I wouldn't worry about the soft tail thing if the snake is about to shed. My ball always gets that when he is shedding. It is because they cannot defecate or urinate during their shed, so it all accumulates. I'm sure he will have a big surprise for you once he has shed!! And about the open mouth thing (called stargazing) this could be a sign of an Upper Respiratory Infection. Those temps are a little cold.. I have a basking lamp on all day which makes the overall tank temp 85 and the "hot spot" about 92. At night the temp drops to about 76-78 with the under tank heater keeping the "hot spot" at about 85-90. If he has excess saliva in his mouth and you hear wheezing or clicking when he breathes, could be a Respiratory Infection. And do you have hide boxes on the hot and cold sides? Hope this helps!

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• Sick Ball/Constipation? Soft Tail - paekenator, Fri Oct 10 13:21:17 2008
• RE: Sick Ball/Constipation? Soft Tail - jyohe, Fri Oct 10 17:22:29 2008
• RE: Sick Ball/Constipation? Soft Tail - cardiacsmd, Mon Oct 13 23:07:35 2008