Black stuff on mouth. Dry nose

So my sister came up to me yesterday and asked me to look at her snake[what a shocker! :eek: ]. He had some black stuff around his mouth and his nose looked rather dry. She also said he has been sneezing. She could pick some of the black junk off, but didn't know what it was. I didn't know what to tell her. My first thought was that he is majorly dehydrated? I thought about a possible URI but he isn't snotty or whatever, nothing is coming out of his nose[es lol] or mouth. She keeps him on Repti-bark but the humidity and temperature are too low for him I know that for sure. She doesn't have a thermostat or anything. Just a stick on thermomiter. What could it be?

take her to the vet asap that doesnt sound very good.

Could it be tape residue? perhaps from electrical tape?

(regaurdless, a trip to the vet is in order) :)

I don't see how it could be tape residue, there isn't any tape in his tank. I will tell her a vet trip is optimal, but I'd like a reason. We have a nice rep vet lined up already. We took my first BP to the vet a week after we first got him just to be sure he looks healthy and stuff. I'll see if I can't get a picture tomorrow morning. He is ready to shed so he won't look pretty though. I can't get into her habitat without asking her and she isn't home right now.

Although I can't tell you for sure without seeing a photo, The black stuff and dry looking nose may be just scabs/scarring possibly from rubbing against rough surfaces. When I got my bp it had very similar looking things to what you described and after it shed, the black stuff and nose scarring are almost invisible. It will probably take one or two more sheds for it to totally go away. I don't know about the sneezing though - a vet visit and some husbandry improvements would be a good idea. Hope this helps :)

Could this not be a respiratory infection? Sneezing + black gunk around nose + mouth.

I don't think it is scarring. The tip of his mouth/nose is actually dry. And the black stuff we can scrape off with our finger nail. Still working on that photo.

Ugh. My sister finally came home, and when I asked her she got really defencive and said "He is in shed you can't hold him!!!!!!" And that is total bull because she always takes him out during his shed. Partly because he can't do it himself (she calls him stupid, I call her stupid). In any case, my next post on this thread will be a picture. I'll see if i can't sneak down there with the camera when she is in the bathroom or something.

I got the pictures, sorry they aren't very good. I had to hurry.

This one SORT OF shows his dry nose.
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/2787/1002018mj6.jpg

This one shows what is left of the black stuff my sister wouldn't pick off. It was all down the line of his mouth, both sides.
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/5310/1002019xk8.jpg

Edit: I just realized, that black stuff looks like a mustache! XDD

Could he have rubbed his face in his own poo? If so you wanna clean that off so he doesn't get any bacteria build up in his mouth. Chlorahexadrene(spelling) is great to clean wounds or potential bacteria problems, I clean all my tubs with it. Even cleaned beardie eggs(mold) which hatched perfectly.