# Corn snake respiratory infection?



## eksong (Jul 15, 2004)

Hi,

A suitemate just finished packing and has decided to give me her snow corn.  It is a beautiful snake, looks to be ~2 years old.

However, while I was handling it, I noticed that the snake makes an almost inaudible dry whistling noise occasionally as it breathes.  Is this a certain sign of a respiratory infection?  And if so, is it mild or are all respiratory infections severe?

Stool is normal, and there is no mucous buildup of any sort.  Eyes are clear and it is still quite active in its movements.  It has no feeding problems.


Please let me know.  This snake shares the same room as my others... don't want anything happening to them!


__

Edit: I've raised the basking temperature to 91 degrees.  I hope this helps.


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## pitbulllady (Jul 15, 2004)

Many snakes will make a slight whistling noise, often mistaken for a hiss, while being handled.  I figure that they are just breathing harder due to being handled.  I have several which do this, especially my big male  Pine.  Some people have even postulated that it's a form of communication, but since snakes are deaf to airborn sounds, that doesn't seem likely.  A snake with a respiratory infection might sneeze, or blow bubbles, and is likely to take at least an occasional breath with its mouth open.  Most won't feed if sick, either.  You might want to back off on that temp, since 91 degrees is WAY hotter than is considered ideal for Corns, and can actually lead to a problem rather than solve it.  Unless you observe the snake sneezing, or having a discharge from its mouth or nose, or open-mouthed breathing, or you can hear gurgling or wheezing INSIDE the snake if you put your ear up to its body, it doesn't sound like a problem.  If the snake goes "off-feed" and is not in shed, I would get concerned, too.  Otherwise, without hearing the sound for myself, I would guess it's just that normal little sound many of them make while being held.

pitbulllady


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## eksong (Jul 15, 2004)

Thanks for the info.

I have not seen the corn's mouth open, other than the tongue groove.  The whistling does seem to only occur when I am handling her, but it is real.  She may or may not be whistling whilst in her tank, the noise is so soft I wouldn't be able to tell.  

Again, no bubbling of any sort.  She is just as curious and flicks her tongue like any normal corn.  She has not sneezed or opened her mouth.

91 degrees is not the norm for my corns; I just raised it for this corn because I heard raising temps could solve any minor respiratory problems by buffering the immune response?

Thanks for the help, though, it is definitely reassuring to know this is not a definite case of illness.  The reason I am so worried is because I am in a studio so I HAVE to keep this corn in the same room as my other snakes =[


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