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  • 05-25-2019, 10:33 PM
    blabbytax1
    Red scabby looking spot on my enchi ball python
    Hi I noticed a red scabby looking spot on my snakes belly and I was wondering what it could be I can't post photos because this is my first post but does anyone know what it could be?
  • 05-25-2019, 11:54 PM
    bcr229
    Are you using a heat pad/under-tank heater with your snake? If so is it regulated by a thermostat so it doesn't overheat and burn your snake?
  • 05-26-2019, 08:52 AM
    Mirakuru
    Like mentioned above, you should have a regulator for your heating mat so it stays constant and doesn't have weird fluxes in temperature. Also appropriate to have is a temperature gun so you can point at a specific spot and get an accurate temperature!

    Also if you're using substrate, every other day I have to go under the hide on the warm side and make sure the substrate is evenly covering it. There could be some spots where more heat is coming through because of the material being pushed around. This is also why a temp. gun is useful so you can quickly scan over that area to see any spikes.

    I'm going to assume you already know this, but just to refresh I consider anything above 90-92 degrees is probably a little too hot for their bellies.

    I haven't had a scab happen before, but Dumplings belly has been a little pink in the past because of the heat being too high. I'm sure others will be able to give you some first aid advice!
  • 05-26-2019, 09:04 AM
    dr del
    Re: Red scabby looking spot on my enchi ball python
    This will help all concerned I hope.

    https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-Post-Pictures
  • 05-26-2019, 11:53 AM
    blabbytax1
    Re: Red scabby looking spot on my enchi ball python
    I don't have a temperature regulator but I will look for one (will the pads with built in ones work?) and I don't have pictures of the injury right now but I will take some and try to post them thanks I just want to help my not so little nagini
  • 05-26-2019, 12:11 PM
    bcr229
    Re: Red scabby looking spot on my enchi ball python
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by blabbytax1 View Post
    I don't have a temperature regulator but I will look for one (will the pads with built in ones work?) and I don't have pictures of the injury right now but I will take some and try to post them thanks I just want to help my not so little nagini

    You need to unplug the heat mat right now. If your snake is burned so that it's red it will need a vet visit.

    https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...ces-video-demo
  • 05-26-2019, 12:25 PM
    blabbytax1
    Re: Red scabby looking spot on my enchi ball python
    I already did when I saw it

    Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
  • 05-26-2019, 02:45 PM
    Mirakuru
    https://www.amazon.com/iPower-40-108...=fsclp_pl_dp_1

    heres what I use. You plug the heating mat into the port in this device, then plug the whole device into a power outlet. This is what will regulate your mat!

    there is a probe, the little thing that has a suction cup on it. What I do is I put the probe right in between the tub and the mat to get a reading of what the mat itself is heated up to. (You can just slip the suction cup off and toss it)
    There is a "set up" button where you can make a target temperature. I keep my "target" at 95 degrees because through the plastic and the substrate that makes the warm spot around 85-90. You'll be able to check that with a temperature gun!

    The way it regulates is if the mat goes above your "target" the regulator will turn the heat mat off to cool down, and it'll turn it back on again when it needs to reach the target temperature again. I'd say get one of these as soon as you can.
  • 05-26-2019, 03:50 PM
    blabbytax1
    Re: Red scabby looking spot on my enchi ball python
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Mirakuru View Post
    https://www.amazon.com/iPower-40-108...=fsclp_pl_dp_1

    heres what I use. You plug the heating mat into the port in this device, then plug the whole device into a power outlet. This is what will regulate your mat!

    there is a probe, the little thing that has a suction cup on it. What I do is I put the probe right in between the tub and the mat to get a reading of what the mat itself is heated up to. (You can just slip the suction cup off and toss it)
    There is a "set up" button where you can make a target temperature. I keep my "target" at 95 degrees because through the plastic and the substrate that makes the warm spot around 85-90. You'll be able to check that with a temperature gun!

