Heart palpitations through bottom scales

[spazhime]

So this is already solved, I am just posting it as information for others. Yesterday I had paired my ball pythons, they were locked. The male yawned so I got my camera out to take a picture, I missed the shot but the flash went off and this happened:



So I took him to the vet. Showed the vet the video and he took his heart rate (with much difficulty through his scales), everything was normal with him today. Basically he asked me a few questions and came up with two possibilities. Thresh was currently locked with my female, he had yawned so I opened up the cage to try and see if he would yawn again for the camera. I thought he was going to and took a picture. The flash went off, and that is when this weird thing started happening. I turned the camera over to video and tried to take a video (the uncut video before this one is three minutes long) he was just laying there, so I gently touched his back to get him to move and it started up again. The vet’s diagnoses: Because of the strenuous activities (being locked) along with him being startled, it could be two things. One, I could have just scared the crap out of him and his heart palpitated and stuck out through his scales(which would happen with humans if not for the ribcage, we only saw him do it because it showed through his under belly), or two (less likely the vet said, or else there would be something wrong with him today too) he had a heart attack because of the same reasons above, or because of an inner lying problem. He is out of the water for now, but the vet said if it happened again to get him in immediately to see about treatment, because if it happens randomly for no reason then it’s a problem with his heart, and not just a fluke of him being startled. For now he said to up his hotspot a few degrees and to keep a close eye on his activity levels for any change. I posted this as an informational post for others to read.

[Galaxygirl]

I saw this on facebook! Thanks for the info, very interesting.

[cristacake]

I was so scared for him when I saw this on Tumblr earlier, I'm really glad he's okay. Good to know what that was and that it isn't life-threatening

[Ax01]

wow that's crazy... and scary. i woulda had a heart attack myself if i aw my BP doing that.

thanks for sharing. i'm glad to hear he's ok and that your BEL wasn't too hot to handle for him.

[Reinz]

Glad all seems ok.

[Doggtyred]

In the interest of pedantic nitpicked nomenclature.

What you are seeing is a chest wall/torso heave. A palpitation is something the subject feels and experiences. A palpitation is not something an observer sees in the subject.

Hope all is well with the critter. Let him go out for a smoke and chill next time when he finishes