wrinkles when turning

Okay here is me being a paranoid keeper. Icculus has like wrinkles (looks like his skin is loose fitting) when taking sharp turns. This only happens at the middle to the end of his body when he retracts his head here are no sort of creases, just wanted to make sure that this is normal, are their whole bodies not supposed to have wrinckles or creases or whatever you would call it? Humidity and temps have been fine - even soaked him last night. It's only when he doubles back on himself or turns 90deg. or sharper.

I would think that would just be folds of skin, not anything to worry about. You know when we bend something, especially if we bend in half sideways, it creases too, so I kind of figure it's the same thing. Hopefully, this is what others will say :) All of the snakes I have ever seen have the same thing. :-D

Becky

mine has it only by his neck, i dont think its anything to worry about though, i recently brought mine to the vet and hes perfectly healthy, but im wondering now so maybe someone smarter can inform us both :wink:

no, it is someting to kidna worry about. When their skin wrinkles like that it means they are dehydrated.... Thats all. Its been said that a good gatorade soak will hydrate them. But I don't think anyone knows for sure. They get most of their fluuids from their food anyway

Ill explain the gatorade thing. They say they soak the electrolytes through their skin,. Some people uuse pedialyte, otheres gatorade.

yeah I thought that was the case - I do need to get some of that I NEVER see him in his water at all though I see him drink rarely. Thanks Justin I'll try that tonight

http://www.ball-pythons.net/Sections...34-page-1.html
should have checked this out but wanted to make sure that it was in fact dehydration. They eyes aren't dented but the creases seem abnormal.

bp's for some odd reason rarely will drink in front of us. I have never seen hydra do it. But Bull, my bci was drinking the other day for a long long long time, about 10 minutes. A little while later I took him out to handle him and the part underneath there mouth bubbled up and he spit it at me! lmao. it was kinda funny but had me worried so I put him back

LOL that's awesome!

Do the folds run the length of the snake or around it's girth?
If girth then it is normal. All snakes I have ever seen will have a fold or to when bending right at said bend.
If you can get a copy of The Ball Python manual by Philippe de Vosjoli he discusses this and has pics.
Page 62 has a pic and says " Sick bp's dehydrate because of shifts in fluids and electrolytes in the body; providing a water dish is unlikely to correct these problems"
" You can recognize a dehydrated snake by wrinkles running laterally down it's body. In advance cases sunken eyes"

Hope this helps

Thanks Jotay! It does, I bought that book a week before I got my snake I'll have to look over that part... they have it cheap on amazon.