You notice that your snake's tongue is not forked. Both tips are pointing in the same direction instead of pointing to right and left as they should ? the tips look like they are glued together.
What is the reason why this is happening and what could be wrong with your snake?
OUR ANSWER IS.............................................................
IMO the snake has a respitory infection & this is why the tines of its tongue is sticking together..
You may also observe any of the following symptons which is related to Reptile RI.
listlessness, weight loss due to decreased appetite, swollen or bloated body,
gaping (when your reptile's mouth is always open, even during periods of
apparent relaxation), open mouth breathing (often with audible exhalations
when in an advanced state), wheezing or clicking noises, bubbly, stringy, or
sheeting mucous in the mouth, and head held in a raised position to facilitate
breathing.
RI is a very common serious illness in collections.
Its important for owners to know how to prevent respitory ailments & how to treat them before they become serious enough to require a vet visit or worse. So lets take a look at RI...
Respiratory infections are generally bacterial in nature, but may be viral. They
are most often caused by inadequate heat over prolonged periods of time in the
reptile's environment & are more common over winter times. RI requires the following treatment:
An evaluation of the day & night temperatures in the reptiles enclosure and the attention of a reptile vet who will evaluate the reptile for systematic anti-biotics & fluid replacement. The animal infected should be kept in a draft free & well ventilated enclosure maintained at the proper day time temp throughout day & night. The warmer temps will enable the snakes immune system to function better & also help the efficiancy of the anti-biotics.
If I was in this situation I would increase the temperature to 32*, monitoring its food and water intake.
Watch over it for the next 24/48 hours and if it dosn't look like recovering take it to a Vet.
Written by JandC_Reptiles
Aded by Slateman: The first thing to do is to isolate this animal from all remaining healthy animals and move into quarintine.
This is great article JandC_Reptiles well done.