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Strange brown, scab-like scale
Recently I've noticed that my BEL has been getting some sort of brown scale under his jaw. When I first bought him he didn't have it, but after about a month I noticed he had 2 brown scales under his jaw. I had thought it was a scar from feeding him live mice and a breeder I bought my other ball python from also told me it looked like a scar. So I just started feeding him thawed and thought it should heal over time. After he shed for the first time (with me) the brown markings turned pink. I was glad because I thought it was gonna go away after a few sheds, but now it's been a couple weeks after that and the brown markings are back and are larger than before. I touched it and feels sort of like a scab, it's definitely not dirt. I tried washing it off with water and it did nothing. I got a bit of rubbing alcohol and diluted it a bit with water so it wasn't too strong and rubbed it with a quetip, didn't do anything either. Any idea what it could be? Should I be worred?
He seems perfectly healthy otherwise. He's curious, pretty docile, never missed a feeding, and very active at night.
The picture order goes from when I first saw it, after the shed, and now.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/webk...f727/imagejpeg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/webk...30cd/imagejpeg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/webk...ee6ff/imagepng
For some reason the pictures aren't showing. Might take me a minute.
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Re: Strange brown, scab-like scale
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those look like the beginnings of rub marks. Yellow has gotten them before; they were gone next shed.
have you noticed him pushing at all?
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Re: Strange brown, scab-like scale
He does sometimes against the lid of his tub and occasionally his hide.
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Re: Strange brown, scab-like scale
Quote:
Originally Posted by DerekG4
He does sometimes against the lid of his tub and occasionally his hide.
what are you feeding him and how often? also how's your husbandry?
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Re: Strange brown, scab-like scale
Quote:
Originally Posted by tttaylorrr
what are you feeding him and how often? also how's your husbandry?
I feed him F/T medium mice (not entirely sure if it's medium, the mouse is about 2 inches minus the tail), he eats once a week, never missed a feeding with me. He's in a 15 QT tub with a large rock hide (takes up about 2/3s of the tub) an inch of "jungle mix" with coco fiber and husk, a small 2-5 gallon heat pad under the hide, and a small water bowl. Back then he had a coconut as a hide but I removed it because it was small and his scales were lifted from squeezing in there. Most of his scales are fine now after I switched
his hide.
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Re: Strange brown, scab-like scale
Quote:
Originally Posted by DerekG4
I feed him F/T medium mice (not entirely sure if it's medium, the mouse is about 2 inches minus the tail), he eats once a week, never missed a feeding with me. He's in a 15 QT tub with a large rock hide (takes up about 2/3s of the tub) an inch of "jungle mix" with coco fiber and husk, a small 2-5 gallon heat pad under the hide, and a small water bowl. Back then he had a coconut as a hide but I removed it because it was small and his scales were lifted from squeezing in there. Most of his scales are fine now after I switched
his hide.
how much does the snake weigh?
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Re: Strange brown, scab-like scale
Quote:
Originally Posted by tttaylorrr
how much does the snake weigh?
Last time I weighed him, he was about 144.2 grams. Should be a fair amount more than that now since it's been like a month since the last time I weighed him. I'd weigh him now but he just ate last night. I'd say he should be 160 now. Not entirely sure on his age.
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Re: Strange brown, scab-like scale
Quote:
Originally Posted by DerekG4
Last time I weighed him, he was about 144.2 grams. Should be a fair amount more than that now since it's been like a month since the last time I weighed him. I'd weigh him now but he just ate last night. I'd say he should be 160 now. Not entirely sure on his age.
i'd recommend weighing out his food and seeing if it aligns with this chart; based on the info in this thread, i think you might be underfeeding which is causing him to push.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...%2F98qfzDH.png
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Re: Strange brown, scab-like scale
The mice I feed him are about 13.6-14 grams. He weighs less than 200 grams and I feed him once a week. I thought that would be enough food for him. I guess since he can eat something heavier, I'll probably try a small rat pup or a large rat fuzzy.