    The way it regulates is if the mat goes above your "target" the regulator will turn the heat mat off to cool down, and it'll turn it back on again when it needs to reach the target temperature again. I'd say get one of these as soon as you can.

    Thanks I will get one as soon as I can I will have to see how much I have after paying bills and getting my car repaired

    Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
  • 05-26-2019, 04:11 PM
    Bogertophis
    Re: Red scabby looking spot on my enchi ball python
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by blabbytax1 View Post
    Thanks I will get one as soon as I can I will have to see how much I have after paying bills and getting my car repaired

    Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

    Please don't take this the wrong way, but if you cannot afford basic proper care (& by that I mean adequate, reliable & regulated heat for their digestion) please do
    not try to keep any pet snake...it's not fair to them. If you cannot afford a thermostat (or rheostat) to regulate the UTH, then it's a safe bet you cannot afford the
    emergency vet care that this snake now also needs...please re-home it to someone who can take proper care of it, until your finances are such that you can provide
    responsible care. Keeping pets of any kind means not just paying for the animal, & not just feeding it, not just buying a cage & adequate heating equipment, but it
    also means having enough money set aside for whatever medical care may come up, without waiting to save for it while the animal suffers...that's just not right. :(
    Unless you can borrow funds to take care of this now, please re-home this injured & hurting snake to someone (a rescue?) who can & will.

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by blabbytax1 View Post
    I don't have a temperature regulator but I will look for one (will the pads with built in ones work?)...

    You mean like human heating pads, with the 3 buttons (low, med, hi)? Not reliable at all, & can be hazardous if used improperly. You might
    be able to get away with using a "lamp dimmer" aka "rheostat" from local hardware store (not expensive at all, get the kind you plug a lamp
    into the extension cord with sliding control to regulate, BUT be advised that some UTH does not easily take to being dimmed, and will just go
    off instead of lowering the heat; all you can do is try it & see, not a big risk & lamp dimmers on a cord are always handy for over-head lights
    (you can provide temporary heat that way too, but still need thermostat to make sure it's not too hot!) and they're handy for our own lamps
    too.
  • 05-26-2019, 04:15 PM
    blabbytax1
    Re: Red scabby looking spot on my enchi ball python
    I checked and I can afford it

    Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
  • 05-26-2019, 06:58 PM
    blabbytax1
    Re: Red scabby looking spot on my enchi ball python
    Here's a photo of it does anyone know what it looks like I am going to call a veterinarian tomorrow or Tuesday to try to set an appointmenthttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...b930550d34.jpg

    Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
  • 05-26-2019, 07:19 PM
    Bogertophis
    That honestly doesn't look like a burn to me at all...it's far too small. I think she cut herself on something in the cage...check for sharp edges on everything
    & fix them. That looks like she bled from that scute, & then it scabbed over. You can use a tiny bit of Neosporin ointment (NOT the "pain relief" type, ONLY
    the regular kind) but don't over-do it, as it causes issues with their scales & future sheds. OR, use Betadine, or & best choice, Vetericyn- it's a water-based
    topical antiseptic gel that's made for reptile use. I recommend you change the cage substrate to white paper towels for a while until she's healed & shed &
    stays healed AFTER shedding (shedding often pulls healed wounds open so watch for that). If it starts bleeding (ie. if it seems deeper than I'm assuming)
    do see a vet, but otherwise, this doesn't look as serious as the burn we were assuming from your description. BUT...regulate that UTH, please???? Burns
    are horrible for snakes, they hurt & take a LONG time to heal, & worse. I'm glad you dodged that scenario for now...

    I doubt that she needs antibiotics for this, unless it seems to get infected (if the tissues around that scab turn pink, or the scab oozes, etc.), so keep an
    eye on it. Not sure I'd run to the vet for this, unless (as I said) it gets worse & seems infected or keeps bleeding. Fingers crossed she heals up fine.

