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Worried help please! :)

J

Jynxie

New member
Hi I've had my cornsnake Chillipepper for over a year now, and shes always been very healthy and friendly, but this last week she has been hiding under her paper shreddings constantly and not coming out at all.
I was worried she was dead so stroked her a few times, after a while she moved but didnt want to be disturbed or gotten out, so have left her in piece. She has remained in the same spot for days and I'm worried she's sick. I was just trying to clear out her cage and she just looked at me and kept opening and closing her mouth at me. Assuming she wanted feeding I've given her some food but she still wont wander!

Help!

J Xx
 
Did she eat the food offered? Usually if they are very sick they won’t eat so that may be good.

Open and close her mouth, that is unusual. Pick her up and put her mouth right up to your ear. Can you hear her breath? Does she appear to have trouble breathing?

Has she been blue recently? Is she getting ready to shed?
 
Shes eaten now which has made me feel alot better! She's hiding again so dont want to disturb her right after eating so havent listened to her breathing...
I've added more bedding as think she may be cold and yes she is close to shedding, not at blue stage yet but skins whitened, what heat would you guys recommend? At the moment she only has a mat, she doesnt lay on or under it though so I havent got her anything stonger as figured it must keep the cage warm enough... What do you use?
Thanks for your responses!

J Xx
 
If you measure the temperature under the substrate right over the heat mat it should be 85* or so. That would be the hot spot. If your snake isn't on the mat then maybe he is warm enough.

Getting ready to shed will make a snake sluggish sometimes. That may be all that is wrong.
 
Jynxie said:
Shes eaten now which has made me feel alot better! She's hiding again so dont want to disturb her right after eating so havent listened to her breathing...
I've added more bedding as think she may be cold and yes she is close to shedding, not at blue stage yet but skins whitened, what heat would you guys recommend? At the moment she only has a mat, she doesnt lay on or under it though so I havent got her anything stonger as figured it must keep the cage warm enough... What do you use?
Thanks for your responses!

J Xx
Click to expand...

The mat isn't IN the tank, is it?
 
RobbiesCornField said:
The mat isn't IN the tank, is it?
Click to expand...

Only because I have recently updated her tank and before it was a plastic starter cage and is not a full sized wooden one in which she wouldnt feel the heat from the mat otherwise...Is that Really bad then? Sorry shes my first ...
 
The heat mat should always be outside the vivarium, yes.

RE the hiding: I notice you're in England, like me. It's been very cold recently. I really think you should check your temps properly as she could be trying to hibernate (or simply have slowed down because it's too cold for her).

You ideally need a thermometer with a probe, so you can take the measurement from the hottest place inside the viv. This is in the centre of the heat mat - although we've established the mat needs to be outside the viv - and underneath the substrate.

Temps on the high side should be mid-high 80s, although a little bit cooler is ok now it is winter.

IF you happen to find your temps are ok, your snake is just burrowing as she knows what time of year it is. Mine has only done this once and it did worry me but my temps were perfect and he was eating so I knew all was ok.
 
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