You’ve been thinking, and wondering whether or not your snake is blind. You want to rule out any form of doubt, because you’ve been trying to get it to eat or play with you and it’s just not happening. You did your research and you think maybe, just maybe, your snake is blind.
Well, that is exactly why we are here. To help you know how to tell if your snake is blind, so keep reading for tips on how to tell if your snake is blind and what to do if about it if it is.
What Causes Blindness In Snakes?
You seemed to have been doing everything right. In fact you know that there was nothing you did wrong, but still it looks like your snake is going blind.
Well, good news, its not your fault, your snake is blind not because of something you did wrong as there are a few reasons why a snake might become blind. In some cases, it can be due to an infection, such as a tumor or abscess.
Other times, it can be because of residual or retained spectacle. Snakes shed their skin, which includes the surface of their eyes. If the spectacle is retained, it can cause blindness and feeding difficulties.
To avoid this, keep your snake’s enclosure at the proper humidity and temperature so he can shed his skin. The temperature and humidity levels are determined by the type of snake. If it’s too hot,
Other causes of blindness in snakes include old age, physical injury or exposure to bright light.
If your snake has suddenly gone blind, it’s important to take it to the vet for an examination to determine the cause. Depending on the cause, treatment may be available to restore some degree of vision.
How to tell if a snake is blind
There are several signs that can indicate whether or not your snake is vision impaired. These signs are what you need to look out for if you want to be sure whether your snake is blind or not.
Inactivity
Snakes that can’t see well will often avoid movement, since they can’t gage distances, objects or even see where they’re going, there’s no point in moving. If your snake is blind it would chose to remain on one spot, because it can’t see where it’s going, so watch out for inactivity in your snake.
Consistent Bumps into objects
If your snake is frequently banging into things, like it keeps bumping it’s head on his terrarium, then it is likely vision impaired.
Eyesight problems
This one is pretty self explanatory! It is very likely that your snake is blind or is going blind if you’ve noticed that it’s unable to open either one or both eyes, it is constantly blinking its eyes, has pus, a crust, dull eyes or mucus around the eyes, fuzzy cornea or it scratches the terrarium’s sides, decor, and base with its eyes and face.
How to Test a Snake’s Vision
The best way to test your snake’s vision is to see if it can detect and predict movement. A good way to do this is to move your hand from one side of the terrarium to the other, and watch to see if your snake follows your hand with its eyes. If it does, you can take a deep breath now because that’s a good sign that your snake can see, Yay!
Another simple and even fun way to test your snake’s vision is to take a small piece of fruit, which you know your snake already likes, place it at one end of the terrarium and watch to see if your snake goes over to get it. If it does, that means your snake can see where the treat is located, if not, your snake is either blind or going blind, Its time to pay the Vet a visit.
How To Take Care Of Your Blind Pet Snake
Let’s say you’ve finally figured it out, that your snake is indeed blind, its a sad and stressful news but don’t worry – there are steps you can take and things you could actually do to make sure your snake is as comfortable and healthy as possible.
1). Please, take extra care when handling your blind snake. Keep in mind that its senses of touch and smell are heightened to compensate for its lack of vision, and it can get spooked really easily, so be gentle and make sure to support its body during handling.
2). Reduce temperature and humidity fluctuations in its enclosure. If you must change the environment, do so gradually so that it is not too shocking for it.
3). You can also provide plenty of hiding spaces with soft bedding material so your snake can feel secure. Every few days, spritz these areas with water from a spray bottle to give the snake a sense of its surroundings.
You can help your blind snake live a happy and healthy life if you keep these tips in mind!
Is It Possible to Treat Blindness in Snakes?
Well, this question is usually for the Vet. So If you think your snake might be blind, the first thing you should do is to have them checked out by a vet.
Unfortunately, there’s no definitive cure for blindness in snakes. However, if this blindness came from an eye infection or bacteria, virus or anything of that sort, the vet may be able to prescribe some treatments that can help improve their overall quality of life. For instance, they might suggest using eye drops or steroid injections.
In some cases, they might even recommend surgery to remove any damaged tissue in the eyes, although,many pet owners will decide to pass on this, because it would cost alot more than getting a new snake.
However, about getting complete cure for your blind snake, you would need to speak to your vet for options available to you.
FAQs on Blind Snakes
Do snakes go blind?
Yes but this isn’t common. But just like humans, some snakes can suffer from vision impairments that can range from blurry vision to complete blindness, because they have poor vision, no eyelids, can’t blink, and must sleep with their eyes open. As you might expect, their inability to protect their eyes makes them vulnerable to a variety of eye problems.
However, Snakes rely on their other senses, such as smell and vibration. Many of them, however, can see and can even sharpen their vision when faced with danger.
What should I do if my snake is blind?
Well, if your snake is completely blind, there’s nothing more you can do aside from listening to the instructions from your vet, and also do your best to keep your snake safe.
Conclusion
We hope that this article has helped you to understand the things involved in having a blind snake. If you haven’t figured out why your snake is staying put in one position, then we suggest that you take your snake to see the Vet so that you can rule out the possibility of your snake being blind.
