I'm an experienced keeper of reptiles, and take on a lot of rescues. Am also well versed in some holistic / non medicinal treatments for ill snakes, for problems such as mouth rot and respiratory infection. If you're getting your first reptile, or just want some advice feel free to message. Also if you're in england and need help finding a home for a reptile I can help.
I have a ball python, i'm sure she's healthy except she wheezes, about once or twice a week I hear her make a loud squeak. I moved her out of the basement and to a more airy space. How do I make sure she has healthy lungs and what to watch for when it comes to a respiratory infection?
Respirartory infections can be very serious in reptiles, and royal pythons are somewhat prone to RI, indeed I've treated a few with it! RI is something that can be brought on by stress, and as royals are very shy and secretive, moving them from the darc and enclosed basement, to a bright and airy room, especially if there is a lot of light, people, movement and noise may be enough to trigger the onset of RI. The first thing to do is chec your setup is correct. I always advocate a wooden vivarium, rather than a glass aquarium, as these feel too "open" for royals and can cause them to feel insecure. Can you tell me, or show me pictures of your setup? How many hides do you have? and what temperatures are you at? The first thing to do with a possible RI is move him away from your other reptiles, and increase his temperature By a couple of degrees. You want to be in the low 90s in the hot end, no higher than 95f no lower than 90f and low 80s in cool end, no higher than 85f, no lower than 80. If I were you I would ensure you had a hot end of around 93-94. Get bac to me with more details, and I'll help as much as I can, its really important to nip this in the bud before it starts, as it can cause a lot of trouble and cost a lot of money!
View attachment 48335 View attachment 48336 Well I figured out the hottest end of the cage is about 100F, the cooler end is usually no more than 85F during the day and about 75F - 80F during the night thank you for helping
Allright I see a few problems with your setup. Its VERY bright, snakes do not need light, so the strip light there is doing more harm than good, they're nocturnal animals and they do not come out in the light, so having the strip light there is for your benefit only, I would remove it so he feels more secure. The light on the side on the cage is not ideal, and the hot end is too hot. Is the heat light on a thermostat to control the temperature and stop it getting to hot? You want either an overhead heat light (with a guard around it so he cannot burn himself) or a heatmat under the substrate, again with a thermostat on it. Aim for something like this (courtesy of google) see how there's a lot of hiding spaces and dark spots, and see how the bulb is overhead with a guard around it?
Nice! I love reptiles. I don't know much, but a lot of people don't take proper care of theirs and I'm glad people like you help out and rescue My friend is planning on breeding her snake. I'm sure her step-dad knows what he's doing, but are there any tips I should let her know about? I want to make sure everything turns out for the best. Thanks!
