Is this normal?

[Black.Rabbit]

Yesterday I noticed my woma opening and closing her mouth regularly, at first I thought she was just yawning but now I don't think so. I had seen her doing it a few times that day.

I recorded it because she was also turning her head to the side.

Login | Facebook

(had to upload it to facebook because youtube was being stupid)

In the beginning you can see her turning her head, and towards the end she is opening and closing her mouth... I think she has a yawn in there too. The whole video was taken in a space of two minutes, I had to cut it down so it'd upload quicker.

Shortly after I took the video she did a poo and I haven't noticed her doing it since (although I am not watching her 24/7)

So is this normal behaviour? I read that RI and mouth rot can cause this, I have only had her since Saturday. I also read that 'mouth gaping' is a defensive behaviour?

(fingers crossed the link works!)

 

[Dannyboi]

According to David Attenborough a snake relocates its jaw with a yawn like gesture, and according to various randoms they also do this to size up prey.

 

[Torah]

sorry i cant help but i have a diamond that does that occasionally n its like hell do it for afew mins in one day n then not again for months......havent noticed the pooing but lol ill have to check that out next time......

 

[Black.Rabbit]

She isn't really doing it all the way though like a normal yawn, My avatar shows how far she opens it.. if that.

And the way she is rubbing the side of her mouth on the bottom of her enclosure, while turning her head... I haven't seen that before

 

[Luohanfan]

yeh the rubbing seems weird, im just a noob, but id be checking its mouth to see if theres anything there annoying it..

 

[jamesbecker]

could be retained shed or something on its head thats annoying it .. imo id give it a warm bath, then let it run through a warm damp towel see if that does anything

 

[Elapidae1]

It just looks like yawning to me. With the head rubbing the snake is just trying to get under the paper, Or maybe is coming up for shed. Defensive gaping is different, it's not as wide and often accompanied by audible puffing

 

[Black.Rabbit]

I'm pretty sure she is about to shed, looking at her scales I can see a couple have lifted a bit and her eyes are a lighter around the outside. She has been rubbing her 'nose' and face heaps on things and has been in her hide pretty much all day. I'll see how she is tomorrow.

 

[hissnbits]

she could be coming up to a shed....usually you ill notice her eye go cloudy then they will return to almost normal, then a few days later she will shed. This usually starts by rubbing teh side of their mouth. The gaping can also be to start sheddding, or sometimes they simply like to stretch. From seeing the video I would think she is about to shed.

Cheers

Tony

 

[deebo]

i caught my BHP starting to shed the other day and she was rubbing her head like crazy, just like yours was but constantly. I have often caught my snakes mid-shed but never starting like this girl was. She was rubbing her head on either side for about 5 mins and then all of a sudden the skin on about half her head just "popped"off and lifted away. Was pretty cool to see as I thought it would be a long drawn out, wriggly, affair like the rest of their body normally.

Hopefully you find a ball of skin tomorrow and she is all good!

 

[lgotje]

womas will turn the head trying to dig she is prob doing it trying to dig under newspaper? thry use there head to dig out burrows in the wild thats y they dont have heat pits so sand and dirt dont get stuck in there

 

[Black.Rabbit]

today she was rubbing the side of her face on everything so fingers crossed she sheds tomorrow, then I'll finally get to measure her lol

good to know she is all good, I was a little concerned at first cos I didn't know why on earth she was doing it

Thanks guys

 

[buck]

WOW Ellie that's strange. There is definately a yawn there but the other mouth opening??? I have seen them do it after a feed to try and re-align their jaws but that's not the case here is it? She didn't head butt the side of the tub or anything by any chance?
Let me know how she goes.

Mick

 

[Black.Rabbit]

No not the case, it had been 2 days after the pinky when I took the video. She has done the mouth opening a couple of other times since. She hasn't headbutted the tub or anything, only rubbed her head on it and everything else in the enclosure. I am about 90% sure she is about to shed... but is yet to do it. She has been in her hide the last few days not coming out very often, dull colours, a little lethargic, milky coloured eyes but only around the outside of her eyes and a few of her scales are lifted a little. I am about to feed her a fuzzy so hopefully she takes that ok.
How long until they shed from when they start showing signs of it? It's been about 3 days or so...

 

[buck]

Yeah all of the others here are in various stages of shed as well.
It could take a week or so until she sheds.

 

[Black.Rabbit]

Ahh k, hoping she will shed soon then.

Fed her a fuzzy tonight, she was so funny, has a sniff/lick and then did fast laps around her tub really excited for a few minutes, then went in for the 'kill'... she was moving around so much when she was getting it down, moved everything in the click-clack around in the process, including her water which split everywhere. lol
Was good to see her moving so much as she has been in her hide so my these past few days and I haven't seen her move so fast yet

Also, when she had finished she went into the strike position and had a massive 'snap' in the click-clack towards my son who was watching her in excitement, he jumped about a meter I reckon. I don't think she enjoyed being watched...

 

[buck]

Lol. Very typical for them inside their enclosure, especially just after a feed and when in shed. Most snakes become a little more aggrevated during shed as their eye sight is hindered.

 

[Black.Rabbit]

She did this today....



And I have a video of her sneezing or coughing.. not sure, still opening her mouth and stuff, the cough/sneeze was accompanied by a hiss type sound.

Stupid internet connection wont let me upload it though

 

[jamesbecker]

time for the vet imo

 

[Riggsy]

Sounds like the opening mouth and head rubbing is related to shedding but snakes don't sneeze or cough. If you snake is hissing or wheezing and you've only had it for a week then it sounds like a Respiratory Infection. I'm not experienced with Woma's but the video doesn't look like normal snake behaviour. I would definately get it to a snake vet asap. Good Luck.