Ball Python Rescue - Before/After Pictures

About 2 months ago I went and rescued a male ball python, whom was in horrible condition. When I got to the ladies house I was horrified by what I saw. He had dried up wounds all up and down his back, burns on his tail and belly, dried shed left on him, and in a couple spots where it looked like someone literally tried to skin him. The lady said, "he's had a few bad sheds". It looked like he had been severely abused on purpose! I've never seem a snake in my life that looked like this. Pictures tell everything.

http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4084c98f.jpg

http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6cd9af32.jpg

(In this picture I wasn't pulling the skin, just lifting it up. It eventually fell off a few days later)

http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8495dc67.jpg

This is the only picture i took of his burns.

http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/...pse03cca5f.jpg

When I received him he was in pain and would strike every time I would try to touch him. He refused to eat as well. After his first shed you could tell he felt so much better! A couple weeks after his first shed he finally started eating again. And now he doesn't mind being handled. Next is a picture after he shed.

http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/...psa2204ba5.jpg

Next is a picture that was taken a couple weeks ago. As you can see his scales are starting to form back over the white areas.

http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/...ps44df4a4c.jpg


Let me know what you guys think! I'm so happy to have saved him. He will be one normal male that stays with me for the rest of his life. He's now one of my best eaters too! :D Let me know what you guys think!

It's absolutely amazing what they can recover from with proper care. It looks like they had him living with a hungry mouse on top of a stove! :taz: Thank you for taking the time and heart to save that guy, he's looking awesome!

Oh my gosh, poor guy!! He's lucky to have had you. I know you mentioned he was in pain and snappish when you first got him, but could you share your treatment plan for him-- betadine baths, silver oxide cream? How'd you get that stuff closed up and clean? I'm just curious, and it'd be a good firsthand resource in the event someone ends up taking in a rescue like this guy. Again, great work!

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Originally Posted by Archimedes

Oh my gosh, poor guy!! He's lucky to have had you. I know you mentioned he was in pain and snappish when you first got him, but could you share your treatment plan for him-- betadine baths, silver oxide cream? How'd you get that stuff closed up and clean? I'm just curious, and it'd be a good firsthand resource in the event someone ends up taking in a rescue like this guy. Again, great work!

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His treatment was the non pain killer Neosporin every few days. I've heard some people say you shouldn't use Neosporin on snakes, but it's all I've ever used. I think it really proved itself with this guy though. After his first shed I only did one treatment of it. He has been healing very nicely now without it.

Wow he looks so much better! Great job taking him in and saving his life.. its just so hard for me to understand how he got that way in the first place.

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Wow...sad that he got to that point, but he was very lucky you came along!
I can't believe that lady waited that long...

Amazing recovery story, lots of good karma your way! :)
I'd like to see continued updates every so often and see if he's 100% better.

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Originally Posted by sissysnakes

its just so hard for me to understand how he got that way in the first place.

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Because people suck, especially when it comes to non-furry pets.

It reminds me of the parents who take a child to the emergency room with cuts, bruises all over, and/or broken bones and say "he fell."

Great job with the rehab. I'm sure you have a much happier snake.

Wow! Poor baby! I can't believe how much better he is looking already, great job. It really blows my mind that anyone could let their pet get that way.

Wow amazing job... He looks so good... I can't believe how much he has changed... He went from his skin falling off to almost a perfect snake.. Poor little guy. Good job props to you for looking and taking care of him.

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Originally Posted by Annarose15

Because people suck, especially when it comes to non-furry pets.

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They suck even when it is a furry pet.

Glad he is looking better, very happy someone helped him out :)

How can people be so cruel? He is looking so much better now! You are awesome - way to be! :D

On one end, it sincerely breaks my heart as they should have been prosecuted for animal cruelty, but we know how it goes with non-furry animals. On the other end, success stories of people taking the time, money, and their resources to give such an adorable and loving animal a great life are to be greatly commended. Not everyone can or will do that for any kind of animal so I applaud you for your dedication to giving this one animal the life he deserves. He really looks like he's coming along very well. I am sure he sees you as a non-threat...since you're helping him and not abusing him...and for the first time in his life knows not all humans are bad.

That woman should have to endure what that BP had to endure...NO excuse for that behavior whatsoever. I don't care if a person is bat-[crap] crazy, they should be held accountable for that type of abuse as that is far more than "inexperience". That is direct abuse and neglect. Period.

Please keep us posted and post pics as he continues to heal...:gj::gj::gj:

Nice work! I'm curious..... did you get to see what kind of enclosure set-up this snake had been living in to end up that way?

Aww poor guy and it looks like that lady didnt give two flying flips about him at all she should of did something the first bad shed. Thank goodness there are people in the world who give two flips about animals. That person who said you have good karma your way is right. I would also like to see some pics in the future to see how he is doing

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Originally Posted by wendhend

Nice work! I'm curious..... did you get to see what kind of enclosure set-up this snake had been living in to end up that way?

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Yes she gave me the enclosure he was in. It was a 55 gallon tank with absolutely no humidity. There was dried shed EVERYWHERE. And she had two heating pads in one spot. She also said he had ate the fallowing Saturday, which is BS since he didnt eat for me till about a month later. She said she would just put a rat in with him... Obviously the snake isn't the one who got a meal.

