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  • 08-31-2022, 03:24 AM
    oneshot
    BP refuses to shed and has strange whiteish patches - help needed
    Hi! I’m new to posting here. I got my little buddy Helios 6 weeks ago and he has been worrying me lately. He went through blue just fine, but is currently stuck 5 days in the clear phase and has not shed. Before this, he had been eating, defecating, and shedding great. The first few days he looked like the usual BP before shedding, but has developed white matte patches since day 4 and I have noticed this morning on day 5 that a few of his scales are slightly bloodshot. He is not wrinkly nor is his shed flaking off anywhere, which makes the case even stranger.
    My humidity is at 70-80% when he’s in shed and 60-65% when he’s not, plus a water bowl large enough to soak in, so I don’t think it could be caused by dehydration unless he’s not drinking enough. Temps are usually 32°c on the warm end and 27°c on the cold end & his substrate is cocoa fiber, if it’s any use. The only things out of routine that may have caused something to result differently from his last shed would be a tank clean and him eating his first rat pup? When picked up, he’s very inquisitive and responsive like his usual self, not visibly uncomfortable.
    I could really use some help on what a potential cause could be, as I’m concerned that it may something serious and that he might be in pain. Below I’ve attached a few images showing these white patches - I unfortunately could not snap any photos of the veined scales this morning. Don’t worry about the dark spots, he’s a banana mojave and I think he’s getting a few freckles :). I checked to see if they’re mites the day they appeared after his previous shed and they don’t move from the scale they’re on or look like insects. If they do look like mites to you, feel free to let me know. Thank you for reading!

    https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...2/IMG_9828.png
    https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...6/IMG_9827.png
    https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...9/IMG_9826.png
  • 08-31-2022, 10:45 AM
    Armiyana
    Sometimes they'll shed and stick the shed roll into a weird spot that's hard to find if he's got a bunch of decor or bedding. Regardless if he had been blue I'd let him be and not stress him too much.

    The white in the photos honestly just looks like color change. At that young of an age, the color change will start kicking in dramatically. They get crazy bright then they start to fade. Mojave banana/coral glow will have a bit of white around the edges. Maybe they're just more noticeable because he's about to shed?

    You can see the same white edging on my girl's baby and adult photos. She's Mojave, fire Coral glow Het OG. Her children are CG Special OG and the white really started to pop at around 7 weeks.

    That said.... keep an eye on the scales with discoloration. It'll probably clear up with shed if everything else is well.... But if anything does change, a vet visit may be needed.

    https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/QBMzhXg.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/i7m8fWe.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/i7m8fWe.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/i7m8fWe.jpg
    https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ur.com/QBMzhXghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ur.com/QBMzhXg
  • 08-31-2022, 03:51 PM
    oneshot
    Ahh, thank you so much! Yes, he is spoiled with a viv full of fake plants and a sturdy branch, perhaps it got stuck behind some of his decorations. He’s had very bright yellows and oranges for a while and I’m new to snakekeeping, seeing him get so pale being due to shed made me fret haha. Cheers and have a good day!
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