Ball python loosing color

[TheRedFox]

I have a year old ball python kept in a 55 gallon tank who is starting to lose some of her color in spots where it is getting much lighter. I have noticed she is growing much faster lately, especially her head. Would this growth be causing this, or is something else wrong? sort of worried here.

[satomi325]

Can you provide some photographs of your snake?

[TheRedFox]

Can you provide some photographs of your snake?

None that would be useful, most of them are just slightly faded spots about the size of a penny or so. However her head appears to be fading as if she's about to go through a shed, This will be my first shed with her (I got her just after her last shed) is this perhaps just the skin starting to fade for her shed?

(PS my only camera has too much flash to see the faded spots, and its too old to be used without the flash)

[BHReptiles]

If it happened pretty rapidly (like overnight or over a couple of days), your snake is probably going into shed. I have a normal female right now who is very dull. Her eyes haven't gone blue yet, but I can see all her color drained from her.

That said, if she's not in shed, there could be a lot of reasons she's losing color. A picture would be really helpful. Also, poor nutrition can dull out a snake. How often are you feeding the snake and what are you feeding it?

[TheRedFox]

I feed her once a week every wednesday (Its the day the local Jack's gets their rats in) so I don't think its malnutrition, i'm very religious on my feeding schedule for her, and I did just notice it over the course of about 3 days, and over the last few days her head has started to get very dull (which I can tell is getting ready for a shed) she really isn't looking much different everywhere else though, so i'm just assuming she is starting her shed process. Thanks a lot guys, I just wanted to make sure nothing was wrong before waiting for something to get very bad.

On that note, what are some good ways to increase humidity? I really need a decent mister or something.

[BHReptiles]

It sounds like she's going into shed! keep an eye out for her eyes go go a milky-blue color. To help raise humidity, you can mist down the cage with a squirt bottle (make sure it's misting...not a large, heavy stream of water) or you can do what I do: I put some sphagnum moss (you can get it at a garden store) underneath the hide my snakes spend the most time in. I then make sure that moss stays damp. Even though that doesn't raise the humidity of the whole cage, it does make that hide pretty humid. I've never had an issue with stuck sheds using this method. But be religious about the misting. I will make sure my moss is damp 2-3 times a day. Good luck! Let us know if she sheds well for you!

[Alex1989]

What type of Ball is she...it may be shed or it could be blushing...I know my female has been showing blushing with each shed she goes though.

[Punkymom]

It sounds like it could either be an impending shed or blushing. I love blushing on a snake. It's my favorite part!

[hypnotixdmp]

Sounds like blushing to me, where color starts to show up where it used to be black. It's really cool when it happens on their sides, looks kind of like flames!!!


0.3 Normals (Coilette, Athena and Mary Jane)
1.0 Pastel (De Sol)
1.0 Spider (Zeus)
1.0 Mojave (Prometheus)

0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Stella)
0.1 BCI (Kiyoko)
0.1 Dumerils Boa

[hypnotixdmp]

Or, if it is a shed, they start to get dull and then turn "blue" when the liquid between old and new skin builds up. This will go away after a few days, then expect shed a couple days after that!!


0.3 Normals (Coilette, Athena and Mary Jane)
1.0 Pastel (De Sol)
1.0 Spider (Zeus)
1.0 Mojave (Prometheus)

0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Stella)
0.1 BCI (Kiyoko)
0.1 Dumerils Boa