I will be glad to post some updated pictures soon. He shed about a week ago and I'll see if I can get some up.

Has he eaten since this all happened?I'm just curious. >_<

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Originally Posted by Quinnster

Has he eaten since this all happened?I'm just curious. >_<

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Yes he has. He just didnt start eating till about after a month of having him. Hasn't refused food since he first took. He's one of my best feeders now. It's actually been about 3 months since I got him not 2 (my bad on the date lol)

Aww he's a trooper :~)

Just took a couple fresh pics of him. All the white down his back is almost gone.

http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/...ps250f89b0.jpg

Happy boy :) I love his head stamp.
http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3de6b025.jpg

You're a good mother <3

Aww, he looks great now! You've done a great job taking care of him and helping him recover. People like the woman you got him from shake my faith in humanity but then people like you give me hope!

I really doubt that it's inexperience...
Those look like deliberately inflicted injuries, and not from a rat. Unless the mouse or rat decided to drag their teeth along...ugh.
It looks like she tried to 'help' him shed.


Kudos to you for nursing him back to health.

(I should probably go, Cap is glowering at me from his hide. Is he angry or jealous that I'm looking at bigger pythons? Ha!)

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Originally Posted by EarthlyMaiden

I really doubt that it's inexperience...
Those look like deliberately inflicted injuries, and not from a rat. Unless the mouse or rat decided to drag their teeth along...ugh.
It looks like she tried to 'help' him shed.


Kudos to you for nursing him back to health.

(I should probably go, Cap is glowering at me from his hide. Is he angry or jealous that I'm looking at bigger pythons? Ha!)

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Thats what I thought. I too don't think a rat could do that. One reason why I said it looked like someone literally tried to skin him. A friend said it looks like someone possible tried to pull him out of somewhere by the tail and that might be what injured his back so bad.

Great job on getting that little guy back to good health! Some people just don't know how to do research before getting animals. Heck, I've been lurking this site for 4 months and am just now about to order my first BP.

Some people's kids. :confusd:

Wow, an enraged angry overwhelmed me! That is BS someone had that snake in that condition!

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Originally Posted by Macinster

About 2 months ago I went and rescued a male ball python, whom was in horrible condition. When I got to the ladies house I was horrified by what I saw. He had dried up wounds all up and down his back, burns on his tail and belly, dried shed left on him, and in a couple spots where it looked like someone literally tried to skin him. The lady said, "he's had a few bad sheds". It looked like he had been severely abused on purpose! I've never seem a snake in my life that looked like this. Pictures tell everything.

http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4084c98f.jpg

http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6cd9af32.jpg

(In this picture I wasn't pulling the skin, just lifting it up. It eventually fell off a few days later)

http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8495dc67.jpg

This is the only picture i took of his burns.

http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/...pse03cca5f.jpg

When I received him he was in pain and would strike every time I would try to touch him. He refused to eat as well. After his first shed you could tell he felt so much better! A couple weeks after his first shed he finally started eating again. And now he doesn't mind being handled. Next is a picture after he shed.

http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/...psa2204ba5.jpg

Next is a picture that was taken a couple weeks ago. As you can see his scales are starting to form back over the white areas.

http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/...ps44df4a4c.jpg


Let me know what you guys think! I'm so happy to have saved him. He will be one normal male that stays with me for the rest of his life. He's now one of my best eaters too! :D Let me know what you guys think!

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These pictures are another testament to how amazing and resilient these animals can be. :)

You've done an amazing job there.You should be really proud of youself, if the world had more people like you and less of the people who let things like this happen, the world would be a better place :gj:

That's 100% rat damage along the back, there.... that's what they do, tear them up along the spine like they're eating an ear of corn. It's horrible. Your guy was actually extremely lucky that the damage was relatively milnor, I've seen photos of ball pythons eaten down to their spine and ribs. I don't think he was deliberately abused, she just left a rat in with him - probably with no food or water, so it attacked the snake.

There are so many out there that don't get help or when they do its too late. Its awesome to know that this little guy is one of the lucky ones. Your care is paying off- he looks great and will continue to look better. I took in an abused (not just neglected) snake and she amazes me with her ability to be handled and not fear me. I'd like to think that they can tell intentions;)

Good work!

Very strong work! I think you have found your calling.

Nice job. Folks would be surprised at the amount of ignorance there is out there, especially in the world of non-herpers keeping "pet snakes" and other reptiles.

When I saw those first pictures, it literally took my breathe away! That poor baby.. :(( I'm so glad someone who will take care of him has him now! You are a good person. People like you give me hope in this world. :D

Now that it's been a year, how's he doing? I just rescued one not nearly as bad as this one was, he's already almost back to normal after about a month. But I was just curious on how well all the wounds healed up and such.

I'm curious too. I hope he is well. I'm so glad you saved him!!! People need to be held accountable, there's too many shot heads out there and it's getting worse. Idiocracy is happening and "pop" culture is making it worsen faster at the moment.