my python's stomach is red today...

for some reason my ball python's stomach is red, i had him for a month & he never had this til today. its like a red line going down his stomach. what does that mean?

Hi,

We really need to see a good clear picture of it before we can do anything other than guess. :(


dr del

ok i will upload pics 2morrow, thanks

A slight color change sometimes means he's about to shed.

Other times, redish color can imply a burn from a too-hot heat source, or scale rot (an infection of the belly skin).

What type of substrate are you using and give the type of enclosure and temps along with the picture.

How are you defining red? Their stomachs turn pink when they are shedding. If it's truely red you may have a more serious problem.

But never take advice given on a forum as certainty. Have it checked out by a professional if it's anything other than off-pink.

HIS TANK STAYS AT 83 DEGREES, HE HAS NO HEAT PAD OR HEAT ROCK, FOR SOME REASON THE HUMIDITY IS ALWAYS AT 30 %, I SPRAY THE HELL OUTTA THE TANK WITH WATER & IT GETS TO 40 MAYBE 50 THEN IT GOES RIGHT BACK DOWN, MAYBE THEY SOLD ME A cruddy THERMOSTAT, THEN I LOOKED UNDER THE PLANT IN MY TANK & I FOUND SOME WEIRD LOOKIN stuff. BELOW IS THE PICS

[IMG]http://img40.imagefra.me/img/img40/2...tm_ead2252.jpg[/IMG]


http://img38.imagefra.me/img/img38/2...vm_604039e.jpg

looks like poop.

Hi,

If his tank stays at 83f and you have no heating then you need to find some way of boosting the warm end to about 90-93f - I'd probably use a UTH on a thermostat for preference.

If you have no UTH or heat rock what is the thermostat connected to?

Lamps?

If you show us the top and layout of the enclosure we should be able to help you with ideas for raising and stabilising the humidity fairly easily. :gj:

But one question first - what are you using to measure the temps and humidity and where in the tank are you taking the readings?

The belly pic doesn't look nearly as bad as I feared it would - I think he may just be coming up to a shed but keep an eye on it and let us know if it changes to a darker colour or the scales begin to seem swollen or moist looking.

The second pic just looks like poop and pee to me so nothing to worry about there either. :)


dr del

Ok i thought their poop was suppose to look like glue. Why is that stuff brown

I'll go get a heatpad tomorrow, i just bought a snake-kit that came with the heat-lamp (red bulb), then i bought a "zoo-med" thermostat, with temperature & humidity, i have it at the top right of the 10 gallon tank, i'll upload pics tonight

I'll go get a heatpad tomorrow, i just bought a snake-kit that came with the heat-lamp (red bulb), then i bought a "zoo-med" thermostat, with temperature & humidity, i have it at the top right of the 10 gallon tank, i'll upload pics tonight...

Hi,

Forgive me but we have different equipment this side of the pond so I have to ask.

Are you certain the zoo-med thing is a thermostat - those are used to control heating devices.

The temp and humidity thing makes me wonder if it isn't a thermometer that only reads the levels of the temp and humidity?

And no their poop looks like poop most of the time - though it can, on occasion, look like a mass of compacted fur. :)

Their pee can have the white/ yellow popcorn looking things in your pic (they are called urates ) as well as liquid components.


dr del

That second picture looks like a big poop and some pee next to it. Urate is solid. Clean it up, no problem. The first picture looks like he's ready to shed. If you clean the cage now, just leave him alone for a week or until he sheds. Make sure the humidity is 60%-80%. If you have a screen top on a glass aquarium, put a wet washcloth on top to increase humidity. Cover that with a sheet of aluminum if it's still low. Spray as needed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by king216

...then i bought a "zoo-med" thermostat, with temperature & humidity, i have it at the top right of the 10 gallon tank, i'll upload pics tonight...

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I can't see the pics since they are blocked on my work computer but temp/humidity readings should be around the floor of the tank where the snake lives...

poo can look different at different times. Sometimes there is hair in it sometimes its a log...etc.

You have to get your temps up on the warm side though and it has to be controlled by a thermostat or a rheostat. As far as the humidity....(I have tanks too and it is a pain in the booty). But when there is an upcoming shed I put in a humid hide which is moss sprayed with some water. I also (and this is all the time) foil off the screen part of the lid to hold in humidity. Also put a wet towel over the other side of the top (glass part). And the last thing I do is spray down the tank 3 times a day. Once in the AM once during the afternoon and once in the evening. Since I have started this I have had perfect sheds.

I think though the most important part right now is getting those temps in line. If you snake does not have the proper belly heat it is difficult for them to digest their food. Hence maybe...they had gooey poo which is why it looked like that.

I am no expert and there are a million ppl that are much more well informed than I ....but just letting you know what I have learned. Hope this helps you!

looks like poo, pee, and an upcomming shed. My snake gets little pink spots all over her stomach whereas my girlfriend's snake gets a bright pink belly. Be aware your snake will get very cloudy eyes and look dull over the next few days. Make sure you keep your humidities good. C: