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Whistling...?

I

iameveryman

New member
I was in my local snake shop Friday and they have a new corn snake. It is an adult, easily 4 feet long. They are only asking $30 for it, and like everything else they have they either don't know where it came from or they just wont tell me.

I would have bought it immediately but it was making a funny, whistling sort of sound. It was pretty regular almost like it was just him breathing. I wasn't sure if it was a sound it was making because it is in blue or if it was wheezing.

I think that if it was wheezing that may be a sign of respiratory problems. Is this a sound that could just be a result of being in blue or is the snake sick?

I hesitated to make the purchase because I didn't want to add on another hefty vet bill, but now I feel like I may anyway just to make sure it gets the care it needs. This store has alot of snakes and I'm not sure they will give it the proper attention.

Let me know if any of your snakes have made these sounds before and what it turned out to be. Also, if it is respiratory what steps (besides a vet visit) can I take to ensure it lives a long healthy life?

Thanks
-Eric
 
It sounds like it could be an RI. If you do get it, lower the humidity and up the heat a bit I believe is the custom. Don't hold me to it though.
 
Could be shed-related, too. Does he have any other signs of RI at all, like any wetness around the mouth? Is the reason you would have bought it immediately because you liked it so much?

Nanci
 
I do really like it alot. I'm not that great with identifying morphs at all but it looks like a bloodred. It's hard to tell because he's in blue but he's definately sort of a brickred color.

I checked him out pretty thouroughly and I didn't notice any wetness about the mouth. I wasn't really looking for that specifically though. By wetness do you mean drooling? If so, then definately not, I would have noticed.

Also, is this something that may just be a byproduct of the shedding process? If so, how would I be able to tell for sure, before I make the purchase? What kind of visible symptoms come along with respiratory infection?

I always plan a vet visit after a new pet purchase anyway so I may get him. I just wanted to get some advice.

-Eric
 
Hey- you didn't say he was blue! That's probably it. I'd think it would be unlikely to find a bloodred in a petshop, but you never know...

Nanci
 
iameveryman said:
I wasn't sure if it was a sound it was making because it is in blue or if it was wheezing.
Click to expand...


Sure I did... Is it a common thing for a snake in blue? Also, other than color what sets a bloodred apart from other morphs? Like I said I'm not that great at figuring out the morphs but it seemed to be almost completely red, but not without pattern. There seemed to be a definite saddled pattern but his eyes were very blue so I know it will be looking quite different in a few days.

If the whistling sound is because he is blue, then I will be heading down there this week to get him, I just wanted to make sure first what I was getting myself into.

-Eric
 
Sounds like it's "whistling" thru loose skin around it's nostrils; happens during a shed. Lowering the humidity and raising the temps a few degree's should work if it's a mild RI, as someone has said. Check the belly scales, a bloodred would not have any checkers. A $30.00 adult is a good deal no matter if it's a morph or not :*)
 
cka said:
A $30.00 adult is a good deal no matter if it's a morph or not :*)
Click to expand...

That's what I thought. Well, I put in a call to the petshop and told the nice lady to hold him for me. I will be picking him up on Thursday. Hopefully he will have finished his shedding by then and I will know for sure.

My camera is on the fritz, but if I can get it to work I'll snap a few pics of the new guy and of Cornelius as well and get them up in the photo gallery.

-Eric
 
It could be shed related I have a sunglow that I thought cought a RI but the next day she went into her blue phase and realised that the afew months back the same thing happened and right after she shed she was fine.
 
So- was his belly checkered or plain???

You probably don't remember her, but there was a person named Steve's Mom that had a gorgeous really really dark red female WC corn. You can get that color in a normal.

Nanci
 
It probably is a normal then... I saw red and immediately thought bloodred. Wishful thinking maybe.

I can't remember if its belly is checkered or not. I'm going to pick it up on Thursday so we will know then.

Thanks for all the help, you guys have convinced me it is shed related so now I can't wait to bring him home.

-Eric
 
It doesnt sound like and RI. My corn had and RI and she didnt have any mucus or wet stuff around her mouth. She was constantly clicking. (making a ticking noise) I took her to the vet and she had a stuffy nose and they gave her meds but other then that she was fine. RI's with her are freaquent. I keep her temp in her cage right and the humidity is fine but for some reason she keeps getting them. The vet said that she didnt really see anything wrong with her other then a cold. Anyway was your corn getting ready to shed. if so it might just be the shedding thats causeing him to whistle.
 
Miara, if your animal is getting frequent RI, it might be a good idea to get a tracheal swab to see if you have a resistant form of bacteria. Sensitivity tests should be done anyway to be sure you are treating with the proper drugs and you also need to be certain you are treating for long enough.
 
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