As a ball python owner, you may encounter situations where your snake regurgitates or vomits up its meal. This can be alarming, but is usually easily resolved by making some husbandry adjustments. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover the differences between regurgitation and vomit, reasons it happens, and how to get your ball python eating properly again.
Understanding Regurgitation vs Vomit
It’s important to understand the difference between regurgitation and vomit so you can better identify the cause when it happens
Regurgitation is when a snake brings back up the prey it has recently eaten before the food has been digested. The rodent or prey item will look largely unchanged when regurgitated. Regurgitation happens shortly after eating usually within 24 hours. It’s a passive release of the undigested prey.
Vomiting occurs later, once digestion has started. Partially digested prey along with digestive juices will be expelled. The vomit will have a foul odor. This is an active muscular reflex, different from regurgitation.
Common Causes of Regurgitation
There are a few main reasons a ball python may regurgitate its food:
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Stress – Handling, cage disturbances, loud noises, improper temperatures, and other stressors can cause regurgitation. Snakes regurgitate so they can flee from perceived threats.
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Temperatures too low – Ball pythons rely on optimal temperatures (88-92F) to digest food. If the environment is too cold, digestion is impaired.
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Prey too large – Snakes can regurgitate prey that is too big for them to swallow or digest properly.
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Overfeeding – Eating before the previous meal has been fully digested can lead to regurgitation.
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Health issues – Parasites, infections, and other health problems may also cause a snake to regurgitate meals.
What To Do if Your Ball Python Regurgitates
If you find regurgitated prey in your ball python’s enclosure, follow these steps:
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Remove the prey item immediately and clean the enclosure to prevent bacteria growth. Provide fresh, clean water.
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Leave the snake alone for at least 1-2 weeks to allow it to rest and recover. Do not attempt to feed during this time.
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Double check your temperatures – use a digital thermometer to ensure the warm side is 88-92F.
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Assess prey size at the next feeding and go smaller if needed.
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Limit handling for a few days after feeding to prevent stress-related regurgitation.
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If repeated regurgitation occurs after making husbandry adjustments, have your vet examine the snake for underlying health issues.
Causes of Vomiting in Ball Pythons
Vomiting is more unusual than regurgitation in ball pythons. Some potential causes include:
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Bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections
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Gastrointestinal blockages or obstructions
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Toxins ingested from contaminated prey or substrate
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Severe dehydration
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Tumors or other masses putting pressure on the digestive tract
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Issues with organs involved in digestion like the liver, pancreas, or gallbladder
What To Do if Your Python Vomits
See your exotic vet if vomit is expelled, especially if accompanied by:
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Weight loss or lethargy
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Loss of appetite
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Visibly bloody vomit
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Foul odor from the mouth
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Blisters around the mouth
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Difficulty breathing
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Swollen body
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Discolored or abnormal stools
Your vet can run diagnostics tests to determine if there is an infection, obstruction, or other medical issue causing the vomiting. Treatment may include fluids, medications, dietary changes, and potentially surgery.
Preventing Regurgitation and Vomiting
While an occasional regurgitation isn’t uncommon, there are ways to help avoid it:
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Maintain proper hot side temperatures (88-92F)
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Give your snake 5-7 days to rest and digest between feedings
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Select appropriate prey sizes – feed items equal to or just slightly larger than the thickest part of the snake’s body
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Handle gently after eating, or not at all for 2-3 days
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Keep the enclosure clean and disinfect bowls after vomiting episodes
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Quarantine new snakes for 90+ days to check for parasites or illness
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Avoid relocated prey items which are more likely to bite or scratch the snake
By monitoring temperatures, feeding schedules, prey size, and general husbandry, you can help prevent regurgitation. Seek prompt veterinary care if vomiting occurs, as it may signal an underlying health issue in your ball python.
Both regurgitation and vomiting are common concerns for ball python owners. Regurgitation is usually caused by husbandry issues like temperatures or stress. Vomiting may indicate an illness needing veterinary attention. With proper husbandry and nutrition, you can minimize episodes of regurgitation and vomit. Seek vet help if vomiting persists so any medical issues can be diagnosed and treated. Keeping a close eye on your ball python’s appetite and behaviors will help alert you to any problems.
