Breathing Wierd

[Andrew Larson]

I noticed last night when I had one of my big females out that she makes kind of a whistling sound when she breaths. It isnt often but maybe once every five minutes. Is it most likely just stuck shed? Or something worse?

[West Coast Jungle]

Check for a stuck shed around nostrils or for fluid build up in her mouth. Could be a stuck/retained shed or a Respitory infection. Any bubbles or excessive fliud in the mouth is a sure fire sign of RI.

Good luck

[Andrew Larson]

There is no fluid or anything around her mouth. SHe looks visibly totally fine. Hopefully just shed.

[BPelizabeth]

Take a qtip and open her mouth take a look inside for bubbles or excess mucus. If not I am sure it is just shed, mine does that too when she gets in my hair...not really a whistle but like she is blowing it out of the way.

[DrEwTiMe]

Take a qtip and open her mouth take a look inside for bubbles or excess mucus. If not I am sure it is just shed, mine does that too when she gets in my hair...not really a whistle but like she is blowing it out of the way.

Much like a sneeze! Mine does that often when my girlfriend holds her. She seems to have an infatuation for long hair! Every female that holds her she goes right for the hair lol.

[BPelizabeth]

Much like a sneeze! Mine does that often when my girlfriend holds her. She seems to have an infatuation for long hair! Every female that holds her she goes right for the hair lol.

that is EXACTLY it. Only one of mine does it though!!

[Skiploder]

She could have something in her nostril, or she could be getting worked up when she's held and be breathing more rapidly, causing the noise. Either way, if she's showing no other outward symptoms (mucus discharge at the mouth and nose, inappetance, etc.) I would not worry about it.

Large colubrids make similar noises when they are agitated - especially drys. So do other pythons.

The "breathing" sound can be normal. Snakes have a U-shaped wind pipe that has a slightly corrugated inside edge (as opposed to mammals that have a smooth O). This allows for the collapse or expansion of the windpipe when feeding. The corrugations are what cause the 'wheezing' sound when air rushes through with breathing. It could be due to excitement, nerves, whatever.