Help with new ball "rescued" from store

I stopped by the store yesterday and saw this ball there that just seemed like it needed a helping hand. I decided to make an offer for it today when I went to get some rats. I made the offer and it was eventually accepted and I took the ball with me. This ball needed to get out of there and I feel confident that I can get it healthy, so here's what I know so far. The store thinks it's a male, about a year and a half old. It was in a small enclosure with that green astroturf in it with another, smaller ball. One hide in the enclosure and heated with a heat lamp, no t-stat that I saw. Little to no air flow as well. The snake is 488g, and seems well fed. Its scales are unusually smooth in my opinion... smoother that any other ball python I have handled in the past, except for the belly. Its got reddish spots along its underbelly and a sore spot on its mouth. The scales on its belly are also very dry and brittle feeling. Urine burn? Scale rot? I am going to go to the vet tomorrow and have it diagnosed (and sexed if possible with the skin conditions going on.) Other that that, the snake seems fine. It's resting in a hide in its new enclosure right now and had been kind of poking around a little before. Here are some pictures... Let me know what you all think of the problem areas. (there's a little bedding stuck to the nose... I'll be switching that out for some plain paper towels.)

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j2...e/DSCF1247.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j2...e/DSCF1245.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j2...e/DSCF1251.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j2...e/DSCF1244.jpg

Yep, looks like a bit of scale rot going on as well as a respiratory infection(dried mucous around the nose/mouth). Glad you are getting the snake seen by a vet. A round of antibiotics, some silvadene cream for the belly, and proper husbandry should see that Ball looking nice after a few sheds.

Good luck with him/her and I hope he/she's quarantined!

Just got back from the vet. She says it's more than likely not scale rot and looks like some minor burn blistering. (Maybe from the housing that it was in at the store?) No R.I. either. A few warm soaks and a daily application of Chlorhexadine and he(?) will be good to go after a few sheds. I'm glad. Now it's off to the store again to return my new leaky water bottles for the rats...

the vet didn't sex it for ya?

I'm not going to get it sexed until I know for sure it's back up to par.

That's a beautiful Snake He/she with a good lookin pastel would make some killer babies! I'd say male or female it's definetly a keeper. I love it's color.


:rockon: