Something to worry over?

pic 1:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6010/...916e1545_z.jpg
body slit 2 by kemplete media, on Flickr

pic 2:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6166/...17dfd34b_z.jpg
body slit by kemplete media, on Flickr

This is a split in the scales used to move the snake around, my main worrie is that if you put your fingers at the bottom side of the what looks to be a cut that this snake has had since i recieved him. Initially i thought it was something that the people that had him befor messed up and it would heal but to this day has not. From what i can best guess from the medical experience that i have you are able to see where the scale tissue actually ends and a red/pink tissue with a white tissue attaching it to the scales. this wound that has been incured befor my care of the snake and seems to have healed with an opening to the inside of the snake has me worried that a vet visit is going to be incured. unless someone can shed light on this for me. thanks for anything you guys can tell me!

My normal female has that same exact thing. I don't think it was from an injury. I am going to say nothing to worry about but I am curious to what it is.

how old is it? it looks like its belly button.

It appears to be his belly button :) I freaked out the first time I saw that on my ball too, I thought he had gotten cut, but I knew that he hadn't, so I asked the breeder I got him from and that's what he said it was.

mine had it too when i got him as a baby. now he's 5yrs old and its totally gone

the belly button i could see, just wondering why at almost 3 ft long and 300 grams it should have been healed by now, but who knows snakes are like people where all different.

If its that big, my guess is the snake hatched with a open stomach that breeder stitched closed.


ALL snakes that hatch will have a scar from where the umbilicus was

yep just the belly button

I always assumed it was the belly button until I looked at the other guys and it wasn't present.

Thanks for the response ya'll!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RichsBallPythons

If its that big, my guess is the snake hatched with a open stomach that breeder stitched closed.


ALL snakes that hatch will have a scar from where the umbilicus was

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Exactly. Some will have a longer "scar" then others. But its their belly button. The umbilical is attached to the yolk that the hatchling must absorb before droping the cord. It leaves that slit in the scales. I've seen some that were over an inch in length, which is kind of rare, and some that were barely visible. This one is pretty long, and its possible that the breeder had to stitch it closed, but who knows for sure? The important thing is that its totally healed just fine and even though he has a long scar, it shouldn't ever pose a problem for him. ;)