Scale Rot and Should I Take Her In?

Sorry if I ask too many questions but this IS my first snake and there's only so much you can get from reading before you own one and now that I can post pictured, I can finally ask about this. A bit after I got my BP I noticed some weird patches of grey along her body. http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01...9b3c4317e1.jpg http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01...be06697603.jpg At first I thought maybe it'll go away with her shed since she was going into one at this point but then she shed and it didn't go away. It may be natural coloring but I would rather be safe. As far as I can tell, we don't have any sort of herp vet so I would love to not have to find one as I don't have any sort of car. As long as it isn't scale rot I think I'm okay.

Its hard to see the area you're talking about because of the flash hitting that exact spot.

From what I can see it is either a natural patch or maybe a slight burn. If it has a texture to it I would say its a safe bet its a slight burn. If not, then it is probably just its coloring.

If it is textured or dry compared to the rest of the skin you need to check you setup as it would appear you have a heat lamp or che that is creating a hotspot that is way to hot.

I noticed it before I even had a lamp or heating pad. I have the lamp on the outside of the lid so she can't get to that and I check daily to make sure there's not a hole in the substrate where she can burn herself on the heating pad. It is a little different in texture though it doesn't seem to bother her any if I touch it. I looked up what mild scale rot looked like and it worried me because it looked similar in some pics.

Two things

1. A snake does not have to actually make contact with a heat lamp or che to bet a burn. Think of it like how you get a sunburn.

2. The cage floor directly over the uth should be no hotter than the desired hotspot temp. This should then be covered with a very thin layer of substrate. 1/4 inch or less is about right.


I hope the uth has a tstat. If not you need to unplug and keep it that way until you get a tstat. Google images of burned snakes and you will see pics of burns caused by both uth's and lamps. They are nasty!

I can't afford a stat right now because I can't find them for any lower than $40. If I unplug the heating pad, she won't have a warm enough spot. I don't mean to sound like I'm making excuses but do you have a suggestion as to how to keep her warm enough if I take out the heater?

There are cheap Hydrofarm thermostats on Amazon. $28 last time I checked. I had one while I was building up the funds for my herpstat. I bought three just in case.

If you want something now, which I think is better than later, I heard you can go to a hardware store and look for a lamp dimmer or rheostat. I hope someone could elaborate more on this.

Also you can keep them warm by cranking up your own thermostat in your house if you can. I bought a $20 small room heater and just point it at my bp. There is also the hot water bottle trick.

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Originally Posted by RiA MaU

I can't afford a stat right now because I can't find them for any lower than $40. If I unplug the heating pad, she won't have a warm enough spot. I don't mean to sound like I'm making excuses but do you have a suggestion as to how to keep her warm enough if I take out the heater?

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So you cant afford a $40 stat but you can afford a several hundred dollar vet bill? Thats strange. :weirdface

Plenty of keepers have their collection thriving usuing only ambient temp control. The uth is nice but it should NEVER be used without a tstat and is not a must have item. A few of my snakes hardly ever even use it and if I decided to remove them all together my snakes would be fine.

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Originally Posted by MysticMoon001

If you want something now, which I think is better than later, I heard you can go to a hardware store and look for a lamp dimmer or rheostat. I hope someone could elaborate more on this.

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A dimmer can be used but the problem with them is they are dumb. What I mean is if the temp in the home goes up they does know and therefore do not respond. They then make the hotspot hotter and possibly create a hazardous situation. It works the same way when the room cools, so does the spot.

They are best used in a climate controlled areas that stays constant with little fluctuation.

Is a vet really that much? I can't afford that either...

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Originally Posted by RiA MaU

Is a vet really that much? I can't afford that either...

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Yes. It very easily can be. I don't find vets in general to be cheap but when you are dealing with a specialist for herps the cost goes up even higher. Snakes are great pets that don't need the vet visits like most get for their furry pets. However, when something goes wrong and they do need a vet it is not cheap. Its best to provide the best husbandry you can and avoid ever having to take your snake for treatment.

