One of my snakes...

[ConcinusMan]

Sorry, I edited to explain.

Yes. That's not a young snake. Their skin, and I mean all layers of it, loses it's firmness and that can be seen when the snake moves or bends. Also, just the way it moves, and other subtle clues (and just plain ol' experience with old snakes) tell me she's pretty old.

[RedSidedSPR]

Now that you say that, I can see what you mean...

[jitami]

Interesting... thanks for explaining.

[ConcinusMan]

Changes in muscle tone are seen in old snakes too. It shows in the way they move. Big Bertha is showing those signs too.

[katach]

Could it be she has recently given birth?

[ConcinusMan]

Well sure it could be but there's more to it than that. The snakes just looks old to me, and is the right size for an old northwestern too.

[kibakiba]

Mama lost a lot of weight and was really saggy and you could see the muscles moving, much like Richard explained, but you could still tell that she was extremely young despite that.

[snakehill]

Yes. That's not a young snake. Their skin, and I mean all layers of it, loses it's firmness and that can be seen when the snake moves or bends. Also, just the way it moves, and other subtle clues (and just plain ol' experience with old snakes) tell me she's pretty old.

Unfortunately it applies to people too!

[ConcinusMan]

Certainly. And for many of the same reasons. I don't mean simply "age" I mean the specific reasons for loss of muscle density, lose baggy skin, arthritis, etc. are the same in snakes as the reasons we get these conditions in advanced age.

It's not surprising to me that bertha got a respiratory infection even though she was kept under the same conditions and even the same tank as much younger snakes. They were unaffected. Same way an old person can easily get pneumonia when a young person with the same infection may only get a scratchy throat or not get sick at all. Thankfully it was just bacterial (common, normally harmless bacteria) and antibiotics took care of it. She's OK now.