Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have kept various milks for years,incl. coastals....don't usually have a problem regarding their health,most of my specimens thrive and seem hardy....but i have one that is exp. early signs of resp. aggravation,and thought i'd seek outside opinion on ideal temp(i always hear these guys like it slightly cooler than avg.-say 75 to 77 ambient air temp,but most of mine seem very healthy at slightly higher peak daytime temps,like 78-80) and relative humidity(i feel the latter is the likely culprit-my snake room is pretty dry,around -probably more ideal for my pituophis then my kings/milks).....i have ovecome early stage resp. issues in the pst by increasing temps,but have never had to with coastals,which i feel are pretty fragile compared to say,a common king....also have heard of increased etmps for too long can cause sterility/infertility....i also offer this guy a humidity box of moist sphagnum,but he usually opts to nestle between the newspaper floor covering instead.i continue to help the r.h. by misting the cage every 3 days or so.

You are right that coastals can be more sensitive to problems but I suggest that you are not helping but hurting recovery time. Humidity issues are only a problem when its too high,not too low. Continually misting them is a problem.Respiratory infection in amplified with increasing humidity. I suggest increasing the overall and hi point temps to battle the infection. Make sure there is not a problem of a blockage in the mouth and try to leave them alone. They stress easily and this just adds to recovery time.Think of them like they are their immune system. If the temps are high the metabolism increases and produces the necessary antibodies to fight infection.Moreover, newspaper is not a proper substrate for this species. They like to burrow and hide and not being able to do this will also increase stress levels.I would suggest peat moss or aspen bedding or my favorite....crumpled up paper towels. They will burrow way down in there and just stay put,especially if the temp conditions are proper for recovery.They are more $$ but are easy to replace and keep clean.Most times one sick snake like this will be a warning sign of future problems especially considering how contagious this is. Quarentine is in order,and if you have access,a small shot of Baytril.Jeff

thanks jeff,i may try the paper towel substrate,and will continue to leave him alone,and keep temps up...on thing though-a very highly touted/respected herp vet nearby told me that in fact humidity too low can indeed be a factor-sort of how we can get issues when our house is too dry,afecting protective mucous membranes(nosebleeds,etc.)....he's also the one who gave me the idea of a moisture box(basically a netsing box,left in place year-round),allowing the animal to 'moisten up' when ever it wants....plus conventional wisdom if it's too humid for this coastal,surely it would be too moist for my pines,who seem considerably more tolerant of xeric/dry surroundings....not trying to disagree with advice i have sought(such as yours),just passing along info/what i believe to be true....

But I think having a water bowl in the cage will always provide ample humidity.When found,they are always humidity dependant.But note that most milks prefer SAND substrate(as a habitat)which is the least absorbant substrate type out there.That is why the pine barrens,sandy fields in the north(vs loam),and even the proliferation of scarlet kings in the sand hills and like areas of the southeast.If we arent careful we can all learn something today,I did,thanks,Jeff

I don't treat mine any different than any other colubrid other than to keep them slightly cooler by placing them on the lowest rack! RH is pretty high in my area but my room has an ac supply so its dryer than ambient conditions. Don't think going outside of normal ranges should be relied upon for treatment. If they don't turn for the better in a week suspect bacterial infection and seek out a vet who knows herps.

...with a saline solution;1-2 drops to be applied directly onto each nostril(let the drop sit there until it is breathed in) once daily for 10 days(acts as an antibiotic as well as physically flushing the nasal passage upon inhalation...then simply drains into the mouth;basically snorts/'drinks' it thru his nose....this in combination with a warm water soak every couple days should do the trick...in fact,to my surprise his audible/'ticking' breathing stopped at the vet's office after the first application!...hope someone else can use this info in the future for their animals,i will kee pthe htread updated,thanks to jeff and tony for their suggestions.