New BEL with pink blotches

Greetings all.

Today I came into possession of a BEL (Mojave/Russo) who looks not to be in great shape. When I first got her home and checked her over there was a small speck crawling on her, which I am presumptively treating as a snake mite and keeping her quarantined (as I would anyway). However she was kept on woody substrate and my hope is that this was some other kind of bug, as I do not see any other mites in her pits/eyes/cloaca. I am still leaning towards treating her empirically.

She also has some concerning pink spots on her. I previously owned a big albino female who would occasionally get pink blotches from pressing against the edges of her hide, but this looks obviously different. One consideration is that her previous owner fed her live (I will be switching her to f/t) and I wonder if her prey could have hurt her. The other thought is mite bites. She is very timid but not aggressive.

Other than that, she seems okay. Per previous owner she eats and sheds. With me she does not seem lethargic or ill. Just wondering if anyone had any thoughts about these blotches. If they don't clear up after her first shed with me or if she exhibits any other problems, I will take her to the vet. She also doesn't have a name yet... Open to suggestions. Thank you.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/jtx3ov7.jpg

I'd assume that was a snake mite & treat for mites. (but nothing heavy-handed- maybe a soak w/ drop of soap to drown any you missed, & Natural Chemistry spray for mites) At least mites do show up pretty well on her, but there's always eggs too- just don't want their numbers to take off.

Are there any more of those pink spots elsewhere (underneath etc) or are they all on top? Could be most anything- from bites to bacterial infection? Doesn't really look like a scrape-injury to me, nor do they look like rodent bites or anything a rodent could have done. But with live rats, maybe the rats had bugs.

I think she's overdue for some "TLC" (that's 'tender loving care'). But it does appear she's a good eater, so that's a plus.

I guess you could always call her "Spot", hahahaha!

Yep, that's roughly my plan. She had an hourlong soak with dish soap yesterday that didn't dislodge anything, so I think her mite burden is at least not high. And yes... Grateful that she's light-colored! And very happy that she is a proper weight, or I would be more worried.

Her belly looks normal, no pink. Believe me, I went deep down the rabbit hole of sepsis in white BPs presenting as pink splotches yesterday, but I've pretty much talked myself out of it. Her skin looks less angry today, I think the soap in the soak may have irritated her a little. Will add less next time, but I'm thinking about giving her a break for a few days to see if she won't eat for me.

I hope you're right. I have a soft spot for the underdogs, I think a lil TLC will help us both bond. :)

I have a "soft spot for the underdogs" too- I think that's why I love snakes in the first place. They get such a bad rap most of the time.

When you soak a snake for mites, only use a drop or two of dish soap- that's ALL you need to break the surface tension of the water so the nasty mites drown, instead of swimming or floating.

From that picture, the spots all seem to align with her spine- is that what you're seeing too? I wonder if something in her previous housing was irritating to her skin? I hope she'll be okay, but if they increase or don't fade, it would be a good idea to see a vet. I agree though, I'd check her appetite first.

To me those spots look like mite bites. Most of them are along the dorsal which makes me think it's mites (for whatever reason they want to be there, maybe heat or veins).

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Originally Posted by Erie_herps

To me those spots look like mite bites. Most of them are along the dorsal which makes me think it's mites (for whatever reason they want to be there, maybe heat or veins).

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I was wondering that too, especially since a mite was found. Also thinking that maybe the live rats this snake was fed previously might have had fleas etc. I've had albino snakes before, but never any with mites to know how the bites might show up- so thanks for the input. I've only ever had 2 snakes with mites, one black & one brown, many years ago.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I was wondering that too, especially since a mite was found. Also thinking that maybe the live rats this snake was fed previously might have had fleas etc. I've had albino snakes before, but never any with mites to know how the bites might show up- so thanks for the input. I've only ever had 2 snakes with mites, one black & one brown, many years ago.

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Mites or fleas would make sense. I've seen posts like this before and if I recall correctly the consensus was that they were mites. I'll see if I can find that thread again.

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Originally Posted by Erie_herps

To me those spots look like mite bites. Most of them are along the dorsal which makes me think it's mites (for whatever reason they want to be there, maybe heat or veins).

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Interesting seeing you say that, I was thinking the opposite. Maybe it has to do with the type of heat source, but I've seen them primarily on the belly and lower 1/3 of the body aside from eyes. Could be that RHP and CHE make them behave differently and condense toward the top?

