Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys, my Thayeri has a strange recurring lump in his throat (see pic). It's underneath his neck just behind the jawline and it comes and goes. I first noticed it about a year ago and thought he may have ingested a piece of cypress bark substrate, as he had just eaten. He wasn't keen on opening his mouth for me to check, but showed no signs of pain or distress. I kept a close eye on him and within a few days it went away. Every so often, maybe once every couple of moonths or so, the soft lump returns and then vanishes. He has shown no signs of any illness, change in activity, appetite, visible signs, etc. After the first time, I switched him to newspaper as a substrate. The lump has already gone away again.
He's about 32 inches long and is housed in a 41 qt. Sterilite tub. I replace the newspaper weekly and feed him a small adult mouse once or twice per week. The humidity is low to moderate, but I increase it when he's due to shed because he's had problems with partial sheds in the past. I haven't determined if the lump occurs around shedding time.
Anyone ever see this before?

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Looks identical to the sagging chin I see on some mature, overfed, underworked adult syspila I have. I notice it when they hold their head in a certain position otherwise, it's not obvious and the thinner/younger animals don't seem to have it.
Jeff

Hmmm,.....It doesn't look(or sound) like it's a weight issue though to me, it looks fairly slim to me, unlike some of those cute little "chubsters" you have Jeff!..LOL!.....joking of course!

I don't know quite what to make of the swelled throat????

Funny how it comes and goes too.

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

I have seen it before and it does come before a shed. This is the weakest part of a snakes body, and water wieght may be due to slight respiratory problems. I would increase the hi end temp and watch water only 2 days a week and see if it dissipates. It is not a part of the body that accumulates fat, it is definately water wieght..Jeff

I have seen a few of my thayeri do this also. I never had any problems with them just a chin like rosie odonnel but unlike rosie my females were bred my a male. Oh yeah I forgot to say I only noticed it with a few gravid females.
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i'm not over weight i'm under tall

>> "I never had any problems with them just a chin like rosie odonnel but unlike rosie, my females were bred by a male."

Man!!!, now THAT was too funny!...hhahahahaha!!!

Thanks for the good laugh!

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

i once saw a picture and description like that...can't remember where. The snake had a sporadic swelling just like that and it turned out that something (most likely a rats teeth) had punctures its trachea and it was leaking air into the skin.

Not saying thats what it is, you should go to a vet.