Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a 2 year old Thayeri female that has been in the same rack for the last year. I usually only clean the tubs, hides and water bowls with nothing more then dish detergent and water, but haven’t cleaned anything in about a month. Just spot cleaning the bedding.

This snake has begun shaking and twitching, kind of like tremors. I can’t tell if it is a nerve issue or muscular. I pretty much have ruled out anything environmental like fumes or chemicals, as there are no chemicals in the snake room and as I mentioned I have not cleaned out the enclosure in a month. Also I have not introduced any new animals into the room.

I am not aware of any diseases that would affect the motor skills of a kingsnake like that.

Anyone have any ideas or suggestion?

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"The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think. Oh by the way, which ones pink?"

I would seperate that animal from the rest until you can figure out what it is.

Good Luck
Karl
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Boneyardreptiles.com

Karl-

they are not kept together, but I did pull her out of the rack already and kept put her in a seperate enclosure with extra air holes to provide greater ventilation.
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"The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think. Oh by the way, which ones pink?"

I did not think you were keeping them in the same cage.
You should move that animal to a different room.
If the problem is something that is transferable you don't want that snake anywhere near the others.
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Boneyardreptiles.com

Although I don't know what the cause is, you can try this in addition to seeking medical help if need be:

Get a glass tank with screen top, use newspaper substrate, and have a heat pad on the far end of the tank. Keep the basking spot kind of small in relation to the cage area.

Keep the heater in the 90-100deg range, and keep the ambient temp as much as you can in the 60s or 70s. Place a ceramic tile or two on the edge of the heated area. Allow the snake to hide in/under the newspaper anywhere in the cage.

You can cover much of the screen top with a towel or whatever if needed to maintain some humidity if needed. A humid hide may be in order too. Too little humidity for too long and some montane-ish snakes do not do well.

The glass and newspaper are very inert; if the snake is having a reaction to a chemical in the rack, it will likely be absent in this new setup and the snake may get better.

The wide temp range is advantageous to a kingsnake dealing with a bacteria or virus.

Worth a shot. Many rack materials and some plastic boxes give off chemicals when heated. Add to that an enclosed area, and some animals may be sensitive, even if others are not. Average rack temperature range may not allow the snake to deal well with illness, even if other snakes can.
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Mark

When you say trembling, what exactly do you mean? Is she vibrating, spastically throwing herself upside down...??

Is the trembling all the time or only sporadically?

Have you been to a reptile show or handled anyone elses herps recently? Do you feed live or frozen? Along the same lines, have you checked her for mites?

When was the last time she shed?

What kind of bedding do you use?

This could be a lot of different things from itchy skin to toxicity to epilepsy. If she does not improve quickly I would get her to a vet ASAP.

Zach-

Her movements are very jerky. When sitting (at rest) in her enclosure occasionally I can see her body twitch/jerk out of no where. When she is moving either in her enclosure or handled her movement is not fluid, it is jerky and spastic. Her head at times seems unstable as if she is off balance. Similar to the way an snakes get that jerky twitchy movement when mating, only more exaggerated.

She just shed on Friday and ate on Sunday. I haven't tried to feed her again yet but will tonight. She looks very healthy, has been eating twice a week and at a year and a half old is about 2 feet long and I was looking forward to breeding her next year.

No mites. No flies in my room. Aspen bedding.
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"The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think. Oh by the way, which ones pink?"