I purchased this '10 female woma ball python from a large scale reputable breeder some months ago in August. She has been eating like a garbage disposal since the week I brought her home. Two weeks ago she refused her first meal and the week after that she regurgitated a appropriate if not small rat pup. Saturday she was fine looking physically a bit thin from not eating at her size, but everything else was 100% Sunday night I checked on her and she was limp on the front corner and about two quarters down her body there was an enormous bloat or buildup of some kind and she was stressing to move an inch. My first reaction was that she was constipated, my first ball python went months without defecating. But this little girl had been urating and defecating normally. Every thing was looking good besides she was a little stressed and nippy more than any other of my snakes. I woke up today, went straight upstairs to check up on her to give the vet a call as to her condition. She was laying in the front of the bin, dead as a doornail, bloated, and the smell of death was very very strong. I lifted her up and there was a spot where the bloat was that looked like stomach acid was eating through her stomach.

I am not sure if something ruptured and ate the snake from the inside out. But here are the pictures and hopefully someone can help me figure out what this is before I get the body to the vet for autopsy. I believe that it is either protozoa or aomebiasis but my guess is as good as anyones in this until Wednesday when the herp vet gets into town.

Heres the pictures

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimirep...18171/sizes/l/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimireptile/5199013060/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimireptile/5199012912/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimireptile/5198418609/