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Bitis nasicornis care
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by Phobos on January 5, 2004
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I have a CB03 River Jack that has been eating & drinking well but it has not eliminated any waste from the past two feedings. Previous feedings were eliminated after a bath. Tonight after drinking it was "blowing bubbles" from its mouth, not a good thing from past experience. Lungs are clear though and no signs of infection. I tubed her and felt no hard fecal material and the abdomen was soft and generally unremarkable. She went through what seemed like a period of opaque-ness two weeks ago but shows no sign of shedding. Her skin really looks like she should be ready to sluff it off anytime.
Any suggestions would be most welcome
Thanks,
Al
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RE: Bitis nasicornis care
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by HerpMan73 on January 6, 2004
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I've seen the "opaque" period in this species go 16+ days before finally shedding. Probably longer than you may be used to with other snakes. Bubbles aren't a good sign. Let us know what happens.
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RE: Bitis nasicornis care
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by Nightflight99 on January 6, 2004
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It is typical for large Bitis to retain feces over prolonged periods of time, and is not usually an indication of a health problem. Subadult and adult specimens will generally defecate only every 4-10 weeks, neonates and juveniles a bit more frequently. If you feel that the animal is retaining the feces anormally long, you may want to soak the snake repeatedly in luke warm water.
Regarding the bubble blowing, you may want to get a culture kit and take an oral swap. Bring the swap to your vet and have it checked, which will provide you with the proper diagnosis, if applicable.
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RE: Bitis nasicornis care
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by Richie on January 6, 2004
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Hi Al.
I concur with the other guys, Bitis nasicornis defecates infrequently. It appears to be a trait that's common with all speces from this genus. My largest specimen once went 11 weeks and 2 days without going!!
With regards to the bubble blowing, as long as she is not wheezing when breathing and providing she is flicking her tongue cleanly - I wouldn't be overly concerned.
What temperature are you keeping her at? I keep mine at 80f - 86f with a basking surface temperature of 95f during the day. At night the temperature drops by 5f - 8f precisely. If it's cooler than the above, perhaps increase the temperature a little. If it's the beginning of a respiratory infection, raising the temperature may prevent the problem getting any worse.
Hope this is of some help.
Best Regards
Viperman, UK
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RE: Bitis nasicornis care
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by Phobos on January 29, 2004
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Just an update and thanks to those who offered replys to my querry.
The Rhino is doing great despite still retaining its feces. It drinks on a regular basis and gets a swim at least once a week. At least I'm not "frantic" about it anymore. It shed about a week ago without any problems and is slamming mice again. The "bubble blowing" went away with a slight increase of cage temperature after just a few day.
Thanks again,
Al
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