Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a recently acquired adult female Naja atra that is rubbing her nose and seems to be very nervous in her 36” Neodesha cage. I use aspen bedding and an np hidebox where she spends the majority of her time…except for durations where she is exceedingly restless. I feed her 1 f/t med rat about every 4 to 5 days which settles her down for a while.

However, she refused the last meal I offered her and continues to be very restless in her cage. Im keeping the snake room at around 75 F and have removed the heat tape from under her cage in fear that she is too warm, but still, she is restless and rubbing her nose.

Any suggestions on what it will take to calm her down and keep her from rubbing her nose would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Adam Stockton

I'd do a fecal check first, then maybe bloodwork if the fecal didn't show much. If it was a WC or import animal, or if you have any recent import animals in your collection, you might consider a tracheal wash. You definitely want to consider both behavioral and physiological causes.

Bring the critter here if you think it's warranted, and I'll apply the microscope to both ends. If results warrant or if you want C&S or bloodwork, the clinic down the road from me just loves to see cobras. Since I do the blood draws and all the handling work they generally only charge lab fees in situations like that.

Transport and physical exam is stressful to the animal so it would be smart to fiddle some with the behavioral issues before resulting to vet care. I assume you've already tried a small, dark hide box (barely enough room for the snake to fit with its body touching on all sides) and a temperature gradient in the cage? 75 sounds a little low.

Have you given any consideration to the possibility that the snake may be gravid? She could be looking for a ovaposition site. I'd try a plastic sweater box with dampened sphagnum or peat moss inside with a hole cut in the top to see if that is appealing to her.

I kept all my cobras as if they were burmese pythons as far as temperature and humidity. Having never kept Chinese cobras, I had to do a geographic search in order to extrapolate what kids of temperatures and such that would be optimum, and I have to say that I am doubtful that she's too warm at the temperatures you describe. Cobras tend to like to roam a bit more than your run of the mill viper, so she just may have the urge to move more than you're used to... an adult cobra in a 3' cage will not have a lot of space to roam, and she might be feeling a little claustrophobia, particularly if she is a recent import. I don't know that to be the case....

One last thing before I sum up my thoughts... what has been housed in the enclosure previous to this snake? I made the mistake of putting a rattlesnake in a cage that had previously housed an Eastern Kingsnake, and the reaction to the residual scent was something to behold.... Something to think about....

So, my gut tells me to recommend the following:
1) Have a good look at her and assess the possibility that she's gravid and make adjustments to the cage furnishings as appropriate.
2) Put the heat tape back under at least one end of the cage... snakes need belly heat (most of them) and that could be one reason she isn't eating... not enough heat to digest her food.
3) Add some "stuff" to the enclosure (I'm not sure what substrate you're using) and think about aspen about 3" deep for her to bury herself if she isn't comfortable with the existing hide box. I like to give cobras a lot of places to "hunt" and hide... also consider some elevated spaces.. she might be a climber.
4) Consider a larger space for her... like an enclosure 1 1/2 times her body length and at least 3/4 her body length in width. More room may allow her to get comfortable enough to stop trying to get out.

There is nothing wrong with experimenting with the set up, as no two snakes of a given species will react to the same set of circumstances in the same way (exactly), or at least that is the sum of my keeping experience... Keeping snakes is sort of like raising children... some are kind of like painting by the numbers and some are much more challenging that their conspecifics. I'd change one thing at a time, so when you do find the right combination for that particular animal, you'll know what the right combination of size, temperature, furnishings and feeding schedule are for her...

Best of luck with her. They're incredible looking snakes. It would be nice if you are able to breed them, if that's your goal.

Tom Townsend
-----
"Seek first to understand, then to be understood"

Thanks a lot for the advice. I don't think she's gravid and was told that she was captive born...but I will start experimenting.

Adam Stockton

Like I said earlier, I don't have any experience with that particular species, but I have kept a few snakes over the years and when they act like their cage is on fire and they're trying to get out it's time to put the thinking cap on to see what's missing. It may be something as simple as tossing in a section of newspaper that affords her a flat hide, close to the substrate... lots of snakes like that...

I recall a debate on the python forum once about "naturalistic" cages (Vivariums to the snobs in the debate LOL). They proported that their snakes "felt" better about their surroundings because they weren't kept in sterile cages with newspaper on the deck.... a well traveled contributor spoke up and said that if they REALLY wanted to give the snakes what they prefer in the wild, they'd toss in a sheet of roofing tin because that was the only place this fellow had ever caught the snakes when he visited their native land.... the discussion had centered on "Jungle" carpet pythons, and the well-traveled contributor had been to Australia and had actually caught some while visiting there... they were released of course...

Best regards,

Tom Townsend

>>Thanks a lot for the advice. I don't think she's gravid and was told that she was captive born...but I will start experimenting.
>>
>>Adam Stockton
-----
"Seek first to understand, then to be understood"