"Star-gazing" is a symptom of IBD. However, IBD is not the only thing that can cause neurological symptoms, such as you describe. Star gazing is when the snake holds it's head up in the air and appears to be looking skyward all or most of the time. Snakes with IBD will also often "stretch out" with their head up.
A short run-down on IBD. IBD is Inclusion Body Disease. It is caused by a retrovirus and is contagious. It is named Inclusion Body Disease because of cytoplasmic inclusion bodies found in various tissue cells of infected animals. In boas, the bodies can be found in the liver, kidneys, central nervous system, respiratory systems and digestive tract. Boas tend to exhibit a range of symptoms from CNS disorder to regurgitation and respiratory illness. Some infected boas may be asymptomatic carriers. The disease tends to take longer to kill symptomatic boas that it does pythons. Pythons tend to exhibit CNS disorder, but not the other symptoms seen in boas. However, secondary bacterial infection is usually seen in pythons, in the form of stomatitis and esophogeal and tracheal lesions. As stated above, it is invariably fatal and there is no treatment at this time. In cases identified as IBD, euthanasia is indicated.
Some other things that can cause the symptoms you describe are:
1. Head trauma
2.temperature extremes
3. exposure to certain toxins
4. herpesvirus
5. meningitis
6. Ophidian Paramyxovirus (also contagious, invariably fatal and incurable.