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Re: Strange brown, scab-like scale
Quote:
Originally Posted by DerekG4
The mice I feed him are about 13.6-14 grams. He weighs less than 200 grams and I feed him once a week. I thought that would be enough food for him. I guess since he can eat something heavier, I'll probably try a small rat pup or a large rat fuzzy.
he very well could still be hungry, but don't worry about moving him up in size just yet; maybe try feeding every 5 days? see if he settles down on pushing.
but going back to your original issue: it just looks like rub marks. keep an eye on them and they should get better every shed. :)
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Re: Strange brown, scab-like scale
Quote:
Originally Posted by tttaylorrr
he very well could still be hungry, but don't worry about moving him up in size just yet; maybe try feeding every 5 days? see if he settles down on pushing.
but going back to your original issue: it just looks like rub marks. keep an eye on them and they should get better every shed. :)
I guess that may explain why he's so active every single night (besides the night after I feed him) and why it takes so long for him to shed.
I previously attempted to feed him every 5 days but he doesn't eat, he'll look and smell the mice as if he's interested but he doesn't strike, he just stays there smelling it for a few minutes then slithers away.
hopefully he should shed soon, it's been about a month and a half since he's last she'd.
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Re: Strange brown, scab-like scale
I'd go with an adult mouse or rat pup, he can handle either and I bet you'll see less rubbing.
140g enchi knocking back a rat pup. Fills him good and he's content on his hot spot for days.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...2f5b681919.jpg
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
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Re: Strange brown, scab-like scale
Quote:
Originally Posted by DerekG4
I guess that may explain why he's so active every single night (besides the night after I feed him) and why it takes so long for him to shed.
I previously attempted to feed him every 5 days but he doesn't eat, he'll look and smell the mice as if he's interested but he doesn't strike, he just stays there smelling it for a few minutes then slithers away.
if this is the case then he might be ready for a bigger meal. but you know your snake better than i do; don't push him to move up unless you truly think he's ready.
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After seeing a 140g snake easily eat a rat pup, I'll definitely trying giving mine a rat pup. I never attempted giving him anything bigger because I was afraid it may be a bit too big. But if feeding him more/bigger food should make him rub less, then I'll gladly give him something bigger.
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Re: Strange brown, scab-like scale
Quote:
Originally Posted by DerekG4
After seeing a 140g snake easily eat a rat pup, I'll definitely trying giving mine a rat pup. I never attempted giving him anything bigger because I was afraid it may be a bit too big. But if feeding him more/bigger food should make him rub less, then I'll gladly give him something bigger.
keep us posted! :gj:
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Will do, gonna feed him on Wednesday
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He had a strange feeding response to it. He’s normally active at night but the past 4 nights he hasn’t come out. I removed the hide to feed him and he wasn’t interested at all, which was very strange of him, he never refuses to eat. I handled him for a second and put the rat pup by his mouth and he began eating it. No strike or anything, he just opened his mouth and began swallowing it.
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Re: Strange brown, scab-like scale
Sometimes they will do that. My corn just about never strikes her food and she's very gentle with the mouse when she does first bite it.
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Well, since I fed him he’s much less active now. I haven’t seen him crawl out of his hide since the day I fed him.
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Strange brown, scab-like scale
That feeding chart is a “guideline” not a concrete rule, and the food sizes in that chart for the small young pythons are less than 10% bodyweight, which is a little meal. With a growing young snake, I think its best to move them up in size if they show signs of hunger. Go for more like 10-15% of the snake’s mass. I feed my 200 gram male a furry rat pup every 5-7 days. About 25-30 gram rats.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Re: Strange brown, scab-like scale
Quote:
Originally Posted by DerekG4
He had a strange feeding response to it. He’s normally active at night but the past 4 nights he hasn’t come out. I removed the hide to feed him and he wasn’t interested at all, which was very strange of him, he never refuses to eat. I handled him for a second and put the rat pup by his mouth and he began eating it. No strike or anything, he just opened his mouth and began swallowing it.
Wow !!
I daren't go anywhere near my Royals before feeding and certainly wouldn't be lifting the hide off mine ...
They're all so different ...
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
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Re: Strange brown, scab-like scale
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zincubus
Wow !!
I daren't go anywhere near my Royals before feeding and certainly wouldn't be lifting the hide off mine ...
They're all so different ...
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
Lol he’s hardly aggressive, The most he’ll do is hiss. He hasn’t bitten me or attempted to bite me yet. Sometimes I’d lightly tap the hide and he’ll poke his head out to inspect what it was. He’d climb on me to me if i put my hand near him.
my female on the other hand is much more skittish and no where near as friendly. She’s struck at me once already.
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