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I tried to feed my baby blood on Saturday and she wasn't interested. I handled her every day since then except for yesterday. Today I got home and went to fish her out of the substrate and couldn't find her. I lifted up her huge, heavy water dish and she was coiled up, upside down. Completely, even her head. I thought she was dead except I could see her breathing. I picked her up, and she was white, almost no pigment. Once I got her up, her color came back within seconds, and I could see her eyes were blue. So she's in a shed but I'm worried. She acted like a snake in a shed, a little defensive, and not wanting to be handled. Have you guys ever seen this before. I don't want to rush off to the vet if it isn't a big deal, but I've never seen a snake completely on it's back that wasn't dead or playing dead. Thanks in advance, Eric-

Im no expert, but if your snake isnt eating it seems like over- handling it would be a no no. I guess you could just replicate their marshy environment and try to cajole the snake into eating. On the other hand, I have never once seen my bloods upside down, losing pigment, so yes I would have that thing to the vet by now. Only advice I can give is isolate the snake, dont bother it (even look at it) and wait until it sheds. sorry to hear...

Hey Eric

I wouldnt worry about her being upside down under the water dish, that was probably the easiest way for her to cram herself underneath it. I have had borneos do that before with no apparent consequences. She should have a good tight hide spot in her cage so she can feel secure, that way she wont try to get under the water dish which she will probably continue to do until she can hide somwhere else. I am totally lost about the color issue but she probably didnt eat because she was starting a shed cycle. Has she ate for you before? If the water dish was as big and heavy as it sounds a weak dying snake wouldnt be able to get under it. I would just leave her alone until she sheds
Hope this helps
Chris

Sounds like she's in shed.Yes !!!Bloods like to ROLL over and go into weird positions while sleeping.Totally normal.It's strange my boa's NEVER do anything like that.Just KEEP A CLOSE EYE on her just to make sure everything is kool. Good Luck. Ash Lopez
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Thanks for all your responses. She normally eats very well, she actually takes the mouse right out of my hand, not the feeding response I was expecting. I kind of figured everything was okay but really was just worried about the rolling so now I feel better. As far as the pigment things is concerned, it was like all the blood had gone elsewhere, and when I picked her up, it came back. It really came back within about two or three seconds. I will watch her. She has almost doubled in size since I got her, and this is her first shed. I have other snakes so this one is like your fifth child, you worry less after you've seen it all, it was just that rolling thing. Thanks again, Eric-

Now that my bloods are larger, I've noticed them sleeping funny more often. It really scared the **** out of me the first time, seeing my male laying on his side (head included). I just sat there looking at him for a while thinking, 'what did I do wrong? He was okay this morning," thinking he was dead. I got a nice big hiss when I went to get him out though. I still have to double check sometimes because it still looks strange to me....

did yours look something like this?

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0.0.1 Colombian Redtail Boa
1.1.1 Sumatran Blood Pythons
1.0 Black Blood Python
1.0 Dumeril's Boa
0.1 Coastal Carpet Python

They have their heads on their sides too and are sleeping.
Here's a picture of my boy with me for size reference (he looks a bit bigger in the pic because he was closer to the camera). Sorry about the bad pic. It's hard to try to get a photo by yourself with one of these guys - he was REALLY wiggly and I was having issues.

Yes like all the previous posts said Keep an eye on her, but Leave her alone as much as possible. That means no handling! How long have you had the snake? How is your cage set up/cage size ect. Bloods will not eat when they are in shed so that would be the reason she wasn't eating. As far as the pigment I'm at a loss too. All I can figure is that shes opaque because shes in shed and the extra humidity from the water bowl was kind of fogging her? Dont know if thats possible but the only thing I can come up with at the moment. Post a pic of her set up if at all possible. Also adding a damp towel close to when shes going to shed seems to help alot. Raises humidity and gives them something moist to rub on. Hope that helps.

J
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"It's my snake, I trained it, so I'm going to eat it!" - Mad Max, The Road Warrior

All my snakes require a lot of humidity so that is something I'm used to. She has hides, one cool, one warm but usually prefers just burying herself in the substrate. I keep her humidity between 60-70% all the time, and everything else seems to be fine. I know that she refused food because she was going into a shed, she hadn't gone into the blue yet but she was due so I figured this much. Really I was concerned about the rolling, which I have no experience with. I have larger pythons and a rear fanged that are arboreal and this is my first terrestrial snake in a long time so just wanted to make sure that this was normal. The pigment thing I honestly think was blood, like standing on your head. Especially the way it just came back. I've never had a snake that has had a bad shed, knock on wood, so I'm fairly confident she'll be okay. Thanks to those who responded letting me know about the rolling. I was half way out the door to the vet but didn't want to cause any undue stress given her shed cycle. I normally handle her every day as she was very aggressive as a hatchling. This was the first time she refused food but I often will handle my snakes until they go into the blue, then I don't handle them for two days after they've shed. Anyway, thanks again, Eric-

the previous post was correct, bloods will go into some weird positions for no apparent reason. i had one of mine on my lap and he just rolled over onto his side. i have no clue why.

as far as the color, it being in shed could be the reason. but am i the only one that thought of maybe poor circulation? like putting a bandaid on your finger too tight and the circulation gets cutoff, your finger will start to turn a pale to ghostly white. maybe because of the small size of the snake and the weight of the water dish caused his circulation to decrease....you did say that as soon as you lifted the dish off of him, his color returned automatically. just like what happens when you remove whatever is cutting off the circulation to a body part (band-aid or string on finger).

Bloods wont eat during shed???? Hmmm...im gonna have to go tell mine. They have some explaining to do.
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0.0.1 Colombian Redtail Boa
1.1.1 Sumatran Blood Pythons
1.0 Black Blood Python
1.0 Dumeril's Boa
0.1 Coastal Carpet Python

this is interesting. all of my snakes will voluntarily eat when in shed...'specially the bloods!

Simple answer.... some snakes will, some snakes won't. I normally don't bother feeding while they're in shed, it's not going to hurt to wait a few days till they're done, but I have a Ball that will eat ANYTIME, deep in shed or not. -chris-

I was kind of surpsrised she wouldn't eat too. I have a JCP that will eat before, during, and after a shed. Oh well, maybe when she's older. And to reply to the earlier post, yes it was like the circulation was cut off. Thats what I meant in one of my earlier posts but I don't think I portrayed that very well. I flipped her over, and it was like the blood rushed back into her body. One thing I was thinking though, it seems that her old skin has really seperated from her body, even though she hasn't started to shed yet. With my other snakes, they get pasty looking, then right before they shed, they look almost as vibrant as they do after they shed. It was like being under the dish, filled the space between the old skin and the new with water, or the old skin was pruned like your fingers get, then when I turned her over the skin layed back down. I don't know, you would have to have been her to see it. She looks completely normal now, so I'm really not worried anymore but it was strange. I've had herps for 25 years and never seen anything like it.