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Can Snakes get hiccups? Plz Help

SnakeLady1990

SnakeLady1990

~Miss Christina~
I just switched to aspen bedding and put my snake in his tank. He layed there for a second and started moving. When the aspen around him moved he would jump, like it scared him.

He was on bark bedding, but after clearing out the mite problem I decided to switch to aspen since it's cheaper and more readily available.

But after jumping a few times, it looked like he got hiccups. He would try to move forward and jump like you would when you hiccup.

Also, please read my post titled "Very odd/scary behavior". This just happened as well and I am wondering if it might play a roll.

This morning he was fine. He even acted normal as we held him and inspected him. His tongue was flicking, he was moving fine, and was back to normal...but now we put in aspen bedding and he flips out with these hiccup movements. It's almost like he doesn't like the feel of it and makes him jump or something. Is this normal?
 
Hi,

As the snake has been as unwell as you described then it's probably feeling quite sensitive and jumpy anyway. It could also be a little sore/itchy from the mites or the mite treatment and reacting to the new bedding because of that. I would see if it gets any better after 24 hours, check on it regularly to make sure it's ok, handle it as you normally would and it should settle down.

If not, it'd probably be worth going back to the original bedding its used to. I've always used aspen so I've never seen what reaction snakes have to new bedding, but it does sound like your snake is a little skittish or uncomfortable because of the rather unfortunate reaction to the mitye spray.

Good luck! I hope he feels better soon!
 
I think a snake CAN have hiccups(I've got a video of a BCI I took in Amsterdam that is of this very thing), but I dont know if thats what this is... I'd say give your snake some space. Leave him alone, with the aspen in the viv, for a few days. Dont take him out, dont hold him...just let him relax in the viv and watch him. If he's normal with no handling, then maybe he just needs some time to adjust.
There could be a chance this is remaining behavior from the mite treatment reaction. It was mentioned in the other thread there could be nurological damage...and strange ways of moving are one of the ways that nurologial damage shows...fingers crossed for you! I say give him some time to settle down.
 
After awhile he started playing in the aspen. Figured out how to burrow...kinda, lol. His head is burrowed anyway, the rest just sticks out, lol. He is acting much better. Fed him last night and put him back in his tank, now he will rest for three days with no handleing...he needs/deserves the rest!
 
It takes snakes so much longer than us to adjust to anything...even something so small as a change in their substrate. He probably just needed a little time to get used to it. I'm so glad he's doing better!!
 
How old is the hiccup-y snake? My first thought when I read your question was that the snake may be exhibiting sexual behavior. If a snake that's not a baby catches the scent of another snake (or thinks it does, at any rate) it will repeatedly twitch its body in a way that resembles hiccups. That may be what you're seeing.
 
RosieReal said:
Pretty sure this snake is very young...theres another thread that talks about the size i think...
Click to expand...

Well then, unless s/he's precocious I guess that isn't it. I've had some twitchy yearlings, but nothing younger than that did the happy dance. Ah well, it was a thought.
 
Caryl said:
Well then, unless s/he's precocious I guess that isn't it. I've had some twitchy yearlings, but nothing younger than that did the happy dance. Ah well, it was a thought.
Click to expand...

A good thought! lol...so much strange snake stuff comes down to it being "that time of year" lol:rolleyes:
 
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