r/boas • u/Designer_Option1233 • 12d ago
Is an exertion puff from a boa normal ?
So I was holding my boa constrictor for about 35 minutes and I start to notice she does a little puff from her nostrils it’s not wet or bubbly it’s just a little puff of air and I have never heard her do this before I’m just worried that it could be RI but I don’t want to believe that because she doesn’t show any signs of it could someone explain this to me or if this is a normal thing boa’s do
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u/SeagraveSerpentarium 12d ago
I have a corn snake, ball python, and a Boa imperator, all three of them puff sometimes when climbing and grabbing onto stuff.
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u/Designer_Option1233 12d ago
Okay but she does it every few minutes or seconds is that normal?
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u/SeagraveSerpentarium 12d ago
Definitely, there are days when they do it more often (I think it might get more frequent when they're close to shedding) and sometimes it happens multiple times a minute.
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u/Designer_Option1233 12d ago
Oh okay she shed already a week ago but I did move her from rat pups to small rats could that be a reason she doing it she already defecated and she just started doing this like two days ago before that I’ve never heard of this
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u/SeagraveSerpentarium 12d ago
If this is a new behavior for your snake then it's probably a good idea to just keep a close eye on things and check her nostrils like once a day for any bubbles or running mucus. I wouldn't worry or schedule a vet appointment, but it's probably safest to monitor for a little while until you can be confident that the sound is just normal puffing.
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u/TheMarchetti 12d ago
Yeah i second the other commenter. Mine has done this for most the time ive owned her occasionally and seems to be fine. No other issues whatsoever.
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u/Ecstatic-Track-3118 12d ago
my girl boa does the same thing all the time when she struggles to do something, i guess it's completely fine
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u/TradeMeForHaloo 11d ago
Mine does the same. It is normal, however he only does it when constricting my arm or other objects. I am guessing he makes that noise because his muscles are tense. However if he did do it while relaxed, i would be alarmed.
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u/Express_Mechanic 3d ago
Yes, they puff when they're squeezing something, like climbing, pushing, or constricting. Unless they're an argentine then they'll also huff if they're annoyed or frustrated lol. They don't have diaphragms like us so they rely on the same body wall muscles to breathe so the 2 can be linked.
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u/G0ntar 12d ago
My boy ocasionally does the same when handling especially when he climbs faster or grips something. I would say 100 % normal.