Ball Python from Work - strange behavior and pigmentation

Today I brought one of the ball pythons on the floor to the back room to feed. First thing I noticed is that it is losing weight. It has been in the store since 6/2 and has not eaten a thing. It is currently housed with one same-sized ball python. I attempted to feed it a f/t fuzzy mouse and it of course refused. I then noticed it has a head wobble. It will pick its head up and stare upward for a few seconds (nose straight up in the air) and then wobble slightly. Once I began watching it, it became very noticeable. I picked the ball up and checked her over. The belly is very yellow in color. When I talked to my co-worker after work she mentioned that when she took a look at the python in question, she noticed near the mouth was yellow and the snake was wobbling (I had mentioned the wobble to her but not the yellow scales on the belly. She said the wobble is something she noticed right away).

This coloration and behavior is very new and was not noticed in the previous weeks. The belly does not appear agitated and I see no pink or redness to the scales or under the scales. I go into work tomorrow and can get pictures and possibly video (if I'm quick) of the discoloration and behavior if it will help. My department manager is very hesitant to take animals to the vet so I'd have to prove there is something wrong with the snake in order for him to be seen.

Any thoughts?

Sounds like a respiratory infection at the very least, it needs to go to the vet.

QT it and the one it was housed with asap, whatever is going on with it, you don't want it to spread to the other animals.

Something else to mention is that we currently have 5 ball pythons in the store. Not a single one has eaten since arriving in the store. 2 arrived on 6/2 (includes the wobbling one), and the other 3 arrived mid June (I didn't see the exact date). I did find feces in with two of the snakes that came in mid June. Temperatures in these enclosures never rises above 85 at its warmest point (up near the bulb that most of the snakes cannot reach.) They are housed 2, 2, and 1.

I will QT them both separately tomorrow morning when I go into work. I will try to take video and pictures and will post them up here as soon as I get home around 11am. The other python he is housed with is not showing any symptoms and appears normal except for the lack of appetite.

Would very much like to see pictures and /or video.

Double check to make sure all the temperatures and humidity are correct for next time around, just to eliminate that off the list.

Nothing against yourself, but I'm always questionable about the way a store handles their snakes as far as their cleanliness/accuracy of the husbandry goes. For the majority of exotic pet shops in my area, even the most acclaimed exotic shop has issues with their husbandry for some reason.

I'd qt them all and watch for more symptoms. Looks like you've got the start of something in potentially different stages. As I'm sure you know 85 is way too cold. That should get fixed immediately. If the store doesn't know then they need to. The cool temps are only going to exacerbate this problem. Stress and cool temps lower the immune system which are going to lead to more than 1 problem. Including the lack of appetite and these issues That sound as if they are starting.


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Our habitats are always kept very clean, but the temperature is beyond my control. I know 85 is too low (its rare it even gets that warm. Temps at the bottom of the habitat are in the 70s) but the habitats are designed that way. Even bearded dragons don't get the heat they really need.

I isolated him but we don't have enough equipment in the back to isolate them all (not even the one housed with him (not enough cages or heating elements). I told my department manager that I isolated the one ball python and that we needed to keep a close eye on the others but she was on the phone with another store's department manager and they have agreed that because "we have too many pythons" we are transferring one to her store. Ugh! These people have no clue about Quarantine or the transmission of illness and disease. And my department manager is going to school to be a vet! Gosh she's dumb.

I took a closer look at the isolated ball python. He seems weak. He moves in a way that just doesn't seem normal to me. I just can't place it though. He didn't do any star gazing today, but he did wobble quite a bit. I wasn't able to get pictures or video because my phone died before I got to work this morning. I work tomorrow night so I will ATTEMPT to get video/pictures tomorrow.

Thats so awful that that care is acceptable to them. I know you work there and hopefully you can make a difference. But this is exactly why I steer folks and new prospective pet owners away from Petstores. It makes me mad that people look to the store to help educate them on husbandry and the store doesn't even provide anywhere close to the correct husbandry. Sad very sad. I hope you can figure out what's going on with them.


Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

Exactly why I don't ever buy from pet stores. No offense to you. I wish you luck, since all the snakes that came into contact with this poor sick one are probably going to get sick as well, and since your manager won't take them to the vet unless they "know" what's wrong with it (as if knowing what's wrong with it or just knowing something IS wrong with it costs differently...) you're probably going to have to watch each one die painful slow deaths :tears:

Also take care with your own collection. Change your clothes and sterilized before going any where near yours. You might not be able to help the ones at work, just make sure to protect your own.

I've been changing clothes, and washing before entering my reptile room.

So I was not able to isolate the python's cage mate but told my department manager that we needed to watch him for symptoms. That same day she is on the phone with the district pet care manager saying she wants to transfer over one python to her store because "we have too many" Today I learn from my co-worker that it may be the python that was housed with the one with symptoms. I was like :O How dumb can you be? My co-worker says that my manager says she doesn't think there is anything wrong with the python in the sick room.

