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what are some basic reasons for regurging food? NP
kristin
Aug 12, 2003 08:22 AM
Replies (3)
michaelb
Aug 12, 2003 11:13 AM
Stress and improper temperature are two basic causes. Once a snake feeds, it's best to leave him/her alone and eliminate as many external stimuli (noise, commotion, etc.) as possible for at least a day or two. Sometimes, placing a towel or other temporary cover over the enclosure will help in this regard. As for temperature, they need to maintain a specific body temperature in order to properly digest what they've eaten. Since they rely on their environment (and you) for that, it's best to keep the temperature inside the enclosure as stable as possible, and offer a temperature gradient (e.g. by using a heating pad on one side) so (s)he can find their optimum temperature. That temperature may vary depending on the species, but 80-85F usually is a good target.
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MichaelB
Hotshot
Aug 12, 2003 11:14 AM
Some basic reasons could be:
1. Incorrect temps.
2. stress.
3. Handling too soon after feeding.
4. Too large of a meal.
5. Virus infection.
6. Impaction.
Those are the ones that come to mind.
Happy herping
Brian
Dwight Good
Aug 12, 2003 11:35 AM
Basically snakes regurgitate because the rate of decay exceeds the rate of digestion of their food. This may be caused by a number of factors, Hotshot and MichealB listed a few common ones.
In the wild snakes will often regurgitate when threatened or captured, so this could also happen with captives.
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Dwight Good
http://www.kingsnake.com/obsoleta
