Baby Ball python help, Grey belly and loose skin!

He looks very VERY thin to me.. You see that triangular shape of his body? It should be round and plump. The skin wrinkles could be dehydration, but I think it is because he is so thin.

His head shape is a little strange, but if he eats just fine I don't see a problem. A vet could do an x-ray, but there is nothing you can do about a deformity like that. So I wouldn't see the point.

I know you said you were using a thermostat, but the nearly 2 week long pink belly leads me to believe it is a burn. Could you tell us where the thermostat probe is placed and where your probe for the thermometer is placed? These two small things can have a big impact on the temp the snake actually feels.

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

He looks very VERY thin to me.. You see that triangular shape of his body? It should be round and plump. The skin wrinkles could be dehydration, but I think it is because he is so thin.

His head shape is a little strange, but if he eats just fine I don't see a problem. A vet could do an x-ray, but there is nothing you can do about a deformity like that. So I wouldn't see the point.

I know you said you were using a thermostat, but the nearly 2 week long pink belly leads me to believe it is a burn. Could you tell us where the thermostat probe is placed and where your probe for the thermometer is placed? These two small things can have a big impact on the temp the snake actually feels.

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He had the pink belly when I purchased him, which I too think it may have been a burn where he was kept, and thats why it turned grey after I had him a little while and he started healing, its looking better now. Heres how I have the tank set up, the UTH is attached to the bottom of one side, then I placed a layer of green felt tank liner inside the cage over the heater then a layer of aspen bedding throughout the tank. Over the heated side I have a rock hide, and inside the hide on top of the bedding I have the thermostat probe/thermometer. On the cool side I have another thermometer/hydrometer.

I would recommend taking your thermostat probe and adhering it to the outside of the UTH (on the bottom). I recommend this because then your snake will not be able to move the probe and give your thermostat a false reading. If this happens, the UTH can overheat.

I would also take out the reptile carpet. That stuff is very hard to clean. If you really want something in between the glass and aspen you can use paper towels. Cheap and disposable. Don't rely on the substrate to keep your snake off the glass, always assume your snake can get to any point within the enclosure. To ensure no place in the tank is too hot, I like to place a probed thermometer (separate from the thermostat) right on the glass above the UTH, under the substrate. This will give you the temp of the hottest point the snake can reach.

For now, I would just keep the snake on clean paper towels until you can figure out whats going on with his belly.


Did you purchase this snake from a pet store? I know a good breeder would never sell an animal to someone in that condition. :( Is there any reason why you purchased it from the place you did?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

I would recommend taking your thermostat probe and adhering it to the outside of the UTH (on the bottom). I recommend this because then your snake will not be able to move the probe and give your thermostat a false reading. If this happens, the UTH can overheat.

I would also take out the reptile carpet. That stuff is very hard to clean. If you really want something in between the glass and aspen you can use paper towels. Cheap and disposable. Don't rely on the substrate to keep your snake off the glass, always assume your snake can get to any point within the enclosure. To ensure no place in the tank is too hot, I like to place a probed thermometer (separate from the thermostat) right on the glass above the UTH, under the substrate. This will give you the temp of the hottest point the snake can reach.

For now, I would just keep the snake on clean paper towels until you can figure out whats going on with his belly.


Did you purchase this snake from a pet store? I know a good breeder would never sell an animal to someone in that condition. :( Is there any reason why you purchased it from the place you did?

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I was planning on buying a new snake from a local reptile show, but when i was at the pet shop buying all the supplies I saw this little guy and felt like he needed a better home, so hopefully I can get him all fattened up and healthy asap.

I will try changing out the bedding and the thermostat, although i dont know if it will fit under my tank its kinda bulky.

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Originally Posted by alysha

I will try changing out the bedding and the thermostat, although i dont know if it will fit under my tank its kinda bulky.

