# Help - boa shaking head



## LauraH23 (2 mo ago)

I have a cb14 male boa that sometimes shakes his head for a few seconds. Almost like a dog shaking water off, but there isn't anything on his head. It's not corkscrewing or stargazing, but also not just a small twitch or the side-to-side they'll do to get a better look at something.

No sign of RI or any other health problems, eating/defecating/shedding all normal. Could this be a stress response? I've only seen it happen during or within 15mins of me going into the viv or him coming out (I don't force handling, but do let him out if he's on the glass and chooses to). Can anyone advise?

Housing is 6x2x2ft glass-front viv. Temps 23-29°C and basking spot 31°C. Humidity 60%ish. Warm and cold hides, water bowl cleaned every 3 days, soil/sand substrate, plenty of other decor.


----------



## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

Vet checkup?

Only occasions I have observed anything approaching a head shake, the boa had blown bubbles under water, and another occasion a boa had substrate caught on teeth.


----------



## Elly66 (Feb 27, 2021)

I'd get it vet checked to rule out any neuro issues.


----------



## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Mine has done it a couple of times when its been in breeding mode and had rubbed its nose against the rat left in the viv just in case he was hungry. Not seen any other behaviour to indicate anything neurological - I think we often jump too soon to the conclusion that a vet is needed, when something can be a normal behaviour just that we don't expect it or only rarely observe it. 

You could take it to the vets, but if it did turn out to be a neuro issue there's probably not a lot that can be done, either the snake lives with it, or its euthanised. And a CT scan on a snake would need a general anaesthetic, so there is also a risk there. Plus that wouldn't be cheap


----------

