Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have an adult female Texas rat snake. I have had her for eight years but she was already over six feet when I got her.

She has not eaten in over two months and she has gotten a whole lot less coordinated. She has always been a klutz on a snake but when I checked her tonight her head was upside down and part of her body was too. I moved her then she slithered around on the side of her head.

She has done stargazing and this weird twirling on herself thing for about a year now but had still been eating like a champ so I haven't been too concerned, but at this point I am considering making the two hour trek to a herp vet.

She also has grey and cloudy eyes that are not shed stuck, but actually a lense luxating away from something in her eye, I had taken her in for that about 5 years ago and she has been blind since then.

Any ideas what might be wrong? How long does it take a rat snake to get six feet? Maybe my snake is just really really old.

Do snakes have strokes? As far as I know colubrids don't get IBD which is what I'd immediately jump to if it was a boid of any sort.

Is she losing muscle tone as well? I've seen geriatric snakes a time or two and they always seemed to lost muscle tone and been relatively weak (these were mostly colubrids in their 20s).
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We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.

Sounds bad.... Sorry...
Your animal is at least 10-12 years old, minimum, and possibly and probably older.
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Your animal needs professional help, but it may be time to let it go.
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Read up on Melissa's info.
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www.anapsid.org/stargaze.html
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Regards, Bill McGighan