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I was wondering if anyone has issues where hatchlings that are being assist fed or are only eating sporadically get badly constipated? What do you do to prevent it and what do you do once it happens?

I have some hatchling anthill pythons that have all just stated feeding on their own after a few weeks of assist feeding. Now several are very constipated. I have been soaking them twice a week, even the ones that don't look constipated since I saw the first signs of trouble in one of them. I have also been spraying down their tubs every few days, although I am nervous I will run into respiratory problems if I keep doing this. They dont use a humid hide if given one. None of this seems to be making much of a difference.

Right at the vent feels hardened and looks white through the skin. I am assuming that this is dried urates. farther up feels softer, but looks dark and bloated. Should I try to gently palpate them or do I risk hurting them worse?

I only have this trouble with the ones that don't start feeding right away. The ones that eat are kept exactly the same way and they are growing like weeds and perfectly healthy.

I lost one of these last year to fatal constipation and I really don't want to loose any of these, so any advice is appreciated.

Well, constipation is most often IMO caused by hypohydration or dehyration. Whether or not that was the initial cause or not, it doesn't seem like that's the problem now. Gentle palpation should be safe, with gentle being the key. There is always a risk of trauma if you are too rough, but I havn't seen this line crossed to many times. If this doesn't subside, I would see a vet for perhaps some more invasive remedies. Also be on the lookout to see if other anthill keepers are running into this problem. It may be that this species is prone to such a thing and that some areas of husbandry might need additional attention because of it.

Ian

Thanks for the advice. I ended up soaking them for a few hours and then palpating them gently. All of them went fairly easily after a very hard chunk of urates was dislodged. They all seem to be doing better now and I am going to continue a regular soaking regimen.

Apparently this is an issue with this species. I think it has to do with an isolated incidence of dehydration. Because they are so small (only 3 grams) and they like it really hot and dry, it only takes a short time for them to get severely dehydrated. They don't urinate to conserve water and the urates just harden in the cloaca and block everything up even if the hydration status is better.

I'm not very familiar with this species, but I know that most hot and arid species still retreat to humid microhabitats when they "feel the need" for more hydration.

Is it typical to provide a humid hide for this species? It does not necessarily have to have 90% humidity, but something like a plastic container with damp packed dirt might do wonders. Definitely provide a dry hide, as well, so that the snake does not have to sit in moisture to feel secure.

I strongly encourage the use of microhabitats to allow hydroregulation as well as thermoregulation. Allow the animal to more easily regulate its own water balance instead of forcing it to sit in a microhabitat with 100% humidity when it needs hydration (i.e.: the water bowl!).

Christina
www.herptiles.net

I am aware of this phenomena from years of working with leopard geckos, another dry desert species that spends its days in relatively humid burrows. I thought that it might be the same with these guys since they are reported to live inside termite mounds where I imagined there would be relatively high humidity. Anyway, I have tried using humid hides of all sizes shapes colors and substrates and without fail they have all been ignored by anthills of all ages. (with the exception of nesting females who stay in the dry hide until the day before they lay then go to the humid one to incubate)

Hmm, picky little snakes, then. There may be some kind of cue from the termite mounds that stimulates them to rest inside?

That would be a neat project to undertake.

Best of luck with hydration issues!

Christina
www.herptiles.net