Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently got an adult Green Tree Python Sorong type. Temps are 83/84 in the day nd 77/78 at night. Humidity stays at 85% most of the time and a low of about 70% (I spray a fine mist a few minutes at a time about every 8 hours). I havent handled him much because I wanted him to settle in. I did handle him last week and I thought I heard a tiny popping noise and I held his head up to my ear and sure enough he is making a barely audible clicking noise as he breathes. He looked like was about to go into shed so I thought it may be loose skin. Well he shed a few days ago and he is still doing it. His mouth is clean with no mucus, he is still eating good, and shows no other symptoms. I can't swear he hasnt done this the entire time I have had him but I didnt notice it before if he did. I am scared to give him baytril as I have read this is not good for them unless they really are sick. My vet says there is no reason to bring him in unless he shows more signs of being ill. I am terribly worried. Anyone else have a GTP that does this or knows what I can do to help him. Thanks!

No need to worry. GTPs tend to make this "clicking" sound when they are in shed. I would bet once he sheds, it goes away.

Brandon
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www.brandonosbornereptiles.com

I think you missed in my post that I said it has been a few days since he shed and I am very worried. Thanks

I'm certainly no chondro expert, but I give mine much warmer hotspots than 83/84. From what I've read, a high humidity and lower temps can cause some RI symptoms in these guys.

If he were mine, I'd push the hot spot up to about 89/90, check his nostrils for any left over shed and collect the next fecal for the vet to check. I wouldnt stress the snake with a vet visit at this point. I'd leave him alone and just check him every day and keep good notes.
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Julie
www.[url ban]/gfx

90 in my opinion is too hot. I have some gtp's that make odd noises all the time. Usually if I'm messing with them like handling. It's sort of a stress thing. If he just shed, it's possible that it might take a couple of days to clear the nostrils of the excess whatever it is that makes them wheeze and click when in shed. I've had a few that have taken a couple of days to stop. I would not do a night drop however. I don't nite drop my animals unless they are being cycled for breeding. Talking to a guy from Indonesia on the forums, he doesn't cycle his at all. Average temps at night there are in the low 80's. Upper 70's the lowest. I'd leave your temps stable at least for now. As long as there are no other signs of a problem, I wouldn't worry about it. My Aru makes noises all the time...usually before he smacks the glass while trying to eat my hand...
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5.5~Cornsnakes
3.4.2~Green tree python
3.3.1~ATB
0.1~Sibon Nebulatus
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www.franclycac.com

Thank you! I feel so much better now! Yes he acts fine and seems to have a really good disposition. The person I bought him from was a huge breeder and didn't handle him at all. I have been handling him in baby steps so maybe its part just the shed process and some stress, but he's never struck at me or got all jumpy. He will curl up around my neck and just hang out. Again thank you!

Although I agree 90 is too hot, and I could be wrong about this, but I think Indo is in their summer months right now. Temps are peaking at around 87 with NTLs in the low/mid 70s. Different regions will have different temps as well. During the winter months, it can get quite chilly there. David Wilson reported seeing chondros in the open with temps in the upper 40s during many rainy seasons. I take my room down to 68 every night from Nov 1 until early spring. The only animals that get night heat are the younger kids I'm raising up. I still continue to feed every couple of weeks during the cool down. During the day, my room gets to 73.
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www.brandonosbornereptiles.com

Are you saying that its inappropriate for this species to push the hot spot up a few degrees with a suspected RI? I have my Herpstats set to 87.5 for the hotspot normally, but if I suspect an RI, I'd push the hotspot temperature up a few degrees. This is what I've done for other species I keep, is it incorrect for this species?

My chondros have a gradient of roughly 80-88 and tend to hang at 84-85, but I want them to have the option to move to a cooler or warmer spot if they need to. I've seen experienced chondro breeders keep their hotspot temps at 89 with the logic that they're getting fewer RIs that way. My snakes seem happy with the gradient I've given them so I've left it as it is, but I'll absolutely follow their lead if I start seeing RI symptoms.
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Julie
www.[url ban]/gfx

No, bumping up the temps to around 90 if you suspected an RI is not a problem. Reading your post I thought you kept them there. As far as the temps in Indo right now, looking at the weather link that was on the MVF forum and from Ron, who lives there, he says he never drops the temps for cycling and felt that the upper 60's were far too low for the snakes. I personally keep my snakes at 82.5 and they still spend most of their time on the cool side. I have a few that sit under the warm side panel and seem to stay in that area except at night when they are crawling around. After the thermal scan studies that I read about, they were showing that the snakes body temps were actually much higher under the panel than the thermostat was reading. At 84, the snake was showing around 90. I've found much better activity and more robust feeding responses with the temps lower. I don't know that I will cycle at much lower than where I'm at during the day. Perhaps a few degrees max.
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5.5~Cornsnakes
3.4.2~Green tree python
3.3.1~ATB
0.1~Sibon Nebulatus
Dogs, cats, horses....
www.franclycac.com

Ron lives in Europe....Germany I think. A far cry from Indo.
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www.brandonosbornereptiles.com

Until recently I thought he was living there, but he evidently just travels there a lot. He still knows a lot about the species and the temperatures. I've just been checking out the weather links to see what the temps are there for kicks and giggles and for the most part, they are warm day and night.
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5.5~Cornsnakes
3.4.2~Green tree python
3.3.1~ATB
0.1~Sibon Nebulatus
Dogs, cats, horses....
www.franclycac.com