Everything other than the placement makes me think mites and I think treating for them is appropriate. When I last dealt with them, the method NERD suggested (I'd look up the video on youtube to get the full instructions if you want to try it but involves temperature controlled shallow soak for long periods of time) was the only thing that worked, everything else they just kept coming back even though I was treating for 2 weeks.

Here's a relevant post about a snake with pink spots showing up on white being related to mites.
https://community.morphmarket.com/t/...-help/14656/28

Thanks guys. I'm thinking probably mite bites too, though I haven't found anything else on her. Here's a video I took of the mite when I first spotted it. It's not exactly in focus so it's pretty much a small moving brown dot lol:

https://imgur.com/uRqotmy

It's been quite a while since I've dealt with any mites, but I don't recall any of them moving that fast. :confusd: There's many kinds of mites though, not only snake mites. And the speed of this "thing" reminds me more of a tiny spider. It's a bit of a track star. ;)

Also, when you squish a snake mite, you should see a tiny bit of red (blood). Did you do that when you removed the mite?

I’ve noticed some of my pieds have spots like that after they shed. I’ve never dealt with mites (thank god) but I would continue to treat for them anyways. Here are some pics of one of my pieds with red splotches just like thathttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...dac454c89e.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...426683ece3.jpg
Mine didn’t nearly have a smush as your bell though


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Well the thing with a white snake is that every little bruise will show up too. But the repeated small circular spots on Shasta's BEL really make me think of some sort of bug bites, with the resulting irritation & inflammation around each one. I really have no idea if snake mites cause that however- nothing like that ordinarily shows up on snakes- it's hidden with their normal (darker) colors.

I haven't been able to positively squish test one yet. I took her out of her shipping bag, was taking some heart-eyed initial snaps when I spotted the bug. Freaked out a bit, took a video, and gave her a rinse (she also had some coir on her). Bug might have washed away down the U-bend as I haven't seen him since. Weirdly enough with all the YouTube content on how to treat for mites, there aren't a lot of videos about how snake mites actually look. I keep seeing people putting pepper in a white water bowl to demonstrate, lol. Anyway if someone looked at that guy's velocity and doubted that it was a snake mite based on that, I would be more than happy. ;)

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Originally Posted by shasta

... Anyway if someone looked at that guy's velocity and doubted that it was a snake mite based on that, I would be more than happy. ;)

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Me too- I'm hoping some members here with more recent mite experiences will comment on that. I'm going only on my memory from a long while back- I've been fortunate to have had very few run-ins with mites, considering how many snakes I've lived with.

Update on the little girl. This is day 5 with me so I still haven't offered her food (I did waft some thawing rat into her vicinity while feeding my other BP to get her thinking about it lol). Woke up today to a nice healthy poo and a 7/10 shed. It was in pieces which I didn't love but we got eye caps and tail tip so I wasn't too fussed. I had to interrupt her alone time for turn down service and did a thorough body check. I have not seen another mite on her body or in the enclosure. Unfortunately her pink spots didn't get better, in fact they look like most of the damage was taking place underneath. They look like damaged scales. If they were more ventral I would think scale rot for sure. At this point I still think they could be traumatized scales that need some time to turn over. Her belly continues to look good which makes me less concerned for something systemic. She certainly doesn't seem malnourished. I'm hoping the shed and the poo has inspired some appetite in her, thinking I will offer her a rat today or tomorrow.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/b0OJOjh.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/jHNWvQC.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/6zdfUaS.jpg

Close up of the damaged scales.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/4C4sTT3.jpg

The entire scales are missing, which makes me doubt they're from [solely] mites. It could be from the shed reopening the wound, hopefully they heal in time but I'm not sure what else to recommend.

I agree ^ ^ ^ but I'm also a bit concerned about the other dark areas between some scales nearby that are "in line" between some of the missing scales. I think a vet visit would be a good idea- this is not something you want to have spread to other scales. It doesn't look like what I've personally seen before, but hopefully a well-qualified herp vet would be of some help- along with some lab work, perhaps. :confusd: Off-hand I'd say it's potentially fungal (it's somewhat similar to what I have seen)- but do see a vet.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I agree ^ ^ ^ but I'm also a bit concerned about the other dark areas between some scales nearby that are "in line" between some of the missing scales. I think a vet visit would be a good idea- this is not something you want to have spread to other scales. It doesn't look like what I've personally seen before, but hopefully a well-qualified herp vet would be of some help- along with some lab work, perhaps. :confusd: Off-hand I'd say it's potentially fungal (it's somewhat similar to what I have seen)- but do see a vet.