Finding a reptile vet is not always easy either.

Owning an animal is easy. Caring for that animal is the hard part.

The cheapest near me is 70 for walking through the door. Everything else is extra. And that's per animal.

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Originally Posted by Kokorobosoi

The cheapest near me is 70 for walking through the door. Everything else is extra. And that's per animal.

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When I took my GTP to one I was charged a first time visit fee. :mad: In my mind it seems like a first time visit should earn me a discount to encourage me to come back. Then they had the standard office fee, xray fees, meds, and the nonsense that gets added to the bill in the way of other fees like waste disposal. If I remember correctly it was right around $300 total for that one visit.

*sigh* I'm seeing if it comes off any over the next shed (happening right now). Is it normal for her to be sliding back and forth so...harshly?

She's pushing pretty hard and the shed has been in that same spot around her neck for about 2 hours now. http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01...6033514c4a.jpg http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01...b893081002.jpg She got the head part completely off with eye caps and that weird fleck I pointed out by her eye in my other post is gone. http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01...d9e3f3ad78.jpg Even though my humidity is alright, this shed seems to be going worse than the last one...

Then the humidity is not alright. Boost it now and mist her and the tank. If you have moss in the hides make it damp.

Her skin looks dry to me. When mine shed the skin is super soft and feels almost moist.

Yeah, she looks pretty dry. Raise the humidity.

I can't. I've misted her tank 3-4 times in the last couple hours and it's still at the same place. It stays at about 50%. I don't have moss but I do have the paper towels and the hide is obviously more humid than the rest of the tank and that's the closest I can get in this place.

Your water bowl looks a little low. It won't do anything drastic but I've found a full water bowl helps bump up humidity a tad

Probably should fill the water bowl and mist it some more perhaps. If there's an open top, put damp paper towels or a towel over the top so it doesn't evaporate/dry out so quickly. If it's really dry (and from the looks of it, can dry out quick), you might wanna just mist it so it seems wet/really damp. Your bark doesn't look so damp.

Another thing if you don't have moss is wet-damp (squeezed out) paper towels. If she spends a lot of time in her hide you can put one in there too.
A new snake I got that was going through a rough shed I stuck in with a bunch of moss and paper towels (REALLY wet) in a little tuperware type thing, with room for her to move around and nudge the shed off, worked like a charm and she was much happier after.

Sometimes they get pretty wild with rubbing onto things, it doesn't look worrisome to me at least

Then again I'm nowhere close to an expert, just trying to help out!



Also, could someone link to the $40 stats? Or a thread with a good setup in terms of dimmer/tstat for temp and humidity control- I'm looking to getting a better setup than I have, though not hundreds of dollars like I've been seeing

Thanks. I do already have the paper towels in the hides. I just covered most of the top with foil but I'll try damp towels instead.

She's gotten almost all of it off her belly and is just working on the top half and tail tip. I didn't get pics from right now but if it hasn't finished by tomorrow, I'm going to try a soak unless you think it would be too early.

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Originally Posted by RiA MaU

She's gotten almost all of it off her belly and is just working on the top half and tail tip. I didn't get pics from right now but if it hasn't finished by tomorrow, I'm going to try a soak unless you think it would be too early.

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Regarding the damp paper towels on the top of the screen, I would use either aluminum foil or saran wrap instead simply because they don't dry out and they retain mosture better. The paper towels can dry out and are more porous, allowing moisture to escape. Damp paper towels *in* the enclosure are fine; although damp sphagnum moss is my personal favorite.

If she has patches of old shed as of tomorrow, you can try a warm water soak with a towel.

Also, not sure if it's the design of the water bowl, but you need to change her water. It should be refreshed whenever it's dirtied or cluttered. Looks like a bunch of bark might be in it.

Our beloved snakeys usually prove to be more expensive than most new owners originally bargain for, but it's so worth it for their well-being. Spending the necessary money upfront is worth it, and will ultimately save you in vet bills later if your husbandry is right!

