Well, I'm beginning to think that this is one of the most interesting species I have ever dealt with. I received an e-mail from another individual who has kept O.r. and he wrote "I believe I noticed this swelling also in my snake but could not figure it out either and it was not a respiratory infection."

And then there's this evening... I looked at the snake to check on the neck and found that the swelling had largely migrated posteriorly. There is still some immediately behind the jaw (not under it as it was a few days ago) but the most interesting feature is that the swelling is now prominent behind the neck. I palpated the swelling and did not feel anything out of the ordinary. One thing I did see was that the snake was somewhat agitated - it didn't try to bite, but it did defecate.

As far as a vet goes - it is, in theory, a good idea... I just wish I could find a local vt who knows more than I do - and believe me, I'm in no way boasting. The last vet I went to did an X-Ray of my egg-bound Mexican Milk, "Well, I can see fecal masses" he said. "No, I think those are eggs" I said. "No, those are fecal masses". "No" I said... He eventually removed several eggs (succesfully).

Here's a pic I took this evening:

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