Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am new to Greyabands, so I need some help. I was holding my snake one day, and it swelled it's throat a little and let the air rush out. This happened only twice, once after the other, and I've never seen it do it again, neither while handling nor in it's tank. Am I worrying over nothing, or is this a real problem? Also, are you suppose to faintly hear a healthy snake breath? Thanks so much for any responses.

It seems that when the cold weather starts to come around, so do the respiratory infections.

This sounds like a classic case of a respiratory infection in the early stages. From my experiences, you can almost never hear a snake breathing so I would be slightly worried. Firts off all, explain your cage setup. (i.e: heating, location in the house, and eating habbits) Is the snake regularly exposed to any kind of draft or cold air? Does it refuse food?
It sounds like you've caught it early so you should be ok but please explain a little more about it' shabitat.
-Ryan

Thank you for the replies. Well, I have the snake (adult) in my room, constantly at room temperature. I have a hot rock to use when it's cold. I have a kide box for the snake, as well as rocks, twigs, water, and I use aspen for bedding. I clean the cage every other week, while spot checking the cage thourough the week. As for drafts, I always place a towel over the cage when the fan in my room is on. Has not refused a meal as long as I've had him, which is nearly a month. Any other information you can tell my would be great. Thanks so much.

Sounds like you have the right environment for him. This could have started before you had him and the sure signs are just now coming about. The only thing I would change is the heat rock. They are infamous for their inconsistant temps. An under the tank heater can make all the difference in the world.
If you can, take him to a local Vet, who has experience with reptiles, and get him some medicine. I had to do this with my GBK about a month ago and it only cost me $25 for the visit and the medicine. 4 days later he was fine.
Also, where do you live, and where did you get the snake?
-Ryan

First of all I want to thank you for sticking with me in this hunt for answers. You've been a huge help. I do plan on getting a heating pad to replace the hot rock (which I have put inside a sock to prevent burns). It is just now getting cold, so this has been the first week I've had to worry about it. I got this adult snake from a reptile rescue here in Houston. Any other suggestions are welcome and will be greatly appreciated. Thanks again.

For the future, to prevent any respiratory diseases, you need to maintain a clean cage, have no drafts, and a difference in heat in the tank. Am I missing anything?

Hi there,

Scroll down through the threads on this forum and you will find a lot of reliable good info on housing and care. Look for the ones that Ryan was referring to about his sick snake from about a month ago. Read up and if you still have questions let us know. Good luck.