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Rhino viper missing most of its tongue
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by Bitiss on May 1, 2014
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I just purchased a rhino viper whose tongue is missing, about 1/3 is still there.
The seller has made it right so I'm not upset about that, but this guy will stay under my care..
The only thing is, I haven't experienced a snake with amputated tongue before. What causes it? Will it continue to thrive? Will it even regenerate? (I've looked up on a case of a blackheaded python doing this).. It already ate a meal so I'm not worried about that, but for his long-term health.
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RE: Rhino viper missing most of its tongue
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by agkistrodude on May 3, 2014
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As I'm sure you know, the tongue of a snake is used to pick up scents. How much of that ability is gone, is anybodies guess. Hopefully it can still "smell" at least a percentage of what it could before. I would think that as long as it keeps eating, it'll be fine. Interesting. I've never heard of a snake missing it's tongue. Take care, Marty
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RE: Rhino viper missing most of its tongue
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by LarryDFishel on May 5, 2014
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Actually, I was just thinking this might have been an old topic resurfacing by the uncertainties of notoriously ancient web site code...
I've never experienced it personally, but I've heard of it happening and seem to remember it not being a big problem. Yes, snakes are often described as "smelling with their tongues", but that's not entirely accurate. They flick/wave their tongues to gather particles, and then insert it into the Jacobson's Organ in the roof of the mouth, which is both physically ducted to the nostrils and connected through the same nerve bundle, to the brain. So, with most of the tongue gone, he probably loses that ability, though I suspect, but don't KNOW, that he can probably still smell with his nose.
Being a Vipirid, he also has heat sensing ability, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. If you're feeding pre-killed (hopefully you are, see below) and you start having trouble getting him to eat, it might be worth warming up the food.
As far as how it happened? I'd be willing to bet someone fed him a live rodent that got in a lucky bite. I've seen a mouse take a full-on bite to the torso from a rattlesnake, jump half way across the cage, run back and bite the snake several times (harmlessly in this case), before trotting off to drop dead a few seconds later... (One reason I never feed live unless I'm having trouble getting something to eat.)
Oh, and Btis have a bad habit of biting and holding onto a struggling rodent. ..
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RE: Rhino viper missing most of its tongue
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by agkistrodude on May 10, 2014
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That's what I said. They use their tongue to pick up scents. I didn't include "then transfers them to the Jacobsons gland", because I figured that was pretty well known. Then later in the response I used "smell", in quotations, for lack of a better term. My point was, hopefully it can still "smell" (for lack of a better term) at least some, with the portion of tongue it has left. I apologize for not being more specific, and for any confusion. Take care, Marty
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RE: Rhino viper missing most of its tongue
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by Bitiss on May 11, 2014
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The snake, otherwise seem rather healthy so far. He drinks out of the water bowl and picks up the F/T rodent within a minute if placed near his snout area. Seems to be hesitant when I am obviously glaring through the glass and backs off, but when looking away for few seconds doing other chores in the snake room he went right for it.
Whatever has happened to the snake, at least for now doesn't seem detrimental and I will report progress here in case of interesting events. I am hopeful and looking out for at least partial regeneration of the tongue, but wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't occur.
Thanks,
Bob
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RE: Rhino viper missing most of its tongue
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by Bitiss on May 21, 2014
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As young Bitis will, he is rapidly growing.
He shed out last night and strangely enough, I noticed that his tongue was looking noticeably longer than before. I am not sure if it's because it has grown proportionally with the rest of the body, or if it's actually renege rating.
I will take a picture when I have him out of the cage next and post it here so that anything (if anything) interesting does happen, it is substantiated moving forward.
Bob
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