Is this anything to worry about?

I was wondering if this would be anything to worry about. The spots only appear from about half way down him to his tail (not the black spots, the other stuff). He isn't sitting on the glass where the UTH is. Is it just normal coloration? I was going to try and take him to the vet this week for a checkup since he hasn't had one done.

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could you tell us more about your set up?

enclosure type, exact cool/warm and ambient temps, humidity, what you're using to measure all of those with, etc?

Hot side is typically between 90-92 and cool like is around 85. Hot side measured w/ temp gun and cool side w/ accurite. Humidity is typically between 50% and 60% but stays closer to 50. He is in a 40 breeder tank w/ aspen substrate.

that could be early scale rot.

usually starts off with a few brown tinged scales and advances from there.

That's what i'm worried about...I guess when I get home i'll take all his substrate out and put him on paper towels until I can take him to the vet and get a definite.

Honestly, that looks like normal coloration.

Just as a precaution; You might want to apply polysporin (to the area) and switch him to paper towels until his next shed. I bet it's just natural coloring though. :)

Those temperatures are a little warm for a Red Tail. I wouldn't go above 78-80 ambient, 88-90 basking.

I just went by what the caresheet said for them, but i'll bump his temps down. He just came out of shed 2 days ago and my fiancee is betting on normal coloration because she found spots like that on his sides and everything.

if it starts to look liek its spreading its not coloring and you bet look into it :)

Will do. Like I said, it's only on this part of his body. It might have been there the whole time and I just noticed the other day.

Looks normal to me my female has alot of reddish spots on her tummy.

dont panic he's about to shed, nm i didnt see the part where you said he shed 2 days ago, it looks normal to me

To OP,

I use repti-bark in my JCPs enclosure and I've seen similar discoloring on his ventral scales.

I believe it might be the substrate's color "leaking out" onto the snake.

I highly doubt that, on my JCP at least, it is scale rot.

Hope this helps.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Michelle.C

Honestly, that looks like normal coloration.

Just as a precaution; You might want to apply polysporin (to the area) and switch him to paper towels until his next shed. I bet it's just natural coloring though. :)

Those temperatures are a little warm for a Red Tail. I wouldn't go above 78-80 ambient, 88-90 basking.

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Just as a precaution - I would hold off on the polysporin or any other petroleum oil based ointment for that matter. I would also hold off treating him with anything until he's actually diagnosed or you're sure you're dealing with something that will benefit from an antibiotic ointment.

I've had a bad experience with petroleum based ointments and scale sloughing. Others have reported similar problems. I will never use it again on my snakes.

It's always recommended on the forums and my Vet claims she gets quite a few patients with neo/polysporin based scale issues.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ight=neosporin

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...7&postcount=15

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...85&postcount=4

While the effects are reversible within a few sheds, there are better ointments out there that don't have that nasty side effect.

As for the marks on your boa's belly - it doesn't look like scale rot. Like others have said, it looks like normal discoloration some snakes get when lying on wood substrate or branches.

Hey more likely than not ur snake is just fine my bci has some red on her belly to. If you think its starts to spread dont try to self medicate go to a vet...

Thanks everyone. Like I said I will hopefully take him to the vet anyways for a checkup since one hasn't been done. Everyone that looks at him believes its just normal coloration though.

as long as it isnt sucky scale rot thats all that matters :p

Oh I know that, that was my first thought.