Regurgitation?

[Bogertophis]

I searched the forum for "hairball" and I was surprised at how often this comes up. Doesn't seem to be anything to be concerned about. Apparently, bps cough up hairballs like cats do. You learn something new everyday.

It's common to see a bunch of hair within a snake's stool also- it's just that we don't always look that close...

I've never dealt with ASF's, that are said to be the normal diet of wild BPs, but I have a hunch that their fur is far less course & thick than the fur of domestic rats- that might be why BPs (or other snakes) seem to have occasional issues with "hairballs"? I do think hairballs are FAR more of a "cat thing" (since they're always licking their fur).

The main concern (IMO) about a snake "coughing up a hairball" is that snake's don't actually cough very well- this was actually a regurgitation, & with any kind of regurge there's always a risk of aspiration into the lungs & of the snake choking to death. Is it possible that domestic rats aren't the ideal food for BPs after all? Domestic mice (which most BPs like) have much thinner hair- they just aren't as large. (for convenient 1-item meals).