Mites or Wound?

Brickle shed last night, and I had him out and noticed these black marks near his vent. I took a white cotton linen cloth and rubbed them in the direction of the scales, and they do not come off. I rubbed the whole snake and nothing came off. These dark spots are underneath the scales, not really between them, and they do not move. One of them is sort of peanut shaped, not shaped like a mite. His head is free of these. What so you think? Mites or wound?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...pstbqazcaq.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psafn0atro.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps9tbiflzt.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...pszu1bbslq.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...pszola17bc.jpg

Sorry about the quality of the pictures. Holding still wasn't on his agenda this morning.

(fingers crossed)

I looked over the shed, and it came off all in one piece with no black spots in it at all.

Do you use some type of coco bedding or mulch?

Sometimes bedding will get under some scales and if it's a light snake it's noticeable.

I use cypress mulch.

I agree with Deborah, I've had something like that happen as well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by butterballpython

I use cypress mulch.

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If it was not there before and mites are not present, my guess would be debris/dirt lodged under the scale.

*Whew* Thank you Deborah!

It's still exactly the same, so I'm guessing it'll probably come off with the next shed?