I've had my bull snake, Ferdinand for about 5 years now, and as far as I am aware, he is not much older than that. He has been the easiest snake to care for. I have never had any problems with shedding or anything. Though, he does have a tendency to go a month or so in the winter without eating. Otherwise, he seems to be perfectly happy and healthy.

About a month or so ago, i noticed that he had been trying to get out of his tank. this was more than just the curious look-about. It got to the point that he was wedging himself in the lip at the top of the terrarium. And within the last few weeks, I have changed his bedding everyday because when he falls from the top of the tank, he usually lands in the water dish and splashes water all over the place, altering the humidity levels. He has not eaten since this began and he has pooped once. I was chalking this behaviour up to spring fever, so I had been handling him a lot and letting him get around a bit more. i even had him out earlier today and he was just fine.

Then a few minutes ago I looked into his tank and noticed that his mouth was open for no reason, then his tongue came jutting out violently. His jaw was unhinged and it looked as if he could not control the movement of his tongue. He kept trying to close his mouth while his tongue was sticking all the way out. It looked extremely painful and he seemed to be struggling and tightening the muscles in his neck. There didn't seem to be anything caught in his mouth or throat, and like i said, he recently pooped and hasn't eaten in about a month, so it can't be regurgitation. When I opened his tank, he closed his mouth and slid back into his hide-y. He seems to have stopped, but is rather skiddish now (which he never was before). Even just walking by the tank makes him slink away. This is very odd behavior for him.

I just do not know what to do. I am really scared that something has happened to him...

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Show Entire Thread ]