Question - BP Growl

[Julie Massey]

We have two male pythons. Well our oldest boy went to pick it up to feed, and it groweld. Is this normal? Also he looks sometimes like he has bubbles coming out his mouth. Not all the time though. What do I do?Congratulations on the nice babies. They are beautiful.

[Skittles1101]

Bubbles coming from mouth is not a good thing...have you checked for other signs of respiratory infection??

[jbean7916]

Bubbles *can* mean an RI. As far as a growl goes, I'm not sure I've ever heard of that!

sent from my EVO

[Vypyrz]

Technically, snakes can't growl. If your snake has a Respiratory Infection (R.I.), then what you probably heard was the air and mucus popping in the airway.
What you need to do is check for symptoms of an R.I.

Listen for:

- Wheezing, popping, or rattling sounds when the snake breathes. It will sound similar to a person with Bronchitis.

Look for:

-Mucus and bubbles inside the mouth.
-Stargazing. The snake will keep its head raised or elevated for long periods to help keep it's airway open.
-Dried or wet mucus and bubbles around the nostrils and face. (snot and boogers)
-Face Rubbing. It will keep rubbing its face around the enclosure as it tries to clear the mucus.
-Dried or smeared mucus around the inside of the enclosure and on the enclosure furnishings.

If you find any of the symptoms above, it would be a good idea to quarantine him in another room, away from the other snake until you can confirm whether or not it is a R.I. It's better to err on the side of caution instead of possibly ending up with two sick snakes.
Bump his temperatures up to about 95F. The extra heat may help a little, but it will not cure a R.I. A vet will need to do a culture to determine what type of virus or bacteria is causing it and prescribe a course of antibiotics.

Here are some links that should also help:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ons-The-Basics

What mucus looks like in the mouth:
It is the last photo on this web page.

http://www.reptilerescuecarolinas.or...ts/scalerotbcc

If you aren't familiar with opening and inspecting a snakes mouth, here is a video on how to do it:



I hope this helps...

[Emily&Jerry]

Should you have an established Herp vet, I would greatly advise a visit. RI's are no joke when our beloved reptiles are concerned

[SlitherinSisters]

It sounds like a health issue to me, especially if bubbles are involved. My guess is that he meant to hiss, but since there is gunk built up in his respiratory system it came out more like a growl. I would get him to a herp vet to get him some meds to clear that up.