Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,

I just got a new ball python about 3 weeks ago and it is currently about 200g and feeding on frozen and thawed rat pups. He often bobs his head up and down like it is unsteady. He does this when he is in his cage sometimes and while I am holding him. It has progressively gotten better with age and I was just wondering if this is normal behavior or should I be concerned? He has shed once and crapped twice. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Jim

I seem to recall in all my glorious newbiness an article i ran across regarding Ball Pyhton diseases. BDI, BID, something like that. I also seem to recall head-bobbing to be a symptom along with difficulty righting itself when placed upside-down, etc. Look into it. I really hope I'm way off track here. I really do.

Good Luck,
Chris
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0.1 Normal
0.2 Het Piebald
1.0 Reduced Pattern
0.1 Banded
0.1 Screaming Child

Hi,

Thanks for the info. Other than the head bobbing once in a while, the python seems to be moving about normally and feeding aggressively. Should I look into IBD further?

thanks,

Jim

I’ve been through this. I received a baby ball with this condition which was exaggerated because the animal was near starvation. It is not normal. As humans, we are accustomed to seeing baby animals being unsteady in their movements so it can go unnoticed in a baby snake, but it is not normal. It is most likely some type of neurological disorder. IBD is a major concern if you have or are exposed to other boids. If your snake has IBD, it will die. Your mission would be to protect any other boids that may be exposed to this virus through direct or indirect contact, proximity, or mites. IBD can only be diagnosed post-mortem (maybe a liver biopsy in a living snake, but still risk of false negative) and there is no treatment. Other possibilities include bacterial encephalitis, meningitis, some types of protozoans, previous chemical exposure, sudden and extreme temperature changes, or the animal was simply born with it. If it’s getting better, you might just wait and see. Otherwise, a trip to the vet could result in daily injections of antibiotics and oral medications to rule out the bacterial and protozoal agents. After a few assist-feeds, mine is doing quite well and readily feeds on his own. There was no response to the medications but the unsteadiness has gradually decreased to the point where it might not be noticed if I wasn’t watching for it. After 11 weeks in my care, it has almost doubled in weight and I am gaining hope that IBD is not the cause. Good luck and keep it away from any other snakes!
Paul