Stargazing? IBD or just a fluke?

[Regius_049]

You should definitely quarantine her and use disposable gloves if possible, but I say this in general, not because I think she may have IBD. Any boid snake could have IBD or a variety of other ailments, which is the rationale for my suggestion. I would be more inclined to think an animal from Petco or the like could have an infection, sub-clinical or otherwise, simply due to their poor levels of care and prevalence of mites within their stock.

IBD is an extremely difficult disease to diagnose sans a positive blood test or very obvious corkscrewing behavior. In my experience, snakes "star gaze" or look up in their enclosures fairly often, especially in translucent tubs. I think it is likely due to the fact that rodents typically come from above in captive settings. IBD can spread, but based on most research, suggests it isn't that easy if you exercise reasonable precautions. It requires blood, urine, fecies, or some kind of other direct contact. It does not appear to survive well outside a host body.

One thing I do recommend is doing a screening if you have the cash. RAL testing labs has a "boid panel" that looks for Arenavirus (IBD), Nidovirus, Ophidian Paramyxovirus. I believe it is worth getting for new snakes, particularly from "sketchy" sources. The University of Florida and some other labs with also do IBD / arenavirus testing, but RAL is probably the best deal.