# Ball Pythons > BP Husbandry >  Pink areas on my snakes belly

## sandersnd44

Quick question. I have had my pastel for about 2 weeks now he has eaten once each week. While handling him today I noticed some light pink areas on his stomach. I know they turn pink before shed from all that I have read but wasn't sure if the whole belly does or not. He is in a 10 gallon tank with uth temps on hot side( probe on the bottom glass under substrate) reads around 95 although I have seen it hit 98. Cool side 80 to 85 controlled by a rheostat. Substrate is a jungle earth. No picks right now sorry. Just wondering if it is normal or not. Googleing pink snake belly just yells scale rot at you which I doubt it is. Guess that wasn't so quick lol.

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## newport

ive notice the same on my bps belly but never gave any thought to it. I also wonder if thats normal as well.

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## sandersnd44

I'm a licensed lpn. Not that that makes me qualified in snake but the scales look normal so I'm doubting that it's something serious just a change I noticed. I'm a new owner and haven't had one go through shed so not exactly sure what to expect when they say pink belly.

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## Alexandra V

First off to the OP, those temps are pretty hot. You really want it at 78-80 on the cool side (never ever lower than 75) and 88-90 (no higher than 92) on the hot side. It could be the snake just going into shed, but that is usually on the entire belly. If it's in blotches, then I'd guess mild burn (maybe your thermometer isn't reading right)or mild scale rot. Pictures as soon as you can get them are the only way we'd be really able to help you definitively.

Are you using a heat source on the cool side too?  :Confused:  or is the rheostat you mentioned on the uth on the hot side?

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## sandersnd44

Uth is only on one side. I actual have to of them plugged into the rheostat. Both tanks have a accurate thermometer. But one tank reads lower then the other. Thought that wad weird considering it's the same rheostat. figured I was losing about 2 degrees as it goes through the substrate also humidity is between 55 to 65. But I will turn the heat down. And see if I can get some pics.

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## sandersnd44



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## sandersnd44

Any thoughts on what this could be?? The more I research the more confused I get.

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## mommanessy247

i dont see pink on those belly scales, i see slight brown-ish. it could just be the quality of the pics, no offense, but that does not scream shed belly to me. plus by the time my girl's belly is pink her skin is really dull. heck, once i notice the really dull skin i check the belly.

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## Alexandra V

I'm not getting shed belly from that either. It could be some scale problem that's very mild just beginning. Maybe try setting her up with paper towels as substrate, keep the cage very clean and watch your temps like a hawk until she next sheds and hope it sheds away and doesn't worsen.

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## ogdentrece

I've seen this before. My BP had it when he was sitting on an overheating floor for a couple of hours. It's not the entire belly because when they're all wrapped up in their hides, only some sections would be touching the floor. Your temperatures look a little high for the hotspot, 95 average with it hitting 98 is a tad high, although it doesn't outright burn them, it overheats them and its not good internally. Mine got slightly pink after sitting on 98-99 for a couple of hours. You can turn down your heating to 92, its warm enough and leaves room for the 2degree inaccuracy.

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## Adam Chandler

> Both tanks have a accurate thermometer.


From the pictures it looks like it may be a small minor burn. 
Just curious, what kind of thermometer are you using? 
For your warm side are you measuring the temperature directly on the glass over the UTH?

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## sandersnd44

Accurite from wal-mart. And the probe is on the hot spot directly on the bottom of the tank.

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## sandersnd44

Ogdentrece that is what I was thinking. Not technically a " burn" but discoloration from over exposure to a tad bit to much heat. Turned heat down to 90% last night. Hopefully there will be an improvement today.

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## sandersnd44

Lol degrees notbpercent

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## ogdentrece

> Ogdentrece that is what I was thinking. Not technically a " burn" but discoloration from over exposure to a tad bit to much heat. Turned heat down to 90% last night. Hopefully there will be an improvement today.


Yeah, I won't really call it a minor burn like Adam has, its more like when we use heat treatment and it gets flushed because of the heat. I think its similar to that, since my snakes pretty much lost the pinkish colouring after the heat spike. They won't get burned at those temperatures (they are exposed to those temperatures when we handle them) but prolonged periods of time would not be healthy. And they won't be able to digest well at high temps either.

