what does it mean when a bp is pink on the underside

i have a bp she is 3 years old. and i seen that she was pink on her belly. We use a heatting pad that we got from the pet store does this mean that she got burnt? please help

Going pink usually means that the snake is about to go into shed. =)

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Originally Posted by libear2

i have a bp she is 3 years old. and i seen that she was pink on her belly. We use a heatting pad that we got from the pet store does this mean that she got burnt? please help

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she has just got done shading but she is atill pink on her underside and she look blotted.

How are you controlling the UTH? How are you measuring temps?

When in doubt - take him to the vet! :)

Hello libear2 and welcome to the forums! I hope you find the help you need here, and feel welcomed in the process!



You say you're using a heater under the tank that you got from a pet store? Are you using anything to control the amount of heat it puts out, such as a thermostat or a rheostst (light dimmer switch)? Those heating pads WILL get far too hot if left plugged directly into the wall without some kind of control.



What are the current temperatures inside your tank? What are you using to measure them? If you are using the little stick-on analogs from the petstore (either the round ones or the strips) you are very likely not getting anywhere close to a true reading. Besides being highly inaccurate to begin with, they are also almost always placed in the wrong spot to measure the temps you need to know.



It is possible that your snake has suffered some burns to her belly. A trip to the vet (one with experience in herps and snakes is best) would be a very good idea for you. In the meantime, if you'd like to describe your setup for us, we can help you get her environment turned around into something she will be healthy and thriving in.



How big is it? What substrate are you using? What heat sources and thermometers are you using? Are you measuring and maintaining a certain level of humidity? How long have you had your snake?



I know it's a lot to type out, but the more details we have, the more helpful we can be. :)

PS -- I moved your thread into the ball python husbandry forum for you. :)

well i would take her to the vet but she will not let anyone tuch her at all. we can't even stick our hand in her cage cause she stricks at it but misses. so then what

Well, you're just gonna have to get brave and get her out of there. You will have to do so anyhow, to fix her enclosure and to help her get better.


Have a cloth sack available and ready to place her into for a trip to the vet. A pillowcase will work fine. If you're that scared of being bit, then wear heavy sleeves and gloves to reach in and lift her out and gently lower her into the bag. Then secure the top of the bag by tying it in a knot and wrapping rubber bands around it.

If you can't take care of her and are too scared to mess with a snake who is obviously hurting and upset, you might want to seriously consider finding her a new home with someone who is prepared to care for her, no matter what her attitude is.

fair lives in a 30 gallon tank with aspen snake bedding, a snake hidding box froma pet store for her a stick that looks like a y so she can use it how ever she wants that's in the middle of her tank on the other side of the tank is her water bowl for her. I'm not useing anything to cool down the tank.The heatpad is not on a switch,it's a plug into the wall.the temp in the tank is 70deg. we use a stripe and the strip is at the bottom of the tank down were is sleeps on the out side of the tank.we have had her for 2 years. this is not the frist problem that we have had with her. she will not eat anything that is all white, it has to have color to it. we feed her in a different tank from her living corders. if i left something out that you would like to now please let me now so i can let you now.

Ok...I think you've got a lot of issues going on there that need to be addressed. Two critical things first and foremost.


1. Get to WalMart (or similar store) and get a digital "indoor-outdoor" thermometer. WalMart's brand is "Acu-rite" and other stores have something similar. They are inexpensive and super easy to set up...you just pop in the batteries and set it in the cage. Place the probe on the warm side of the tank, on top of the substrate and place the digital unit on the cool side of the tank, propped up in the corner. This will give you an accurate reading of the critical temps in the cage.

2. While out shopping, stop by a hardware store and pick up a lamp dimming switch. Hook it up to the heater you have in the cage and get those temps under control.

There are a lot of things you need to consider, but first and foremost are getting the temperatures correct. To do that, you need accurate thermometers in the right place, and a controllable heat source.

Please, please read our caresheet.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules....warticle&id=52

It will show you what temps you need and how best to obtain them...as well as a number of other very important details.

fair is my husband snake. and he was taking really good care of her. but now he is driving truck. and i didn't want the snake tobegin with. but he can't take cae of her now so she is going to go back to the lady that we bought her from.but tell then i need to know what i need to do for her

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Originally Posted by libear2

...but he can't take cae of her now so she is going to go back to the lady that we bought her from.but tell then i need to know what i need to do for her

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So how much longer will you be keeping her before she goes to a new home?

hi libear2 ,im new to snakes too, probably just like you.
i have read the sheet, i think i read anything below 75 is not healthy .. it would be safe to be between 80 to 90 F .

from my little experience, are picky when it comes to food :) so they shy away from food if they dont feel secured enough. dont worry, feed them in their tank, just be sure to open the cage for other purposes. u know, changing water/cleaning/handling
also make sure to wash your hand if handle any mouse ...

actually im just repeating what im read from the care sheets. JLC has given you alot of useful information/advice . i hope you can do whatever you can, and there's no reason to be afraid, even a dog might bark and try to bite if its not treated well. that applies for all the animals.

please keep us updated, u definately have to increase the heat
good luck.