    One more thing, while I'm thinking about it: when a snake gets an injury, they tend to shed more frequently in the effort to heal, so don't be surprised.
    Keep her well-fed & well-hydrated to help her heal.
  • 05-26-2019, 08:18 PM
    blabbytax1
    Re: Red scabby looking spot on my enchi ball python
    A couple of The scales around it are pink but you can't see it in the photo and I will regulate the uth

    Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
  • 05-26-2019, 08:22 PM
    Mirakuru
    I was expecting the worst, I'm happy to see I was wrong! I think Bogertophis said it all :) I'm glad you were able to get helpful information about heating the enclosure at the same time however.
  • 05-26-2019, 08:23 PM
    Bogertophis
    Re: Red scabby looking spot on my enchi ball python
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by blabbytax1 View Post
    A couple of The scales around it are pink but you can't see it in the photo and I will regulate the uth

    Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

    Vet check not a bad idea, in that case. It is hard to tell in photo, & can also change in time. You want to keep her on paper towels so that substrate debris don't find
    their way into the wound & cause more infection.
  • 05-26-2019, 08:27 PM
    blabbytax1
    Re: Red scabby looking spot on my enchi ball python
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Bogertophis View Post
    Please don't take this the wrong way, but if you cannot afford basic proper care (& by that I mean adequate, reliable & regulated heat for their digestion) please do
    not try to keep any pet snake...it's not fair to them. If you cannot afford a thermostat (or rheostat) to regulate the UTH, then it's a safe bet you cannot afford the
    emergency vet care that this snake now also needs...please re-home it to someone who can take proper care of it, until your finances are such that you can provide
    responsible care. Keeping pets of any kind means not just paying for the animal, & not just feeding it, not just buying a cage & adequate heating equipment, but it
    also means having enough money set aside for whatever medical care may come up, without waiting to save for it while the animal suffers...that's just not right. :(
    Unless you can borrow funds to take care of this now, please re-home this injured & hurting snake to someone (a rescue?) who can & will.


    You mean like human heating pads, with the 3 buttons (low, med, hi)? Not reliable at all, & can be hazardous if used improperly. You might
    be able to get away with using a "lamp dimmer" aka "rheostat" from local hardware store (not expensive at all, get the kind you plug a lamp
    into the extension cord with sliding control to regulate, BUT be advised that some UTH does not easily take to being dimmed, and will just go
    off instead of lowering the heat; all you can do is try it & see, not a big risk & lamp dimmers on a cord are always handy for over-head lights
    (you can provide temporary heat that way too, but still need thermostat to make sure it's not too hot!) and they're handy for our own lamps
    too.

    I was talking about the reptile ones that have them built in I have one for a gecko but I want to make sure I can use one for the snake

    Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
  • 05-26-2019, 08:31 PM
    blabbytax1
    Re: Red scabby looking spot on my enchi ball python
    Thank you everyone for the help this is my first snake and I was worried and I still am I will try to get her into a veterinarian asap tomorrow is memorial day so I don't if anywhere will be open

    Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
  • 05-26-2019, 08:35 PM
    Bogertophis
    Re: Red scabby looking spot on my enchi ball python
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by blabbytax1 View Post
    I was talking about the reptile ones that have them built in I have one for a gecko but I want to make sure I can use one for the snake

    Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

    There are many kinds, can you show it? If it's made for geckos it should be fine for snakes too...but I think you mean a variable temp. control, but not an actual
    thermostat, right? There's a big difference, & BPs require more heat than many other herps, so it's more dangerous (as far as causing burns) if not well-regulated.
    (You can't blame us for not wanting to see any more injured BPs around here...we're all animal lovers.)
  • 05-26-2019, 08:41 PM
    blabbytax1
    Re: Red scabby looking spot on my enchi ball python
    I put the arrows on it to keep it at the right temperaturehttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...536ba27732.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...6f4d2d7378.jpg

    Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
  • 05-26-2019, 08:41 PM
    Bogertophis
    Re: Red scabby looking spot on my enchi ball python
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by blabbytax1 View Post
    Thank you everyone for the help this is my first snake and I was worried and I still am I will try to get her into a veterinarian asap tomorrow is memorial day so I don't if anywhere will be open

    Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

    This is not an emergency, you'll likely pay way more to be seen tomorrow because it's a holiday. I'd wait...this doesn't look serious to me at all, unless you see changes
    as I described (bleeding, oozing, lots more redness), just keep her clean & resting & at the right temps. -and use a topical antiseptic as I explained earlier.