I work with ball pythons every single day, at work, and at home. I feed them, I clean them, I breed them. I KNOW when something doesn't look right. I plan on going to my store manager about this. I will do so in a polite and professional manner, but I will definitely be letting him know that this was a very bad move on her part. According to my co-worker my pet care manager says the department is hers and we need to get over it" Um, five years old much?

Anyway, I will get the video and pics tonight (phone is charging away so I will definitely have it) Maybe then we can help figure out what this is, or I can at least get an idea on what it might be so I can go to the store manager to get him to the vet.

And I understand about steering people away from pet stores. It is why part of me wants to start my own store, but I doubt it will ever happen. I got the job there so I can try and make a difference (give people the right information, help the animals) but with this manager, I don't see that happening. Her and I butt heads almost every day. We are both very dominant people. I'm more dominant in the fact I care about the animals and I want to do what is best for them. She's dominant in the fact she wants to save and earn money. I really hope she flunks out of vet school when she gets there. Can you imagine her being a vet?

What a horrible manager. If you don't want to provide the best care for animals, WHY are you working at a pet store, or anywhere where there are animals in general? I'd (professionally, but firmly) tell her exactly what you think, and your experience to back it up. Knowing this type of person though, you probably will have to watch the animals just suffer without any help. And just because she wants to be a vet, DOESN'T mean she's going to work with reptiles. Many vets aren't qualified to work on reptiles because they're a specialized field, thus why it's often hard to find a vet for them.

I hope you can do everything you can for the little guys. :please:

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Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

I really hope she flunks out of vet school when she gets there. Can you imagine her being a vet?

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This is a very disturbing thought indeed. The last thing we need is a veterinarian who is more interested in profit than the well-being of animals. If she doesn't see something wrong with AT LEAST the heating issue at that store, something tells me she won't make it into vet school anyways. I'm well aware of how insanely difficult it is to get into a good one. Anyways, since this seems to be out of your hands, the only way you can make something good come of this is steer customers away from buying those snakes. The last thing an excited 10 year old needs is for his first pet (i'm sure we all remember our own and how devastated we were when he or she died) to die a few weeks after he gets it because the pet store was too interested in earning money to take good care of the snake.

ANYHOO, pictures/video would definitely be helpful :D

She wants to be an equine vet. Horses have many diseases that are highly contagious. If she's willing to risk disease and illness in a few ball pythons, what is to stop her with someone's horse. It is the probably one of the most important things when working in any type of medicine. If there is an illness, you isolate that individual for observation and testing to determine the cause. After diagnosis you treat. If that individual was exposed to any other individuals, you QT them as well for observation. Even I know that.

She says that the district pet care manager owns two snakes so she listens to her when it comes to reptiles.

With the habitat's temp being so low, that is how the habitat is designed. The ball python cages use 25watt bulbs I think. The bearded dragons use 40watt. The 40watt bulb would give the ball pythons the heat they need, but because the python habitat uses a plastic lid, we can't use anything over a 25. We use the plastic lid to keep humidity in. If we use a metal lid (like the bearded dragons use) then it is against policy. They had this survey go around to all the stores and the associates were to complete the survey. At the end of the survey it gives you a box for comments. I talked about the habitats not providing proper care, but what is one little comment box going to change. I've thought about going to higher management about it, but no one wants to ruffle any feathers. And why would they trust the opinion of some random part time associate that happens to keep snakes, over the opinion of veterinarians that work with Petsmart?

Vets who work with petstore chains i would hope to god would be appalled at how snakes and other reptiles are treated at the stores. What is 20 vets going to do with... 5,000+ stores for chain stores. They can't keep track of all of them. I bet you that any of those vets would not tell you that a temperature ceiling of 85 on a good day was acceptable.

If those habitats can't keep the optimal temps for the animals then they need to change the habitat or only have animals in them that they can provide the correct husbandry for. My preference is to not even sell Those poor animals. Holy crap actually provide the basic needs for the animals they are selling? Wow. It's disturbing to me that they know and acknowledge that the habitats can not provide the correct husbandry for the animals but it's ok with them.


Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

I've mentioned to my manager many times (the store manager) that the habitats were not adequate, but nothing is done. I'll get readings on all of the "hot spots" in the habitats on Saturday and post them up here along with what species has which hot spot.

I got pictures of the ball pythons belly but wasn't able to get good video of him wobbling. Yesterday he didn't wobble as much as he did the first day (it was hardly noticeable last night) but when I took him out today, he was wobbling a lot. He'll be cruising along and have his head slightly elevated, and then he'll go to change direction and he'll wobble back and forth like he's really unsteady.

I talked with one of the managers in the store and he said they are shooting around emails to other managers and vets to see if they can figure out what to do about him. I'm uploading the pics of his belly right now.

I'm not surpised that your stores BP's don't eat. They are being housed together and get moved for feedings. Then mix that with an already stressed animal and incorrect husbandry...

I know this isn't your doing though...Pet stores just suck!