Moving to Feed – Just Don’t Do It
Moving to feed is an outdated misconception that removing your snake from its enclosure to feed it prevents it from associating feeding time with its home. Here’s why that’s wrong. Ball Pythons are most comfortable in their enclosures, tucked away in a dark, cramped spot. They’re ambush predators, meaning they sit and wait for their prey to come to them. When you take them out of their cage, and put them in a separate container, you have taken them from their safe place and put them in an unknown place with nowhere to hide. Then, you add a (potentially live) feeder that in more natural circumstances can cause quite a bit of damage to an exposed snake. If your snake manages to ignore its fear of being exposed enough to eat, you will then need to move them back into their cage. Handling or other types of stress so soon after eating puts them at high risk for regurgitation.
Regurgitation is when your snake essentially vomits up its meal shortly after eating. Constricting and swallowing a meal takes a great deal of energy but the meal should outweigh the energy lost. When your snake regurges, it has now expended quite a bit of energy but has no meal to regain the energy lost. For this reason, it is best to not handle your snake for 24-48 hours after feeding.
Now that we know that it is best to feed your snake in its enclosure, what can we do to make sure the snake doesn’t think WE are food?
Some snakes, you don’t need to do anything special. With these guys, you can just reach in and they know better than to strike at your hand. Some snakes need a literal heads up. Tap training is a popular method to take the snake out of hunting mode by gently tapping their face/head, usually with a snake hook. As long as you are gentle, you will not injure your snake, but you will make it clear to them that it is not time for food.
Feeding Your Ball Python
“Take them out of their cage to feed them, it makes them tamer”
“Feeding live mice/rats will make them more aggressive”
“It is normal for Ball Pythons to go off feed”
“They need to eat a medium rat every 7 days”
“You have to stun the rat before feeding so it doesnt bite your snake”
PLEASE DONT EVER DO THIS
Okay, now that we have gotten that out of the way, let’s all take a deep breath and talk about why all these statements are incorrect. To fully understand these snakes, we have to be aware of their natural behavior. Ball Pythons spend most of their time in the wild hiding inside termite mounds, waiting for a small, furry creature to come by. They rarely ever leave their hiding spots except to find another hiding spot or to breed. Being outside their hiding spot means they are in danger of being eaten by birds or other predators from above.
Ball Python Vomiting? Here’s what to do! (Regurgitation Guide)
FAQ
Why did my ball python regurgitate?
- Stress: Snakes, in the wild, will regurgitate their meal if feeling threatened by a predator to improve their mobility and escape. This natural response can also occur in captivity if a snake is stressed.
- Temperature:
- Cold Temperatures: If the enclosure temperature drops too low, the snake may not be able to digest the food properly, leading to the food rotting in the stomach, which can cause regurgitation.
- Warm Temperatures: Excessively warm temperatures can also cause stress, leading to regurgitation.
- Cold Temperatures: If the enclosure temperature drops too low, the snake may not be able to digest the food properly, leading to the food rotting in the stomach, which can cause regurgitation.
- Handling: Handling a snake too soon after feeding can also trigger regurgitation.
- Prey Size and Thawing: An improperly sized or thawed prey item can be difficult for the snake to digest, leading to regurgitation.
- Illness: Underlying health issues can sometimes cause regurgitation.
- Dehydration: If a snake is dehydrated, it may have difficulty digesting food.
- Dirty Enclosure: A dirty enclosure can cause stress and potentially lead to illness, which could contribute to regurgitation.
- Cohabitation: If you have multiple snakes in one enclosure, they may become stressed and regurgitate.
What is the difference between regurgitation and vomiting in snakes?
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Regurgitation:
- Occurs soon after a snake attempts to or has swallowed a meal, meaning the food hasn’t had time to be thoroughly digested.
- Can be triggered by stress, rough handling, or improper environmental conditions (like temperature or humidity).
- The snake may try to re-ingest the regurgitated food.
- Often associated with husbandry issues and is a more common occurrence than vomiting.
- Occurs soon after a snake attempts to or has swallowed a meal, meaning the food hasn’t had time to be thoroughly digested.
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Vomiting:
- Involves the forceful ejection of food that has been in the stomach and is partially digested.
- Is a sign of significant disease and requires veterinary attention.
- The material produced by vomiting often looks like stool with no urates (white chalky material seen with feces).
- Vomiting can be a sign of internal bacterial infections, lethargy, drastic weight loss, and lack of appetite.
- Involves the forceful ejection of food that has been in the stomach and is partially digested.
What to do if your snake regurgitates?
Reset the cage with new substrate and clean drinking water and then you can place the snake back in the enclosure. Once this is done the most important thing needs to be done and that is you need to mark the date of the regurgitation as you must not feed the snake again for another 14 days.