Jungle Jag Neuro

[Melaniem2108]

I've been raising snakes for about 3 years now and about 8 months ago I recieved a jungle jag from a friend -who'd gotten it from a breeder- as she could no longer look after it. She was very tank defensive and took months to calm her down. After a while and some handling we noticed she started swaying and her tail wasn't hooking around our fingers like our diamond and darwin were. I've read that neuro is common in this species but is there any way to help her? I've heard suggestions of adding vitamins to her diet like vitamin B but wanted to get a second opinion.

 

[Herpetology]

While you can’t get “rid of it” you can definitely delay the severity by providing a non stressful environment

Each individual is different and can show strong signs of neuro earlier than others

 

[user 41856]

If you want a second opinion, I would take her to a Reptile Vet and find out. Without seeing the animal, it is very hard to help you.

 

[kittycat17]

It’s not a species - jags are a pattern morph and all have neuro issues
Making sure there not to hot or cold, reduce handling and anything that lowers the stress levels of the snake is the only way to help the animals


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[Melaniem2108]

Sorry I chose the wrong word, I know that it is a type of morph and that they all have different stages of neuro. With her previous owner unfortunately, she was kept from a hatchling completely in isolation for over a year in a plastic tub with newspaper and no hide and her feedings were spaced out considerably. So she had almost no human contact. Since having her we've gradually gotten her used to handling as she was highly defensive but after a few months she started showing the signs. We've slowed down on the handling and still feed her regularly but she's become more tank defensive and strikes at the top when we turn her heat lamp on. When striking at her food she misses completely at first then gets it the second time. The closest reptile vet to us is over 4 hours away and we only have public transport as an option.

 

[KnightMiner]

Sorry I chose the wrong word, I know that it is a type of morph and that they all have different stages of neuro. With her previous owner unfortunately, she was kept from a hatchling completely in isolation for over a year in a plastic tub with newspaper and no hide and her feedings were spaced out considerably. So she had almost no human contact. Since having her we've gradually gotten her used to handling as she was highly defensive but after a few months she started showing the signs. We've slowed down on the handling and still feed her regularly but she's become more tank defensive and strikes at the top when we turn her heat lamp on. When striking at her food she misses completely at first then gets it the second time. The closest reptile vet to us is over 4 hours away and we only have public transport as an option.

I'm very sorry to hear that Really hope you'll be able to help her out.

 

[kittycat17]

Sorry I chose the wrong word, I know that it is a type of morph and that they all have different stages of neuro. With her previous owner unfortunately, she was kept from a hatchling completely in isolation for over a year in a plastic tub with newspaper and no hide and her feedings were spaced out considerably. So she had almost no human contact. Since having her we've gradually gotten her used to handling as she was highly defensive but after a few months she started showing the signs. We've slowed down on the handling and still feed her regularly but she's become more tank defensive and strikes at the top when we turn her heat lamp on. When striking at her food she misses completely at first then gets it the second time. The closest reptile vet to us is over 4 hours away and we only have public transport as an option.

Personally I would put her back in a tub - a decent sized one with a hide and belly heat.
She’s less likely to be stressed in that than an open enclosure


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[Melaniem2108]

Thanks everyone, I'll give that a try Kittycat17

 

[Wokka]

I would think that most snakes would thrive in a tub without human contact provided the heat and food requirements are met. This sort of environment is more likely to minimise stress than an "open" cage with human contact, Even with a hide. Maybe just dropping the food in instead of offering with tongs would offer less disturbance. We tend to antrothomorphise reptile behavior and kid ourselves that they want interaction or even care if they have the wobbles. They don't miss what they havent had and so maybe o wobbly snake thinks its normal, and is happy with that??
I left the hobby when jags were becoming common and still don't know what definitively defines a jag. From what I gather there the Jag colour gene may be "aligned' with a neurological gene which may be "good' or bad so not all jags exhibit neuro disorders. I guess its syndrome with varying degrees of performance exhibited.
That's an invitation for Sadji to save the day with an in depth lecture on the genetics of jags!

 

[Melaniem2108]

Our main thought when putting her in the tank was for the warmth and the ability to cater for more/semi aboreal species with ladders and vines. Her tub at the time had no substrate, no hide and no heat mat. She wasn't moving alot in the tub because of its size and we were concerned without much movement if any at all she may atrophy.

 

[Wokka]

The most important thing to provide for a snake is temperature. It seems doubtful that was right if the tub had no heat mat. Where are you located? A picture of setup always helps.

 

[Sdaji]

That's an invitation for Sadji to save the day with an in depth lecture on the genetics of jags!

The jag mutation is pleiotropic, it causes a neurological problem. Can't be bred out. I don't like them for that reason but others do because they're pretty and they don't care if their snake has neurological problems. Each to their own I guess. This is a pretty simple situation.

Is there much more to say?

 

[kittycat17]

The jag mutation is pleiotropic, it causes a neurological problem. Can't be bred out. I don't like them for that reason but others do because they're pretty and they don't care if their snake has neurological problems. Each to their own I guess. This is a pretty simple situation.

Is there much more to say?

I 100% agree with you

There is nothing more to say on the topic of jags


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