# HELP! Boa making popping/cracking sound?!



## larissalurid (May 10, 2012)

I just got a male 3.5 yr old columbian red tail boa the other day from people who were moving that needed to rehome. He is in shed so I only really held him one time since moving him in here when putting him in a warm bath, but when I did I heard popping/cracking noises. I have hip displasia and it sounds exactly when my hip pops out/into place, or like if someone cracked their knuckle almost. It made that noise a few times, but didn't at all when my bf was holding him for quite a while the day we got him while I was cleaning out and setting up his tank and there were no sounds. He was even moving around on the couch a little and seemed fine, curious and no sounds. I don't hear weird noises when he is breathing and it doesn't look like he is having any respiratory problems. Overall he seems healthy, except for how his owners only had a ceramic heater for him that got the warm end up to 80 degrees in my 75 degree house. I'm not sure if there was other heating provided in his old home they didn't give me, but I immediately added a 100w infrared heat bulb and the hot end is now 90 degrees. 

So as I said, he only made this sound a few times, and this is after he was curled up not moving for many many hours, so I'm not sure if it could have been his bones just "settling" like how mine pop every once in a while. Also I've heard of some "popping" sound apparently being heard (not sure if same as what im describing though) when they are in shed, but can't really figure out what that has to do with the sound exactly, but he is in shed. He just got past the milky eyed stage so he should be shedding within the next week about. I know that some sort of weird crackling sounds are sometimes heard when they have respiratory infections, so being as how i'm not 100% sure the tank was over 80 for him in his old home, I'm just really wanting to make sure that this might be something normal. 

thank you


the sound is NOT coming from the mouth!


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## dragonmetalhead (May 11, 2012)

The sound may be the crinkling of loose, dry, ready-to-shed skin. If the issue persists or the sound changes at all, take the snake to a vet. Oh, and lets see some pics please. I love boas.


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## Kimmie (May 11, 2012)

was thinking it could be him trying to get his mouth in place but since you say the sound dont come from there im like woot?


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## laurarfl (May 12, 2012)

I also thought of dry skin. Sometimes when they are dry and about to shed, the nasal passages are crackly.

Perhaps raising the humidity would help?


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## Bubblz Calhoun (May 12, 2012)

_Sounds to me like it was just stretching. I don't know if you've ever stretched a snake before but the pop or cracking sounds the same as when we crack our back, neck or what ever. Since it pretty much is the same. When you put him in the bath did you hold him and let him slide out of your hands or just put him in all at once?

It can and does freak people out if they're not use to it._


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## larissalurid (May 27, 2012)

Bubblz Calhoun said:


> _Sounds to me like it was just stretching. I don't know if you've ever stretched a snake before but the pop or cracking sounds the same as when we crack our back, neck or what ever. Since it pretty much is the same. When you put him in the bath did you hold him and let him slide out of your hands or just put him in all at once?
> 
> It can and does freak people out if they're not use to it._



Sorry I didn't see these other posts!!! Yea I actually did conclude before it was probably just vertebrae popping as he stretched out from being curled up lol. I've been around large snakes before and haven't really heard it, and even mine never really does this, so it was a little random. I just wanted to be sure lol. And for the bath, he was "popping" before I even put him in. What I did was hold him close above the water and let him see it and lick it and gently and slowly placed him in a little bit and then let him just go in himself. I definitely don't just plop any of my pets right into the water. That seems like it would be pretty scary for them lol
I think it was just because he was in shed (maybe) but mostly bc he had been all wrapped up for a long time or something. It definitely was NOT from his mouth, it sounded like when my joints pop and I felt it in his body. So I definitely think it was what "bubblz" was saying as well. It's never happened since either, but when I was reading about "popping" sounds and RI I got nervous at first because I heard popping, although it was apparently two completely different things being talked about lol. He has 60% humidity which I raised to about 65% when he was in shed before and reg temps of 90 hot end and 80-83 cool end. :]



dragonmetalhead said:


> The sound may be the crinkling of loose, dry, ready-to-shed skin. If the issue persists or the sound changes at all, take the snake to a vet. Oh, and lets see some pics please. I love boas.




It was just him stretching out not any respiratory or like loose skin sounds, so i'm glad he is nice and healthy. and of course! 

Silly music with Lucius (loo-see-us) outside lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpvBJMwNyFU&feature=plcp

Taking a bath!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUgNvHfxdHM&feature=plcp

his "demon face/skull markings" 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cngAD9Xvh3s&feature=context-chv


[attachment=4382]
Idk why the pic came out so small but thats one of his skull markings lol. ill try to post more pics of like him, but haven't really tried to post pics here before so hopefully it will work
[attachment=4388]
[attachment=4386]
[attachment=4385]
[attachment=4384]
[attachment=4383]


well if you click the pics get large, sorry idk maybe they were too big to fit and the site just made them tiny for a preview? lol like i said, first time ive tried this. hope you like him though!


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## jamesnyborg (May 27, 2012)

Awesome markings


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## larissalurid (May 28, 2012)

jamesnyborg said:


> Awesome markings



yea pretty unique!  he's a cutie.


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