Strange brown, scab-like scale
Recently I've noticed that my BEL has been getting some sort of brown scale under his jaw. When I first bought him he didn't have it, but after about a month I noticed he had 2 brown scales under his jaw. I had thought it was a scar from feeding him live mice and a breeder I bought my other ball python from also told me it looked like a scar. So I just started feeding him thawed and thought it should heal over time. After he shed for the first time (with me) the brown markings turned pink. I was glad because I thought it was gonna go away after a few sheds, but now it's been a couple weeks after that and the brown markings are back and are larger than before. I touched it and feels sort of like a scab, it's definitely not dirt. I tried washing it off with water and it did nothing. I got a bit of rubbing alcohol and diluted it a bit with water so it wasn't too strong and rubbed it with a quetip, didn't do anything either. Any idea what it could be? Should I be worred?
He seems perfectly healthy otherwise. He's curious, pretty docile, never missed a feeding, and very active at night.
The picture order goes from when I first saw it, after the shed, and now.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/webk...f727/imagejpeg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/webk...30cd/imagejpeg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/webk...ee6ff/imagepng
For some reason the pictures aren't showing. Might take me a minute.
Re: Strange brown, scab-like scale
Re: Strange brown, scab-like scale
He does sometimes against the lid of his tub and occasionally his hide.
Re: Strange brown, scab-like scale
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DerekG4
He does sometimes against the lid of his tub and occasionally his hide.
what are you feeding him and how often? also how's your husbandry?
Re: Strange brown, scab-like scale
Quote:
Originally Posted by
tttaylorrr
what are you feeding him and how often? also how's your husbandry?
I feed him F/T medium mice (not entirely sure if it's medium, the mouse is about 2 inches minus the tail), he eats once a week, never missed a feeding with me. He's in a 15 QT tub with a large rock hide (takes up about 2/3s of the tub) an inch of "jungle mix" with coco fiber and husk, a small 2-5 gallon heat pad under the hide, and a small water bowl. Back then he had a coconut as a hide but I removed it because it was small and his scales were lifted from squeezing in there. Most of his scales are fine now after I switched
his hide.
Re: Strange brown, scab-like scale
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DerekG4
I feed him F/T medium mice (not entirely sure if it's medium, the mouse is about 2 inches minus the tail), he eats once a week, never missed a feeding with me. He's in a 15 QT tub with a large rock hide (takes up about 2/3s of the tub) an inch of "jungle mix" with coco fiber and husk, a small 2-5 gallon heat pad under the hide, and a small water bowl. Back then he had a coconut as a hide but I removed it because it was small and his scales were lifted from squeezing in there. Most of his scales are fine now after I switched
his hide.
how much does the snake weigh?
Re: Strange brown, scab-like scale
Quote:
Originally Posted by
tttaylorrr
how much does the snake weigh?
Last time I weighed him, he was about 144.2 grams. Should be a fair amount more than that now since it's been like a month since the last time I weighed him. I'd weigh him now but he just ate last night. I'd say he should be 160 now. Not entirely sure on his age.
Re: Strange brown, scab-like scale
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DerekG4
Last time I weighed him, he was about 144.2 grams. Should be a fair amount more than that now since it's been like a month since the last time I weighed him. I'd weigh him now but he just ate last night. I'd say he should be 160 now. Not entirely sure on his age.
i'd recommend weighing out his food and seeing if it aligns with this chart; based on the info in this thread, i think you might be underfeeding which is causing him to push.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...%2F98qfzDH.png
Re: Strange brown, scab-like scale
The mice I feed him are about 13.6-14 grams. He weighs less than 200 grams and I feed him once a week. I thought that would be enough food for him. I guess since he can eat something heavier, I'll probably try a small rat pup or a large rat fuzzy.
