Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a female 1.5 year old eastern indigo. She's always been a very healthy animal.

Today she cruised her cage, very active and alert. She pooped (in epic indigo quantities) and was still behaving normaly, in the evening. But soon after, she started gaping her mouth and moving a little funny. It wasn't a normal yawn. I thought she migh be regurgitating (though she's never done that before...and by the amount of indigo waste she had just produced, I was at a loss to say what she'd have left to throw up).

After a few minutes of this, she worked up a large bubble of clear, sticky fluid. And then she went back to normal.

Is this definitely a resperatory infection? Do snakes ever just get some irritant down the throat and have to work it up? Should I take her straight to the vet or carefully observe her a little more?

I took her out of the cage to clean it and handled her a bit. She was just as strong and alert as ever. She didn't behave any differently. She seemed to still have her appetite as she got excited when I opened the cage and I had to be careful. She didn't make any funny breathing noises (other than the usual Indigo "Thsssp" sound they make when they get excited). She didn't open her mouth and her nostrils looked clear).

As I said, she's always been a very healthy animal and still lives under the conditions she's thrived under since I got her as a hatchling.

Are there any precatautions I should take? Keep her warmer/cooler? Keep her with more/less humidity?

thanks

From your description, it sounds as though your girl ingested some air and was expelling it. The bubble was probably some saliva and mucus that surrounded the air pocket when she “burped”. Also, the funny movement you indicated was most likely caused by the muscular contractions to move the pocket of air to be expelled, much like regurgitation.
So long as no discolored fluid or food was expelled, I wouldn’t worry too much, as what you have described appears to be a normal Drymarchon “burp”..

Best regards,

Jeff
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Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

I agree with Jeff...doesn't sound like anything to worry about and just another knotch to add to your "dry" knowledge base. I have seen this expelling of air on occasion and it can be a bit worry some but, like people, they just work these things out. Indigos usually don't succomb to R.I. problems due to their temperate habits (unless kept very cold or too warm). I'd love to see an updated pics of one of my animals.

>>From your description, it sounds as though your girl ingested some air and was expelling it. The bubble was probably some saliva and mucus that surrounded the air pocket when she “burped”. Also, the funny movement you indicated was most likely caused by the muscular contractions to move the pocket of air to be expelled, much like regurgitation.
>>So long as no discolored fluid or food was expelled, I wouldn’t worry too much, as what you have described appears to be a normal Drymarchon “burp”..
>>
>>Best regards,
>>
>>Jeff
>>-----
>>Jeff Snodgres
>>University of Arkansas
>>snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
>>501.603.1947
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

Thanks guys. That is a big relief. Yeah, the fluid was completely clear and it came out in a giant air buble.

And I'll get you a picture of her, Rob. I'm having some technical difficulties with my digital camera, but if I can fix that, I'll take some pics tonight.