Pink belly

Sorry if this is the wrong section. I wasn't sure where I should post it.

I bought a female ball python last week. She had just finished shedding when I got her, and her belly was white. Yesterday I noticed her belly was kind of pink. I think she may have scale rot, but I'm not sure.
Here is an image:
http://i.imgur.com/FUkip.jpg
Sorry the image is so bad. :\
I'm not sure if it is scale rot, and if so, what caused it. Help would be very nice. :)

That looks like a possible burn. Pre shed pink belly is more uniform. What are you regulating her heat with? How are temps?

I'm using a heat lamp for now. I don't have a thermometer in her tank, but our house is usually around 85 degrees.

I agree its not a shedding pink...
I also see this if my BPs spill their water and sit in moisture for a period of time, the skin clears up rather quick after the bedding is changed.

I dont think thats scale rot...its usually pretty nasty looking. You can google image search some images of that. I'm not familiar with how it looks at the beginning of the condition though. Normally you see photos of full blown rot.

I would go with a slight burn or too much moisture (if that applies to your snake)

You need to read the care sheet here, about husbandry. You must have thermometer, not a stick on one, they are terribly inaccurate. You need to a have warm side, a cool side , and ambient temperature. You need a controlled heat source. A heat mat or flex watt on a thermostat.

I did read the care sheet. I was told that just a heat lamp is fine though. I do plan on getting a Acu-rite digital thermometer soon. (probably tommorow)

I only spray her a couple times a day. I do get the top of the substrate a bit moist, but not wet. When I got her I changed the bedding from some kind of red bark to fir and peat moss. Could that be the problem?

Also, I did look up scale rot. A few images came up that looked similar to my snake.
http://www.captivebredreptileforums....le-rot-010.jpg
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...7n27jzJjKKFmhA

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Solstice

I did read the care sheet. I was told that just a heat lamp is fine.

I only spray her a couple times a day. I do get the top of the substrate a bit moist, but not wet. When I got her I changed the bedding from some kind of red bark to fir and peat moss. Could that be the problem?

Also, I did look up scale rot. A few images came up that looked similar to my snake.
http://www.captivebredreptileforums....le-rot-010.jpg
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...7n27jzJjKKFmhA

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Peat moss may hold too much moisture, I would change the bedding to aspen asap and see if it clears her up.
Misting peat moss a couple times a day may provide a little too much humidty.

See in those images how there are brown scabs? At least we dont see that on your BP...so its early yet if it is rot.

EDIT
IMO For the time being get rid of that peat moss substrate and keep him on newspaper or paper towels until you can get some aspen or another substrate of your choice (never cedar,pine or sand)

Okay, I'll do that right away. Thanks for the help. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Solstice

Okay, I'll do that right away. Thanks for the help. :)

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No problem...this is just my opinion though....I dont think peat moss is very popular substrate for BPs.
Try that and see if that clears it up.
Maybe someone else has more advice for you too.

keep us posted!

EDIT
Also please look at caresheet for ball pythons and just double check all your husbandry is correct. This will give you a happy and healthy snake! Theres a caresheet available on the bp.net forums http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet

She is looking much better today. There are still parts of her belly that are pink, but it's not as visible as it was yesterday. =D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Solstice

She is looking much better today. There are still parts of her belly that are pink, but it's not as visible as it was yesterday. =D

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Thats great!
sounds like a change in substrate is going to help her out.
What do you have her on now?

I'm using newspaper ATM.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Solstice

I'm using newspaper ATM.

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And thats a fine choice, I use newspaper in my enclosures, its cheap and available.
Bad thing about newspaper is its not absorbant and can bunch up easy thus providing little cage cover.
But as long as its changed often, its just fine. Not the prettiest either.

Can I ask what your going to use?

I just put about an inch of aspen substrate over the newspaper.

So, her belly is beginning to get pink all over, and her eyes are turning blue, so I'm guessing she is just about to shed. When I got her two weeks ago they said she had just finished shedding, so I think that she had begun shedding 3 or 4 weeks ago, but took a while to get it all off. :)