Stargazing? Poorly ball python

[Banjoballs12]

In the photo the shed was half off and rolled over his nose (I was still working on it) which maybe why his face/jaw looks swollen? I will leave him alone for a few days now as he seems much more settled in his new tub.

[dakski]

I wouldn’t say he’s overweight, I think it’s probably just the way the photo is taken, my phone isn’t great for photos. Most of the shed is now off, I have checked in his mouth and there’s no sign of a RI or mouth rot. To me he looks slightly underweight, I have 13 other pythons who are all a healthy weight but this one seems slimmer though not drastically underweight. The person I got him from was a first time breeder and inexperienced, they had one of his siblings which was being assist fed, both were kept in tiny tubs with aspen and a water bowl, no hide as there wasn’t room. I had been keeping him my rack which doesn’t have much else in so not in close contact to my other snakes but close enough for me to worry 😬, the tubs in my new rack are black and I’m wondering if he didn’t like the lack of light in there? He’s now in a clear tub in my room and no longer has his nose pointing upwards, he’s actually gone into a hide for the first time in a few days. He had literally been in the position in my photos for 3 days. I only removed the majority of the shed last night after lots of soaking and rubbing a cotton bud over his face for ages.

I do not think he's underweight either.

I want to mention the following for the OPs benefit and also the benefit of those reading.

First, not advisable to by from first time breeders, especially when the conditions they are keeping them in and the way they are treating them is less than stellar. It can lead to issues for you, the snake(s) in question, and also put at risk your entire collection.

This leads me to Quarantine.

For those unfamiliar, proper quarantine is as follows:

1. Separate room when at all possible. If that is not possible, as far away from other reptiles as possible. For example, a large finished basement, would have 1 side Quarantined animal and the other side other animals. Again, ideally a separate room, floor, and when possible, separate ventilation system.

2. Paper substrate

3. Fed last, handled last (handling should be at a minimum in quarantine), cleaned last, etc. If you do touch the reptile in quarantine and have to go back to the established reptiles, that should be done after changing or washing clothes, washing hands, and preferably body.

4. Separate tongs, bowls, hides, etc. At no point should anything that touched a quarantined animal ever touch an established one without sterilization at best.

5. Quarantine should last 90 days. If any issues come up it's 90 days from then. If you get another animal during that period (not advisable) the 90 days starts again.

6. Stool sample at minimum recommended to be run (mail in or by vet) if any concerns come up during the quarantine.

7. If it's wild caught specimen, you are unsure, or you want to be extra careful, 180 days minimum quarantine.

If I missed anything, please add. I've written this quite a few times before, but that doesn't make me immune to mistakes.

The important thing here, for those reading, is that the OP gives us an opportunity to revisit proper quarantine and to understand the importance. Just because everything seems okay now, doesn't mean it will end up that way.

OP, I wish you luck. I would encourage you to properly quarantine now and to do so with any future additions.

[Armiyana]

I think as an addon to #7: fecal testing is required if you are unsure on if an animal is wild caught. Wild caught animals can exist with a parasite or bacterial load that can affect your other animals in entirely different ways.

I would even go so far as to treat with a antiparasitic as a precaution immediately after taking a fecal sample. Antibiotics are a bit more harsh and I would wait on a fecal culture there.