Actually, the temps INside the cage need to be determined before deciding whether to increase or decrease. The thermometer described is stuck to the glass on the outside of the tank, so it doesn't give any indication of what the temps inside are...which is why I didn't say anything to address that 70 degree number. It's essentially irrelevant at this point. If the UTH is plugged right into the wall without any control on it, it's likely the snake has a burnt belly and the overall temps in the cage are actually way too warm...which is why it hugs the glass against the far side of the tank. (If I understood the description correctly.)

as soon as i can get a hold of her then i will take fair to her

Ok. In the meantime, I would find some way to get those temps under control. And I still think a trip to the vet would be in order.


If it doesn't work out to give Fair (pretty name, by the way!) back to her original owner, I am quite sure there are a number of members here who would be thrilled to take her and give her an excellent home. Depending on where in Penn. you are, several members are probably close enough to do some sort of meeting half-way or something.

no fair lays right on top of the pad that is on the left side of her tank. we had the bedding on the pad but she moved the bedding off and lays there on the pad

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Originally Posted by libear2

no fair lays right on top of the pad that is on the left side of her tank. we had the bedding on the pad but she moved the bedding off and lays there on the pad

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Is the pad in the tank??? If so, get it out immediately, it is suppose to be outside the tank. If it is inside with the snake, your snake most likely has a burn to its stomach.

the pad is under the tank

In any case, it still could be a burn since the pad has no control whatsoever. I would either re-home the snake immediately and let the person know you suspect it has a burn or get it to a vet..this is neccessary to avoid infection.

The person who sold you the snake, did they not instruct you on how to care for it properly? Do they even know themselves? If not, I would think about re-homing it with some else who does know how to care for it properly.

Well, it's not really possible to give accurate and helpful advice until you know what the temps are inside the cage and right on top of that mat. Once we know that, we'll know what steps to take to fix things.

the lady who sold us the snake has her own pet store and 2 bp as well. so ya we now how to take care of her, but i wantted to now if the pink on the sankes belly meant that it was a burn or not that's all but JLC has been very nice and helpfully to me this is the first snake that i have ever owned so i just needed a little help. should i put her heat lamp back on her or not cause she is hidding in that snake home that we got for her. please let me know.

If you can't get any way to measure temperatures in there, then given all you've said so far, I would unplug the UTH right away and use a lamp from above to keep her warm.


Once you're sure the belly isn't going to burn any farther, either find her a new home ASAP, or start taking the steps I've mentioned to fix up her current home.

if she is in her hidding home and i have the heat lamp on will that make her hidding home to worm or not

Depends on the wattage of the bulb and the temperature of room the cage is in. Why don't you just go get a thermometer so you know for sure????

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Originally Posted by libear2

if she is in her hidding home and i have the heat lamp on will that make her hidding home to worm or not

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I just have to say again that we can't begin to guess the temperatures inside your tank. You HAVE to get a reliable thermometer in there.

the bulb is a 60w and the temp in the trailer is 75

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Originally Posted by libear2

the bulb is a 60w and the temp in the trailer is 75

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Great, now go to WalMart, pay $12 for a digital thermometer and let us know what it reads. The stick ons that you say you are using are not accurate.

Even though ambient room temp does have effects on the enclosure temps, you MUST KNOW what the enclosure temp is for any of us to help you at all.

As others have suggested, get a digital thermometer and find out what they are. We cannot give suggestions to help you out if you dont know what the temps are in its enclosure.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Great, now go to WalMart, pay $12 for a digital thermometer and let us know what it reads. The stick ons that you say you are using are not accurate.

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In addition to the stick ons as others have said are not accurate, yours currently are reading your house temp b/c its on the outside of the snakes enclosure. Go to Walmart and invest in the proper equipment to be successful at keeping this snake, or re-home it immediately.

I'de like to know what happened here.... ? Did you ever get a thermometer, or are you re-homing the snake.. or... ?? ? We'de really like to help you and your snake out

She was on yesterday at some point, but had not answered at all. I too am curious on the outcome.

guys we are selling fair. that the best thing for her cause we can't take care of her anymore. thanks for all your help. i hope just because i won't have a snake that you'll still let me come in and talk.

thanks again for all your help, angela

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Originally Posted by libear2

.... i hope just because i won't have a snake that you'll still let me come in and talk.

thanks again for all your help, angela

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Of course!! :hug: I hope you find a home for her soon!

i'm doing the best that i can. i have to ask my husband how much he want for just her. i hope i get her a new home soon. i know now that she is not happy at all. she will not come out of her hidding place or anything. so i know it is time for a new home for her.

It sounds like your snake needs help, Im not sure she is in the condition to sell her, I would think a better idea is finding someone locally who will take her and get her back to normal. That will be the best thing for the snake.

If you try to offload the snake on someone without mentioning anything that is going on with her, it will probably just make the situation worse.

Good luck!