Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My new ball python that I just aquired through a friend (I know nothing of the animals background except that my friend bought 30 of these over the internet and had them shipped to him) is acting very sick, and I don't know what is wrong. I have no experience with pythons, although I already had a cal king, a water snake and a garter snake before I got this one.

The snake is a baby, only about 12 inches long, and we got him about 3 days ago. When we got him, he looked undernourished, and in poor health already..his skin was dull and his body was in the shape of a triangle. Yesterday he ate a small mouse (just a little bigger than a jumper mouse), and seemed ok until about 2 hours ago tonight.

Now he is writhing around upside down, and contorting himself very weirdly, and his mouth is open all the time. He acts like he is trying to regurgitate, but the food isn't moving anywhere. I have never seen a snake act like this before, and I know something is wrong with him.

Like I said, I have never had experience with a Ball python before, and I am not sure what I am doing wrong... Is it possible this could be happening cause we have him in too big a cage? Right now we have him in a handmade aquarium, about 3.5 ft. square on all sides. Also, we have a heat lamp with a 60 watt light bulb hanging over the cage, but it doesn't seem to keep the heat in.

I really don't want this snake to die, so I am open to any suggestions. I appreciate any responses, thank you!!!!

These symptoms are very serious. It has absolutely nothing to do with the size of the cage.

Keep this animal well away from your other snakes, in another room, or another building if possible and do not handle your other snakes after handling this one until you have thoroughly washed your hands. Do not move any water bowls or cage furnishings or anything else from one cage to another.

It is impossible for anyone to make a definitive diagnosis without seeing the animal, but the symptoms you are describing are typical of a disease in mainly Boas and Pythons called Inclusion Body Disease. It is highly contagious and nearly always fatal. There are a couple of other things that can cause the symptoms you describe, but they aren't any better as far as prognosis. One is Ophidian Paramyxovirus, and the other is Cryptosporidium infection in the final stages (Cryptosporidium in that stage is characterized normally by a hardened swelling of the stomach).

I would be willing to bet that the 30 snakes your buddy bought were wild-caught (or farm raised) fresh imports.