What is this coming out of my snake?

I noticed this last night, and didn't really think anything of it. But while handling her this evening its still there and I have no idea what it is.

Here's a pic:

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/...ps55beb7c2.jpg

Its the little brown flaky thing coming out of her vent. Not knowing what it is, I gave it a small little tug, and it feels like its coming up from her cloaca. And it really feels like its in there, so I stopped touching it.

Here's two more pictures:

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/...psfc268af7.jpg

I circled this one so you guys can see it better.

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/...ps786e5a95.jpg

Does anyone know what it might be? Old skin? If held up to the light its pretty see through. Could it be remnants of her umbilical cord? Mind you she's an 8 year old snake.

I just noticed it last night, but I don't know how long it could have been there because I never really look into that area around the vent.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, because I honestly have no idea what it could be.

Let me add this, only the tip is barely showing from her vent. You kind of have to put some pressure down on the vent so you could see it better.

Looks kinda like old poopy skin. Sometimes it gets stuck in there. That would be my bet.

I hope so, like I said, I have no idea how long it's been there, but it doesn't seem to bother her. I don't want to yank it out though because I don't know what it is, and I don't want to hurt her.

I know that it can't be the umbilical cord, I don't know why I wrote that down (just rambling I guess). But is this something I should worry about? What should I do to get rid of it? Or should I just leave it there?

I have no idea what it could be, but my opinion is that if it's still there after the snake's next shed and next bowel movement then I think I vet visit is in order.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by interloc

Looks kinda like old poopy skin. Sometimes it gets stuck in there. That would be my bet.

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Yeah some stuck shed was my first thought too.
When was her last shed?

I would say about mid March. It wasn't the best shed either and I had to help get some off of her. But if it were shed skin, would it feel as if it were up in her?

I would say about mid March. It wasn't the best shed either, and had to help her get some off. But if it were shed skin, would it feel like it is "stuck" up in her?

I'm just gunna guess she's been locked or she is really a HE..looks like dried sperm ending.

I actually probed her last night for the first time ever, and that's when I noticed it sticking out a little bit. She (or he) has never been with another Ball. When I probed, it didn't go in very far before I felt resistance, so I pulled out and counted the scales. It wasn't very many so called her a she. But, she was the first snake I ever probed. So I'm not 100% sure.

Looks like an old sperm plug to me

^ My first thoughts as well. Looks exactly like an old plug... that's all I can really think of what it may be.

So if it is an old plug, that means she, is a he. (I wouldn't be surprised, my probing skills are somewhat lacking.) Would sperm plugs fall off by themselves? Is it safe to pull them out? Would it cause more harm than good?

This is less of an answer and more of a question to those with more knowledge: would a bath be helpful in this situation? I know a quick dip in warm water and a couple of wiggles and anything in my girl (poop, urates, whatever else she's keeping in there) comes right on out.

I was looking at it again, and decided to give a little tug. To my surprise it came out all the way, so I took some pictures of it.

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/...ps97402b03.jpg

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/...psd5738fba.jpg

I've never seen a sperm plug before, so it this essentially what it is? If so that means, that she is a he. And thats quite exciting, because he's a rather big boy.

Looks like a plug to me.

I know that's from a BP but,
what I thought was my female colubrid had a stuck shed near and around it's vent about a month ago and after she lost the remaining shed, there were 2 spur-like things of a dark color that looked JUST like that sperm plug that came off with the stuck shed.

So, after asking around, they were either shed sperm plugs, shed hemipene skins, or shed vaginal cavities..... I wish I could narrow down the opptions..... but since then, I realized that it's sibling (who I thought was the male) is much bigger (from what I know, males are almost always smaller than females), and that I probably got the genders of them wrong, like a dummy.
No blood came from the spur things, and they shrunk down in a day, and no blood came from the snake, so, at least it didn't lose it's "tools of procreation" if it is a male.