Posted earlier about my BP lookin funny...pics

[snoopylove]

So I posted earlier about him looking wierd. His scales seem really dry and discolored. I tried my best to get pics but it is still somewhat hard to see. I also noticed when taking the pics he is real jumpy/sensitive when I touch him and he never used to be like that. I've never posted pics here so hope this works...


The scarring to the left was from his last shed but the discoloring and "scratch" marks were not there...

[Virus]

I"m not truly sure, have you considered it being bits of stuck shed?

[snoopylove]

well his last shed was close to two months ago and I never noticed the discoloration before now. Maybe I just never saw it, am just worried about him.

[Seeker]

If mine start to look like that I wrap them in either warm wet towels for a few hours, or soak them in warm water. I sometimes get those also, but I am not sure what causes it. What is the humidity up too? I try to keep mine in the 50ish range. (45-60%) Also what are your temperatures like? What type of heat source? I have one of my normal get burnt really bad,and dried out because I used a light that was quite simply to powerful. It was the Exo-Terra Solar glo 160w bulb. Just somethings that you might try.

[snoopylove]

If mine start to look like that I wrap them in either warm wet towels for a few hours, or soak them in warm water. I sometimes get those also, but I am not sure what causes it. What is the humidity up too? I try to keep mine in the 50ish range. (45-60%) Also what are your temperatures like? What type of heat source? I have one of my normal get burnt really bad,and dried out because I used a light that was quite simply to powerful. It was the Exo-Terra Solar glo 160w bulb. Just somethings that you might try.

Last december I built a custom cage for him. It is a 7 foot tall enclosure with three levels. The top level consists of his log for his basking. At the top I have a heat lamp which sits like 3-4 feet above him(he can't reach it to get burnt). The middle level is the cooler level and his water bowl is there. The bottom level has another hide along with a heat pad below it. Currently the top level is at 90 and the bottom at 85 and the cooler level is at 77. Humidity is at 53 and usually stays between 45 and 55. I did put him in to soak a little while ago, he stayed in there for about 10 minutes and then wanted out.

[Seeker]

I don't know that to tell you. Call a vet if your worried, and have them look. It would put your mind at easy. I would rather spend a vet fee to find out if anything is wrong; then to wake up one morning, and my BP is dead. Not saying that will happen, but what is it going to hurt?

[jbean7916]

It looks like hes scratched himself. How are you monitoring overall temps and humidity in that large of an enclosure? Balls typically don't care for open spaces, can we see pics of your set up?

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[Slim]

At the top I have a heat lamp which sits like 3-4 feet above him(he can't reach it to get burnt)

Ball Pythons don't bask in the way that bearded dragons and turtles do. They do far better with belly and ambient heat for thermo regulation.

Is this heat lamp covered? Just because it's 3 feet above his top shelf, doesn't mean he can't get up there. The reason I say this is because that looks like it could be a burn to me.

Also, I urge you to get rid of those half log hides and use something more secure. The open ends of those log hides don't work well for ball pythons. They like to fee surrounded on all sides when in a hide.

[KrazyKevin]

What jbean said sounds like a very big enclosure.

[snoopylove]

The heat lamp is separated from the rest of the enclosure through a wire mesh so I know he hacn't access it. He also only has the one log which sits back against a wall though he never goes in it, he likes to lay on top of it for hours. The other hide is a cave not a log which he rarely goes in, just once in a while. He likes to be out climbing on his bushes/braches. The cage is not all open it is all covered in trees and such. I mist his tank a few times a day.