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R.I./Shed Question

R

Roy Munson

New member
I have zero experience with R.I., so I'm looking for a little expert advice/reassurance here. My '05 male emoryi will only accept live food. About four days ago, he refused a live hopper too. When I took him out, he looked dull like he was going into shed. He had that puffy-throated look that snakes get while in shed, but in addition, he was also very "clicky". This scared me, so I checked the tub temps in my racks and they were far below what the Helix was reading. This guy was on a bottom shelf in the rack, so I really started worrying.

Of course, I used the 'search' function, and read every thread about R.I. that I could find. So I set him up in a warmer enclosure, outside of the racks. The next day, I see him gaping, and even when his mouth was closed, his jaws didn't seem properly aligned. I checked the temps, and they were way too high (~95) on the warm end, but low 80s on the cool side. Despite this, he was hanging out and gaping on the warm end. Never saw a speck of mucous, even when his mouth was wide open. I adjusted temps, and after a few hours, the gaping stopped. However, his jaws still seemed mis-aligned.

Last night he shed, and so I just took him out this morning to examine him. He's perfect. No clicking, or wheezing-- jaws are properly aligned. I even gave him a little workout, but still no sign of a problem. My question: could all of this worrying have been for nothing? I'm glad I was prompted to evaluate and correct my rack temp issue, but I've felt terrible for days about ol' Leroy. I've never seen a shed have that extreme an effect on a snake, have you? In light of all this, do you think that the gaping was the result of the "recovery enclosure" temps after all? Could a real R.I. have cleared up that quickly?

I'm going to try feeding him today. It will be an f/t attempt, so I don't expect success.
 
Hey Dean.

A lot of my snakes 'click' when in shed. My opal that has the weird jaw problem sort of whistles---she always had, and it's defnitely not an RI. Seems like when they go into shed some of them get a problem with the nostrils that create that clicking.
 
The last time Skizzard had a shed cycle, he sneezed twice while I was handling him. It was the weirdest thing. I was a bit worried, but I figured it was because of the shed. I was wondering about the Helix though. Does that mean that it wasn't working properly? I've thought about getting one down the road, but not sure if it doesn't read temps correctly.
 
Joejr14 said:
Hey Dean.

A lot of my snakes 'click' when in shed. My opal that has the weird jaw problem sort of whistles---she always had, and it's defnitely not an RI. Seems like when they go into shed some of them get a problem with the nostrils that create that clicking.
Click to expand...

Thanks Joe. I have a male snow who is "snorty". I've switched substrates for him, messed with temps, but he's always "snorty". He's never shown any other sign of possible R.I.. That snow has a blunt/thick skull shape, just as this emoryi does. These two have the bluntest heads of all my corns/emoryis. Even the sunkisseds aren't as blunt-headed. It makes me wonder...

So, you think the gaping was temp related?
 
Probably, especially if he's not longer doing it. Some snakes will handle those higher temps a lot better. Was the rack that high, or just a hot spot? You might want to consider re-arranging that rack or going out on a whim and picking up a temp gun, you know, to see just what the temps are in all of your cages.
 
Bobo's Mama said:
The last time Skizzard had a shed cycle, he sneezed twice while I was handling him. It was the weirdest thing. I was a bit worried, but I figured it was because of the shed. I was wondering about the Helix though. Does that mean that it wasn't working properly? I've thought about getting one down the road, but not sure if it doesn't read temps correctly.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. No, the Helix is fine. I just hadn't refined my understanding of the delicate balance between probe placement, tub temps, and ambient room temps. The middle shelf in my AP racks has a groove in it where the temp probe lies. I had the probe shoved all the way to the front of the groove, which ends just behind the perpendicular groove that the heat cable is run through. So my probe was actually less than half and inch from the cable, resting against the wall it shared with the heat cable. So I moved the probe back away from the cable, and I'm in the process of trying to calibrate the temp readings in the tub with the what the Helix is displaying from the probe. The alternative was to leave the probe where it was, and jack the temps. But it was unsettling to see the Helix reading 93, regardless of the actual tub temps, so I went the other route. Of course, you also have to keep in mind that tub temps vary between the top and the bottom of a rack... :rolleyes:
 
Joejr14 said:
Probably, especially if he's not longer doing it. Some snakes will handle those higher temps a lot better. Was the rack that high, or just a hot spot? You might want to consider re-arranging that rack or going out on a whim and picking up a temp gun, you know, to see just what the temps are in all of your cages.
Click to expand...

No, those temps were in a tub placed on a human heating pad on 'low', with a sheet of cardboard in between. The racks are fine now that I have a better understanding of probe placement, etc. (see previous post). You're right about the temp gun anyway. I'm sick of moving my little Fluker's Thermo/Hygros from tub to tub to tub.
 
When my snow was a baby, she used to click when in shed, also. I hope little Leroy is ok, and that it was all shed related. Keep us updated, please.
 
My female snow was clicking for about 2 days before her shed (she is still very little). I was worried until I saw a lot of yawning and jaw-stretching. The clicking went away after the shed, and there have been no problems since.
 
Your story sounds exactly like my Nabakov when he is about to shed. Just when I start thinking RI, he goes into blue, sheds, and then nothing...not a peep! I am glad to know that it happens with other snakes too. I just thought he was WIERD!
 
Well, he refused his f/t as expected the other day, but took a live hopper today. He seems 100% normal. Who knows, maybe half of my snakes do the gaping/yawning thing leading up to a shed. Most of them are in racks, which are not the best housing choice for viewing the subtle nuances of snake behavior, so I might miss it. Thanks for sharing your experiences and giving me the reassurance I was looking for. :)
 
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