Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Last week I posted a message stating that a new arrival (50% Het Piebald) was acting very strange. It seemed to have some major muscular control problems. His "squirming" just seemed...odd.

Thoughts of a potential IBD outbreak flooded my every thought. Now I understand...I think.

I checked on him (solitary confinement) today and he was roaming about his enclosure. As I got closer and leaned over for a better look, he noticed me and got spooked. He started getting very spastic and almost epileptic-looking. (The same strange behavior I had noticed upon his arrival.) Then...he backed his way into his hide.

I think that was the problem all along. He moves backwards. I mean...all my other snakes will either move forward or coil into a ball when spooked. This guy backs up. And since I'm sure it's a bit harder to back up (especially since he can't really see where he's going), that's why it looks like this guy is all out of control.

Anyone here ever experience this backwards movement? Does it always look as odd to you guys, or should I still be concerned?

Thanks,
Chris
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0.1 Normal
0.1 Banded
1.0 Woma Tiger
0.2 Jungle (Het Piebald)
0.1 Screaming Child
1.0 Migraine

Snakes CAN'T move backwards! it is physically impossible.... see link...

... So yeah, your snake is weird!... REALLY weird!
Snakes can't go in reverse

Hmm...that IS wierd! Maybe I'll take another look at him.

Chris
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0.1 Normal
0.1 Banded
1.0 Woma Tiger
0.2 Jungle (Het Piebald)
0.1 Screaming Child
1.0 Migraine

that doesn't sound right to me. Sometimes when my snakes are a good deal out of there hide and they see me coming the back up into the hide, and they aren't going head first.

My albino use to more or less shake/spasam when you would hold him, I gave up on him I barely pick him up now. He wasn't handled at the breeder and I guess he isn't one of those snakes that likes to be messed with, he bites from time to time too.
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Misty Sprouse Ball Pythons

Yeah. I think I should clarify...he's not actually moving backward in the sense that you may be thinking...he's recoiling, pushing his tail backward, and recoiling again. Over and over. So it looks like he's moving backward. Even so...he still retreats backward and not forward, and his squirming is almost contortionist-style. He seems VERY limber...(frighteningly so)...but I'm sure that's mostly due to his being sickeningly thin. I'll put some meat on him, and we'll see how he acts. Starving animals aren't known for acting "normal".

Chris
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0.1 Normal
0.1 Banded
1.0 Woma Tiger
0.2 Jungle (Het Piebald)
0.1 Screaming Child
1.0 Migraine

Here he is -- Fish Hook. He's a mean little cuss, but I'll chalk that up to being PH Piebald. LOL

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0.1 Normal
0.1 Banded
1.0 Woma Tiger
0.2 Jungle (Het Piebald)
0.1 Screaming Child
1.0 Migraine

This is normal behavior. My BP does this too. He'll be halfway out of his hide and get spooked and pull himself back in his hide. They get very tense when spooked. They can jerk around very quickly. This is self preservation. He doesn't want to be eaten by the monster. So don't worry, quite normal behavior for a snake.