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## Jessica Loesch

> Yeah, I won't really call it a minor burn like Adam has, its more like when we use heat treatment and it gets flushed because of the heat. I think its similar to that, since my snakes pretty much lost the pinkish colouring after the heat spike. They won't get burned at those temperatures (they are exposed to those temperatures when we handle them) but prolonged periods of time would not be healthy. And they won't be able to digest well at high temps either.


Wait, how are they exposed to 98 degree temps when we handle them?  Our core body temp is 98.6, not our skin.  Or do you mean taking them outside?

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## kitedemon

98 will not burn a snake. It takes longer periods of over 100 to do that the problem is snakes cannot regulate temps so when too hot of too cool the digestion shuts down. It is questionable that at 98 a ball could completely digest food. 

OP to me it just looks like a young ball with semi translucent scales on the belly. I don't think it looks out of the ordinary. I believe you are looking at the liver, the organs are much closer to the surface than in people.

 Accurites are not different from other cheap thermometers they all use a resistive sensor and the slop in manufacturing gives an accuracy range of 4 degrees (2 up 2 down) 


They typically are somewhere inside this range, unless you alter the electrical resistance like adding more wire to the probe of getting something that has salt or ammonia on the probe (pee). 

I guess it depends on what your idea of accurate is. For me 0.5ºF up or down is the end of accurate and the beginning of inaccurate. You get what you pay for, accurate is not going to be cheap. ( under 75$)

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## sandersnd44

Kite demon that might be it. He is a young snake 1 -2 months old. And the pink area has definite edges( edges are not jagged and random like with a burn or rash.) thanks for putting my mind at ease.

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## sandersnd44

I know the thermometer are cheap but to me 2 degrees either direction probably won't be that big of a difference if it's reading 93 degrees.

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## kitedemon

No problem. burns are on the surface just like you burn so the question is does it look like it is a surface thing or under inside the snake it is hard to tell from photos you need to decide that for yourself. If you think it is a surface thing it is time for a visit to a vet or knowledgeable person in your area. If it seems to be under the skin and scales like a red pea in a white balloons it is likely organs you are seeing.

I like 92 as a max and often set to 91 or 90 as it keeps things well with in normal temps even in case of thermometer error. I have a good thermometer (lab grade) but use the cheapest ones I can find and buy 5 and check them against each other usually 3 will be very close with one off a bunch and one off some. I get rid of the poor ones and use the best two and the third as a back up. I toss them when they go off. (8 months they seem to go screwy.) I am admittedly OCD as I test all of them every 6 months...

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## Maixx

Best to get an infrared temp gun, good to check any surface in your tank, soaking water, and thawed food.
It looks like a heat rash, will go away overnight.

Edit, added-
Make sure no surface in the tank is uncomfortable or even warm to the touch.

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## ogdentrece

> Wait, how are they exposed to 98 degree temps when we handle them?  Our core body temp is 98.6, not our skin.  Or do you mean taking them outside?


I guess it does depend on your outside temperature as well, but say in the summer, where my temperatures average 85+, handling for a period of time allows our skin to reach such temperatures. In the cooler months it may not get so bad as it can cool down pretty fast. For people who put them around their necks especially. But even for the palms of our hands, carrying a snake for prolonged periods of time would be similar clenching your fists and putting it in a pocket since the snake in your palm does trap heat. I'm clenching my thermometer in my fist right now its reading 95. If you put him around your neck I'd say it'll get warmer. Maybe lower than 98 but definitely above 95.

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## Foschi Exotic Serpents

My 2 cents... Yes I agree the temps need to be a bit more stable and closer to the recommended temps but I'm not seeing a burn or rot.. What I'm seeing is a baby BP which has slightly translucent scales, as they all do, where you can see the internal organs... Darker areas are darker organs. Pink areas are pink organs. 

I could be wrong but if that snake is as young as I think it is, it makes the most sense and is perfectly normal as long as there are no other reasons for problems.

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## PrettyInInk87

[QUOTE=kitedemon;1594939]
OP to me it just looks like a young ball with semi translucent scales on the belly. I don't think it looks out of the ordinary. I believe you are looking at the liver, the organs are much closer to the surface than in people. QUOTE]

I thought the exact same thing... I have a small Snow Corn snake and I have noticed that when I take her out and handle her, I can see her organs through her scales because she is so light. Good thing I read EVERYONES replies before I typed mine out, lol!  :Smile:

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## Foschi Exotic Serpents

Oh darn it! I missed Kitedemons post! Oh well. I tried. Lol

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## kitedemon

It doesn't matter. one person is opinion more than one consensus.

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