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I would also be sending the bill directly to the person/breeder who knowingly sent her to you in that condition


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Originally Posted by Snow Balls

I would also be sending the bill directly to the person/breeder who knowingly sent her to you in that condition


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Yes, if the snake was purchased, but that was never stated. "came into possession of" suggests to me that this snake was adopted from someone unable to continue caring for this snake, & the first post indicates that the OP was aware there were potential issues- or to quote: ..."who looks not to be in great shape."

In any event, this snake needs someone on her side who's willing to get medical help as needed. With any luck, she'll get healthy again.

Hi all,

Sad update today (no, snake isn't dead). Unfortunately I didn't anticipate this snake being a charity case-- I purchased her for $450 (a "fair" deal for a yearling BEL, imo) from a small MorphMarket seller who had a handful of good reviews. When I unpacked her I was surprised to find her in the shape that she was. I was willing to deal with mites and overall rough edges but after seeing how she looks today, I agree that she had earned a vet visit. I approached the seller about covering the cost of the visit. I even offered to take her on as a risk all my own if they would give me a PARTIAL refund up front. They would not budge and insisted that I ship her back to them (at their expense). I think this is a fair and legitimate response by the seller (they did include a health/mite guarantee in the ad), although I don't love the idea of shipping a snake in less than perfect shape (and so soon after being shipped to me...) At least she does not seem to be in any immediate peril. I made the seller promise to take her to the vet...

I really don't feel great about it. I would have loved to care for her and nurse her back to 100%, but not for $450 that could have gone towards a healthy snake. At the very least, she was eating for the seller. She has not eaten yet for me (though I was not concerned about it) and while I am 90% certain that her problems were mostly superficial and treatable, I didn't want to be in a spot months from now with a dead/dying snake and out half a grand+.

So yeah. I am shipping her back tomorrow. I'm sorry that it went this way, guys. I know I didn't do right by her.

Thanks for the clarification & update. I would NOT have accepted her at that price in this condition either, if that will make you feel any better. For any seller not to disclose such issues is a deal-breaker- especially at full-price. It's bad enough putting a healthy snake thru shipping, but sending one back & forth, & one that needs care? Anyway it's "on" the seller, & financially-speaking, & you're probably better off with the decision you've made to return her, since you never know how expensive OR how successful treatment will be. :( Sorry this didn't work out better, but don't beat yourself up- it's not your fault. When a seller fails to disclose issues or pretends they didn't see them, it would make my suspicious mind wonder if they tried to treat & failed- & already knew that it's either going to require expensive care or is resistant to treatment. :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by shasta

Hi all,

Sad update today (no, snake isn't dead). Unfortunately I didn't anticipate this snake being a charity case-- I purchased her for $450 (a "fair" deal for a yearling BEL, imo) from a small MorphMarket seller who had a handful of good reviews. When I unpacked her I was surprised to find her in the shape that she was. I was willing to deal with mites and overall rough edges but after seeing how she looks today, I agree that she had earned a vet visit. I approached the seller about covering the cost of the visit. I even offered to take her on as a risk all my own if they would give me a PARTIAL refund up front. They would not budge and insisted that I ship her back to them (at their expense). I think this is a fair and legitimate response by the seller (they did include a health/mite guarantee in the ad), although I don't love the idea of shipping a snake in less than perfect shape (and so soon after being shipped to me...) At least she does not seem to be in any immediate peril. I made the seller promise to take her to the vet...

I really don't feel great about it. I would have loved to care for her and nurse her back to 100%, but not for $450 that could have gone towards a healthy snake. At the very least, she was eating for the seller. She has not eaten yet for me (though I was not concerned about it) and while I am 90% certain that her problems were mostly superficial and treatable, I didn't want to be in a spot months from now with a dead/dying snake and out half a grand+.

So yeah. I am shipping her back tomorrow. I'm sorry that it went this way, guys. I know I didn't do right by her.

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How did you purchase her? PayPal, Venmo, etc? I would file a claim through them and try to get your money back. Along with a lengthy review about your experience on morphmarket


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