Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Please don't respond to this post unless you have genuine experience with the subject....

My male gopher has regurgitated his last couple meals. I have been moving him around quite a bit do to a new overall cage build for my collection. So far I have attributed the actions to poor husbandry on my part and stress. I have had to piece these racks together. I was trying to get him to move just now while I was installing a hot spot for him. He began hissing quite a bit. As I reached in with my tongs to move him and he let out one big hiss. With that his came a big gulp of fluid that he seemed to choke on as he swallowed it back down. So I peeled his mouth open a bit and everything appears clean. As he hissed a few times there did not appear to be any discoloration.

I was not overly concerned with the regurgitation he is fire cracker after all. I have never seen a snake spit up fluid however. Combine the two and it could spell disaster.

Handling a pituophis with tongs??? If the animal recently swallowed water in your absense expelling same would not be unprecedented, particularly if the front end of the animal chanced to suddenly be made lower than the rear. High heat may be more of a problem than low heat so far as regurgitation goes. Beyond that protozoans in the gut are a common source of the malady. You can find discussions on treatment for that made at length several months ago on the ratsnake forum, or simply google "Flagyl treatment for reptiles". Try feeding a nearly hairless rat rather than a fully furred mouse, and don't feed again until the meal has been digested and evacuated from the bowel.

That would be feeding tongs that were coincidently in my hands. I used them to move him from strike position. Thank you for your response.

Good post!
I would like to add: wait about ten days since last regurge to feed, as regurge strips the gut fauna and time is needed for that to rebalance. Then feed him a smaller than usual food item and gradually bring the food size back up as he successfully manages to process his meals.

Also if he is a nervous or shy sort give him a box to hide under when you do cage chores with him in the cage. They like to be able to hide if they feel threatened.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

Good points... he is the shy defensive type. Hoopfully he will calm down and settle in. The breeder has offered to trade him out if he does not.