Snake Regurgitation: Common Causes and What to Do Next

Snake regurgitation most often comes from three things: handling too soon after a meal, a cool enclosure, or a meal that's too big. Stress, parasites and illness can cause it too. Let your snake rest, fix the likely cause, and wait before offering a small meal. If it happens again, see a reptile vet.

Want the next meal sized right? Text Mike your snake's weight at (520) 451-4380.

It's scary to find. But one episode with a clear cause is often fixable. Here's how to sort it out.

What's snake regurgitation?

Regurgitation is when a snake brings food back up before it's digested. Vomiting is a little different.

A vet column by Douglas Mader, DVM, in REPTILES magazine explains it this way. Regurgitated food comes from the stomach and above. Vomited food comes from lower in the gut. In real life, keepers often can't tell which is which. The steps below apply to both.

Either way, take it seriously. ReptiFiles calls regurgitation and vomiting "highly traumatic" for reptiles and "potentially life-threatening."

What causes a snake to regurgitate?

Dr. Mader writes that the two most common causes are "low-environmental temperature and handling the animal too soon after eating." Here are the main causes and the fix for each:

Handling. PetPlace says snakes shouldn't be handled for 48 hours after a meal. ReptiFiles also lists handling within 48 hours as a cause.

Cool temperatures. Dr. Mader describes a common setup. The keeper turns off the heat lamp at night, the enclosure cools, and digestion stalls. The food can rot in the stomach, so the snake gets rid of it. His fix is a night heat source, like a heat pad or ceramic heat emitter. He warns not to let it get too hot, and to keep a thermometer in the enclosure.

Meal size. PetPlace says "prey that is too large will often stimulate regurgitation." Many keepers size meals at about 10% of the snake's body weight. Our guide to what size rat for a ball python walks through it in grams.

Stress and illness. Dr. Mader notes that a full stomach makes "fight or flight" hard, so a stressed snake may bring up its meal. He also lists bacteria, fungal infections, viruses, parasites and blockages among the medical causes.

What should I do right after my snake regurgitates?

Stay calm and work through this list:

• [ ] Leave your snake alone. ReptiFiles puts it plainly: "No handling, no touching, no pestering."
• [ ] Remove the meal and clean the spot. Use gloves. A dirty enclosure is one of the listed causes.
• [ ] Bag a sample if you'll see a vet. Dr. Mader says to bring it to the exam.
• [ ] Check temperatures, warm side and cool side. Check at night too, not only during the day.
• [ ] Make sure fresh water is out. Dehydration is on the list of causes.
• [ ] Write it down. Note the date, what you fed, its weight, your snake's weight, and the temps.
• [ ] Watch for decline. If your snake seems to be getting worse, ReptiFiles says to make a vet appointment "immediately."

How long should I wait to feed after regurgitation?

Sources differ a little, so here's the careful path.

ReptiFiles says to wait about 2 weeks if your snake seems to be doing okay. Then offer a small meal, "about 1/2 to 1/4 of what you would usually give." If that stays down, a normal meal should be fine next time. PetPlace gives a shorter window. It says to let the snake "rest several days" first.

The small meal is where grams help. Say your 600 g ball python normally eats a 60 g rat. A quarter to half meal is about 15 to 30 grams. That's a mouse, not a rat.

Need a smaller meal for the comeback? Call or text Mike at (520) 451-4380 with your snake's weight. Mike sells mice from Hopper (7 to 12 g) to Adult (18 to 30 g). His rats start at Small (45 to 85 g). See the live feeder mice and live feeder rats pages for prices.

How do I prevent regurgitation?

Most prevention comes down to three things: size, heat and hands off.

1. Size the meal by weight. Weigh your snake. Feed about 10% of its weight. Mike's feeder size guide lists every size in grams with the snake weight it fits. Our ball python weight chart shows typical weights by age.

2. Keep digestion temps steady. For ball pythons, a vet column in REPTILES magazine gives about 85 to 90°F by day. It adds a 95°F hot spot and 75°F at night. Other species need their own ranges, so check a care sheet for yours.

Tucson note. Winter nights here get cold. The National Weather Service lists a normal January low of about 41°F in Tucson. If your house runs cool at night, the enclosure can too. Check the night reading, not only the daytime one.

3. Hands off after meals. Wait 48 hours before handling. Dr. Mader notes that a wild snake finds a quiet spot for a few days after it eats.

If you feed live, there's one more point. Stay and watch, and take out any rodent your snake doesn't eat. Never leave a live rodent in with your snake. Our live feeding checklist covers each step. Frozen-thawed feeders are a fine choice too. The prevention steps above apply either way.

When should I see a reptile vet?

See a reptile vet if:

• It happens a second time, even after a small meal.
• Your snake seems weak, or it's getting worse.
• It's losing weight.
• You can't find a clear cause.

PetPlace's advice for vomiting or regurgitation: "contact your veterinarian immediately." Dr. Mader says that if the cause isn't easy to spot, a visit to a reptile vet "should follow as soon as possible." He adds that many of these problems are treatable when caught in time.

If your snake stops eating after an episode, read why won't my ball python eat.

Get the next meal right

Most snake regurgitation traces back to size, heat or handling. Fix the cause, give your snake time, and start small.

Mike breeds live feeder rats and mice in the Tucson area, with every size listed in grams. That makes it easy to match a meal to your snake's weight. Call or text Mike at (520) 451-4380, and he replies the same day.

Nothing ready in your size? Get batch alerts and Mike will email you when a new batch is ready.