Coastal Health & Enclosure/Handling Question

[Lloyd2302]

Hi all,

Okay ever since moving my soon to be two year old coastal up to her bigger enclosure, everything for the most part has been going well. I didn't cool her during her first Winter obviously and I was going to this Winter but thought I wouldn't as I had just moved her up to a bigger enclosure and didn't want to stress her with a drop in temp. Anyway two questions I have basically.

1) When I have gotten her out the last few times, I have noticed she makes a noise from either her throat or nostrils, one of the two, like a slight hiss. Like the noise your nose makes when you exhale suddenly from it. It only happens really quickly and infrequently, maybe every minute or two and only once. Sort of like a, "did you hear that" moment. Is this something to be concerned about? She hasn't always done it, but shows no other sign of illness and is still eating like a machine. I have thought of taking her to a vet and will do if I can't work it out. I had one thought, her water bowl (which is quite large, she could fit in it if she wanted but hasn't ever done that yet) is on the end of the enclosure and she perches directly above it and actually hangs down in ambush position over it, I wondered if the water is evaporating up and it is getting a bit humid up where she sleeps etc. Just a thought.

2) Particularly for larger python keepers but applies to all I guess. Getting a python out of a larger enclosure in under an hour? My coastal is really only "cage-defensive" at night. You would not put your hand in there at night without it getting taken off, but it's a food thing. During the day you could clean around her and she'd be fine. So during the day I can try and get to her a lot easier but the thing is she grabs onto everything in sight and can take some time to get her out. The enclosure isn't hard to pull a part, I guess at this stage she is still quite arboreal so she's up there glued to everything basically. I could only imagine the strife some people have in this area with GPs or big Scrubbies that like to climb. Have any python keepers here worked out methods to where they can get their pythons out a lot easier. One method I worked out was too coax her into her suspended hide then take all the stuff out of her enclosure and then open her hide box and take her out but sometimes she is happy to hold onto everything and she is stroooong. So much fun learning all these things about them though.

Thanks for your time and look forward to some responses!

 

[notechistiger]

1. Sounds like she was just hissing or exhaling. If it only happens every now and again, I wouldn't worry about it.

2. The best way imo is to get removable logs, for example branches that fit into braces on the wall and they come away easy. With this way you wouldn't have to pull apart the enclosure. Only doing maintenance while in her hide is another way (just pull the hide out when you're ready).

 

[pinefamily]

The noise is nothing to worry about. Our two coastals make the same sort of noise you describe.
Turning the heat off for a couple of hours helps to get a difficult snake out its enclosure.

 

[Snow_Wolf_Black]

Hi all,

Okay ever since moving my soon to be two year old coastal up to her bigger enclosure, everything for the most part has been going well. I didn't cool her during her first Winter obviously and I was going to this Winter but thought I wouldn't as I had just moved her up to a bigger enclosure and didn't want to stress her with a drop in temp. Anyway two questions I have basically.

1) When I have gotten her out the last few times, I have noticed she makes a noise from either her throat or nostrils, one of the two, like a slight hiss. Like the noise your nose makes when you exhale suddenly from it. It only happens really quickly and infrequently, maybe every minute or two and only once. Sort of like a, "did you hear that" moment. Is this something to be concerned about? She hasn't always done it, but shows no other sign of illness and is still eating like a machine. I have thought of taking her to a vet and will do if I can't work it out. I had one thought, her water bowl (which is quite large, she could fit in it if she wanted but hasn't ever done that yet) is on the end of the enclosure and she perches directly above it and actually hangs down in ambush position over it, I wondered if the water is evaporating up and it is getting a bit humid up where she sleeps etc. Just a thought.

2) Particularly for larger python keepers but applies to all I guess. Getting a python out of a larger enclosure in under an hour? My coastal is really only "cage-defensive" at night. You would not put your hand in there at night without it getting taken off, but it's a food thing. During the day you could clean around her and she'd be fine. So during the day I can try and get to her a lot easier but the thing is she grabs onto everything in sight and can take some time to get her out. The enclosure isn't hard to pull a part, I guess at this stage she is still quite arboreal so she's up there glued to everything basically. I could only imagine the strife some people have in this area with GPs or big Scrubbies that like to climb. Have any python keepers here worked out methods to where they can get their pythons out a lot easier. One method I worked out was too coax her into her suspended hide then take all the stuff out of her enclosure and then open her hide box and take her out but sometimes she is happy to hold onto everything and she is stroooong. So much fun learning all these things about them though.

Thanks for your time and look forward to some responses!

I have an NT Carpet that does the same. She gives a slight hiss every now and again. I had someone once tell me that female snakes tend to be more 'noisy'. How true this is I do not know, and only have 1 female.

As for the getting out, well I have the same problem. I have to time when I pick up my carpet because she tries to grab everything in sight with her tail. I try pick her up when coiled or closer to her rear section to reduce her ability to coil. I don't think there are too many 'tricks' in this department, but if there are I am interested too. I have just gotten adopted a 2m coastal, but have not handled him yet. Waiting for him to settle.

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Picked up my male coastal and he did a couple hisses too, or maybe I'm imagining it. Maybe they just don't like me.

 

[Senator358]

Leave the enclosure open and a lot of times they will come out to have a look around.