, and also keep a close eye on the snake's behavior.

[leskoluke]

I really wish I would've gotten a video of it when it was moving around. The head shake is definitely much more dramatic than the one in your video taylor. It was very, very obvious back and forth almost as if his head was shivering. Right now the snake is in a small quarantine tank and just stays in a ball. This is my third snake but first ball python. I left a message with BHB.

https://imgur.com/a/LOT7N

[JodanOrNoDan]

Good picture but not close enough. Here is one of my Spider Super Mojaves. Under blacklight you can usually see the pattern if you have one. Flip it over and see if it rights itself in an odd manner.

[SDA]

Spider genes could play a roll but one thing I would ask is if there is a visual sign of heavy breathing during this head shake. When a ball python is agitated they will breathe heavy and slightly shake their head. Now if you snake has a neurological condition that aggravates that or if it is just an overly defensive or stressed snake (you do have it in a quarantine tank which might not feel secure enough) is the question but heavy breathing can tell a lot about physical twitches.

The difference between spider wobble and shaking from agitation is noticeable.

This video shows a perfect example of defensive posturing (heavy breathing and shaking)




This video shows off more along the lines of a wobble (note the neck also following along with the head side to side movements).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHNVfDHONt8

[leskoluke]

Here's the best video I could get. Head movement was a little less in this video than it has been but there is still a slight wobble. When I try to pick him up his head wobbles a lot more. I flipped it over and it didn't try to fix itself for a little while, then it only flipped its head back over and not the rest of its body.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViM571dwhkU
https://imgur.com/a/0xB8A

[leskoluke]

While mine does not corkscrew anything like that it does has the same odd head movements going back and forth when it tries to go anywhere in the cage sometimes. It has tried to strike at me a few times and missed while also making its head go upside down.