This ^^^^^^^^ . Also, for the record, scale rot usually presents on the ventral scales of snakes. That is the underbelly, and typically is a yellow to brownish discoloration of those scales with areas of visible irritation and maybe reddening. :salute:

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Originally Posted by O'Mathghamhna

Regarding the damp paper towels on the top of the screen, I would use either aluminum foil or saran wrap instead simply because they don't dry out and they retain mosture better. The paper towels can dry out and are more porous, allowing moisture to escape. Damp paper towels *in* the enclosure are fine; although damp sphagnum moss is my personal favorite.

If she has patches of old shed as of tomorrow, you can try a warm water soak with a towel.

Also, not sure if it's the design of the water bowl, but you need to change her water. It should be refreshed whenever it's dirtied or cluttered. Looks like a bunch of bark might be in it.

Our beloved snakeys usually prove to be more expensive than most new owners originally bargain for, but it's so worth it for their well-being. Spending the necessary money upfront is worth it, and will ultimately save you in vet bills later if your husbandry is right!

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1. The paper towels were only in the hides and I had foil covering the top. I was advised to try regular towels instead. 2. I change the water daily and due to how heavy the bowl is, the substrate sticks to my hands and the bowl spills a lot and it's difficult to keep it full and clean when I change it. 3. I may unfortunately need to sell her because I don't MAKE the right money to even save for things like vets. ;-;

A few pieces of substrate in the water is not a huge thing.

When you clean the water bowl don't fill it up before putting it back. Clean it and then just put a little water in it, not so much that you can not carry it easily. Then once it is replaced in the tank top it off with a cup or pitcher.

Was going to suggest that ^^^^ as it's what I do with the bigger snakes/water bowls.

So there are only 3 problem areas I saw. Head, one back patch, the very tip of the tail. http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01...f924df3763.jpg http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01...b71afd4d30.jpg http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01...544a87488f.jpg I fed her today and she ate fine. While she ate, I did a full tank clean. I completely replaced the substrate and cleaned everything in it. I just misted everything and the reader says 81° (which always drops after a mist) and 80% (which I'm guessing is because I got water on it when I sprayed) on the warm side.

First picture is simply where the top layer of the new scales got stuck to the old skin during shed - nothing to worry about. :gj:

The second and third are pieces of stuck shed - misting with water and rub them with your fingers and they should come off readily.

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Originally Posted by RiA MaU

1. The paper towels were only in the hides and I had foil covering the top. I was advised to try regular towels instead.

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Stick to the foil. I don't know why there seems to be a rash of people spreading the damp towel thing around, but who wants to continuously have a wet towel hanging around on their stuff? It's a breeding ground for bacteria and germs, not to mention the inconvenience of having to re-dampen it continuously. It also helps to place your water so it's under the foil and a bit on the warm side.

A good guide to follow if you're using a glass tank is http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...With-Pictures!

And a decent thermostat to start off with under 40$ is available through Amazon http://www.amazon.com/MTPRTC-ETL-Cer.../dp/B000NZZG3S

Thanks. I've got the humidity staying between 50%-60% right now but temps are at about 86° on warm now. How do I keep both up???

Also, I have to spray every hour or two even following all your guys' tips in order to keep it up. I woke up and humidity was back to 35%. That doesn't exactly work when I can be gone for work anywhere between 3 and 12 hours in a day.

Can you provide a picture of your entire set up? Also, what are you using to measure humidity and type of substrate?

I live in the middle of the Mojave desert and the foil trick alone put me over 60%. I'm sure we can figure something out for you, just a little more information is needed.

Here are some pics of my setup. http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01...bfc6d52e57.jpg http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01...1ddf7bcffb.jpg http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01...5ce0466195.jpg The hide I had on the cool side was unfortunately dropped and broke during cleaning. She wiggled her way into all of the pics. :) I'm using an AccuRite to measure temp and humidity and it's Zilla brand sphagnum and fir substrate, which is what the store said they used for all their snakes.