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HELP! Snake is Jerking

Spencer

Spencer

New member
Okay.
So My snake was more active recently. Noticed that... whatever. No Big deal...


But I noticed she was always just looking for a way out of her viv. when I took her out, she would try to get away more so than being her usual calm, docile self. Then I noticed when I held certain parts of her, there would be a faint JERK motion. Then a couple days ago, I tried feeding her, although it wasnt the regular feeding day, because I was thinking of upping her, and for the FIRST TIME Roxy refused food. Okay, No biggie, Its not even feeding day. Now It is, and she refused this mouse, I even cut it open, and she still refused it, instead trying to escape from her feeding bin. AND there are these Involuntary jerks, which is the thing that really bothers me. Why is her whole body convulsing kinda with a loss of appetite..... shes smelling the mouse, but then turning away. shes in a small container with a mouse, and she doesnt want it.

At this point, I already have my male refusing food. Ive upload it to youtube for you guys, but as i am typing she is jerking even more than is visable in the video. but you can get an idea of what i am talking... Ill post a url in a couple mins.
 
Whats even stranger is apparently, she just didnt wanna eat in her feeding container. Tried feeding in her regular viv, and she took it no issues.
 
she took a pinky, and then took the mouse, but then later, part way in, she decided she didnt want it and spit it back out
 
Oddly for your situation, that jerking is typically seen when the snake detects the presence of another snake. This is particularly so during breeding season and pheromones are in overdrive. Usually it's the male that does that subtle twitching, but I've had receptive females do it while the male is courting.

I have a young female corn that just started doing this very twitching/jerking this year and usually after I handle other corns, male or female.

The jerking can be a snake to snake response of either disinterest or courting interest. Nothing to be concerned about.
 
Sounds like she's looking for some love! I wouldn't be too worried, just continue to offer her food on her normal feeding days. I would also make a lay box for her and put it in her tank. Sometimes even unbred females will lay infertile eggs.
 
I am not an expert,
How old is she, and the male? and did you brumate them? Spring is breeding season and it's possible that they are in 'season' to breed.. it can happen without brumating too* They might refuse food, be more restless, or even be more aggressive. ( I will never brumate my bloodred again, he became a complete JERK)
The jerking motions may be part of the breeding behavior, though I thought it was more the male's thing to do.. again, I am NOT an expert.

The male refusing food is also a clue.. I think mine refused food for at ;east 3 months, it had me panicked at first, (the agressiveness and refusing food) but the vet found nothing wrong.. Then I did some searches online and found out that these changes can be 'normal' for breeding season. You'll find links to threads here about it if you do a search.

Do you have a reptile vet you can contact to ask about this?

NancyG

* brumation is sort of like hibernation (but it isn't) the snakes go find a den underground to hide in and wait out the winter months. Their metabolism slows down and they sort of 'sleep', the chill or the daylight cycles triggers the hormonal process to induce breeding when the weather warms back up. (breeding in spring is typical of many animals, lots of food through the warm months to help the new babies grow enough to survive the winter.
 
Hmm awesome. Her cage is next to my male hognose, but he's not even a year. Okay. I never brumated because I don't intend to breed. But good to know It's a seasonal thing. I thought something was wrong. She's just horny. Thanks for putting my mind at rest
 
Yup, love is in the air! All my kiddos went nuts this spring, and apparently I wasn't alone. Experienced breeders and keepers had snakes in overdrive this spring, refusing meals and acting bizarre. My guess is the strange winter we had, although Phoenix wasn't affected much by the storms, I bet it still affected snakes all over the US and Canada.

For any girls, I would put a lay box in the viv with her. Last year I only had one snake (Scarlett, female) and had no odd behavior from her. This year I had 6 snakes, 4.2, and the girls were going nuts.

Scarlett kept trying to get out of her viv like it was on fire, then she finally laid some slugs. She ate 2 pinkies (after not eating for several weeks) and now she is back up on her regular size.

Snow, however, was just plain MEAN. She would strike every time we got near the viv, and changing her water was just a bite fest. I figured out too late that she needed a lay box, I made one for her, she jumped right in, laid 12 tiny slugs, crawled out and died. I felt for the eggs, but because they were so small (the largest was about the size of a marble) I couldn't feel them, and she was 13 years old.

Maybe make a lay box for her, it can't hurt and if she does have eggs in her she might be looking for a place to lay the slugs. Neither Scarlett nor Snow had been bred, so I never even thought about it.

Good luck!
 
That is definitely communication jerking. You could probably get her to reproduce it by stroking her gently along her back :)

Tell me again why you are positive she is a female? Females twitch or jerk, too, just not as much as males. And feel her belly carefully for bumps, starting at about the stomach area on down. The snake has to be relaxed to allow you to feel, so usually I let her crawl over my fingers on the floor, and press my thumb down gently on her spine, and from below with my second and third fingers. If you feel anything- give her a lay box.
 
I'm positive she's female because she has a lot of tail after her clocha.... like..

Lots of scales. At least the internet told me males tails have about an inch after the vent. I got like 2 and a half...with double scales post vent. And the pet shop also said it was female.
Yea.... she does reproduce.

It's hard to tell if she has eggs. I provided lay box which she isn't using. But it looks like her belly is swollen, however, I didn't feel any bumps really. Lay box is just damp moss right, the sphagum moss?
 
Males actually have longer tails than females. And the behavior you're describing sounds more like typical male behavior than female, although females can act that way too. And yes, damp moss in a box with a hole in the lid that's big enough for her to get in and out.

Here's an image I found on google of male and female tails. The female tail is on top.
sexing1.jpg
 
Ah okay... that's my bad... when I gendered it I had the webpage open looking at how to tell. They had some specific points....but I forgot most.... one was also the double scale all the way down. Where as females don't have it all the way down usually. Anyways, her tail is much shorter than that.... looks completely different. Just got the facts mixed in my head
 
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