    If you're in a larger metro area or very lucky, you might have emergency vet services available, but it's WAY more important that you see the most qualified reptile
    specialist, rather than whoever is on duty for holidays & weekends. Regular vets don't usually train for reptile pets, & medical care is WAY different...many things are
    toxic for snakes that are good for cats & dogs...you can waste money or even do more harm than good by seeing the "wrong" vet, even if they mean well.
  • 05-26-2019, 08:48 PM
    Bogertophis
    Re: Red scabby looking spot on my enchi ball python
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by blabbytax1 View Post
    I put the arrows on it to keep it at the right temperaturehttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...536ba27732.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...6f4d2d7378.jpg

    Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

    That's what I figured you meant: that is a UTH controlled by a rheostat...it's not accurate, you cannot control the heat to a certain temp. with it...all you can do is
    install it & let it run for a while, then keep checking back as to what temp. it's actually producing in the cage, and making adjustments to get as close as you can to
    what is needed. Thermostats actually control the power to the UTH they control, either by proportionally reducing the power, or by making it go on & off to achieve
    the right temps. which are read by a connected probe. So this (above) is better than nothing, but not the optimal or the safest choice.

    One difference is that as your room temperature changes, a thermostat is going to adjust the temps produced, whereas that rheostat is going to stay where-
    ever you dialed it, which might end up being too cold or too hot. Also, if there are power fluctuations, a rheostat may not adapt.
  • 05-26-2019, 09:19 PM
    blabbytax1
    Re: Red scabby looking spot on my enchi ball python
    I will probably order the one you suggested then I just wanted to make sure I get one that will work right

    Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
  • 05-26-2019, 09:21 PM
    blabbytax1
    Re: Red scabby looking spot on my enchi ball python
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Bogertophis View Post
    There are many kinds, can you show it? If it's made for geckos it should be fine for snakes too...but I think you mean a variable temp. control, but not an actual
    thermostat, right? There's a big difference, & BPs require more heat than many other herps, so it's more dangerous (as far as causing burns) if not well-regulated.
    (You can't blame us for not wanting to see any more injured BPs around here...we're all animal lovers.)

    I understand that you don't want to see anything injured

    Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
  • 05-26-2019, 09:29 PM
    Bogertophis
    By the way...:welcome: :snake:
  • 05-26-2019, 09:31 PM
    blabbytax1
    Re: Red scabby looking spot on my enchi ball python
    Thanks I have all kinds of animals and i spoil all of them

    Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
  • 05-27-2019, 02:39 PM
    Bogertophis
    Re: Red scabby looking spot on my enchi ball python
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by blabbytax1 View Post
    Thanks I have all kinds of animals and i spoil all of them

    Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

    Just be sure to budget for them too... it's really easy, when ruled by our hearts, to get in over our heads. ;)
  • 05-27-2019, 02:47 PM
    blabbytax1
    Re: Red scabby looking spot on my enchi ball python
    I have enough money to take care of them

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  • 05-29-2019, 09:37 PM
    blabbytax1
    Re: Red scabby looking spot on my enchi ball python
    I took her to the vet and they put her on a topical antibiotic and said that it was just a cut and thanks everyone for the help and advicehttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...ec9e101df9.jpg

    Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
  • 05-29-2019, 10:04 PM
    Bogertophis
    Did you figure out how she cut herself in the cage? Sometimes we have to play "detective"...;)
  • 05-29-2019, 10:54 PM
    blabbytax1
    Re: Red scabby looking spot on my enchi ball python
    Me and my brother looked and we didn't find anything that could hurt her

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