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Go to walmart or target and get some felt pads for under furniture, you can cut them to fit under the tank and raise it. I had to do this for mine as well, the feet that came with the UTH weren't quite enough for the book case the tank sits on.

Well I came home today and my snake was dead :(

I found him laying half in half out of his cool side hide. Im not sure what happened to the little guy. I know he wouldnt eat for the past few weeks, he also never shed. I did notice two nights ago when I was holding him that he had a large lump inside him at the end of his tail. And today when I found him the lump was gone. I figure he was just passing stool? His belly scales were cracked a bit and its color almost looks like he has internal bleeding with varying shades of pink and dark grey coming from under the scales. Maybe when I first fed him the mouse was too big? Or maybe he just wasnt able to fully digest it right? I always keep his belly heat at good temps. I just dont know what could have cause this :(

I am so sorry for your loss. It sounds like he may not have been long for this world when you got him. The jaw definately looked off, he was thin, and I don't know what the skin issue was. I think he was just unhealthy. You came to the right place for help and answers. Hopefully your next baby is healthy and thrives for you. Sorry we couldn't help :(

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I'm sorry for your loss. Poor thing looked awful from the start.. Where did you get him? If you decide to try again, please don't buy from a pet store and certainly don't pick one that isn't fat and healthy looking from the start. These guys go downhill very quickly if they are not healthy and perfect from the start. Ball pythons are a thick bodied snake and any baby that has been properly started and is eating enough should have some good thickness already. I agree that it was deformed also. Whoever sold you that baby never should have sold it or even given it away in that condition.

So sorry about the loss of your little guy. Even though you haven't had him very long, I can attest to the fact that you can get attached to a baby ball really fast. I hope you don't take any of these suggestions as me implying that you did anything "wrong," but there are a few things you could consider to make sure your next baby is healthy and strong.

First of all, spend as much time as you need to to find a good reptile vet. If there's a herp society in your area, they can more than likely point you in the right direction. Herp societies often have a good partnership with one or two vets who offer discounted services to the members. If there is a society in your area, by all means, join it. Even before you add a BP to the family, getting involved with a local society is a great way to learn from experienced keepers. It's also a GREAT place to adopt. If you can adopt a rescued BP, please do!

Before you bring a new little one home, make sure your setup is perfect. If you can't find a herp society, it's a good possibility that one of the members here is close to your area. Having someone with as much experience as possible guiding you in the beginning can do wonders for the health of a new snake. If at all possible, once you're ready to bring one home, take a more experienced keeper with you. They can help you determine whether the animal you like is healthy enough to start off well, and talk you out of bringing home the one that looks pitiful and in need of rescue. You're not wrong for wanting to protect a weaker one, but it's not only an uphill battle to get them back to health, it encourages bad keeping practices. If a dealer/breeder knows they can sell unhealthy animals that are not well taken care of, they have no incentive to take better care of their stock. I'm sure you'd rather support the dealers and breeders that are doing the best for their animals.

Finally, my last suggestion might seem a little extreme. Keep in mind that I'm not, nor do I claim to be, an expert. I'm also more than a little over protective of my animals, so if someone here disagrees with this idea, remember that this is MY opinion...

If it were MY choice, I would scrap the entire setup that was used with this snake. I don't know what caused his death, and it's not a simple matter to find out. That being the case, I PERSONALLY wouldn't take the chance that "crypto" or something similar wasn't the cause. I realize it's not cheap to put together the correct habitat for a python, so tossing everything and starting from scratch is definitely going to hit you in the wallet. Still, from MY point of view, I'd rather my snake be safe than sorry. Ultimately it's your decision how you want to proceed.

-Ryan-

Thanks for all the condolences you guys. I think my little guy did have some kind of internal parasite or disease with the way his stomach looked when I found him, almost as if something ruptured :( I know now not to go to a chain store to buy my pets. I live around the Houston,Texas area. Is there a place on this site I can go to and find out about any breeders near me?