Hatchling Belly Deformity?

[Twisted Reptiles]

Anyone ever seen anything like this? This girl hatched out on 7/10/2010. Was only a 2 egg clutch that had issues from the get go. 2 eggs were infertile and 2 were stuck in the mom and eventually passed. Both hatchlings absorbed their entire yolk.

Was attempting to feed her today and when she struck and missed I noticed something on her stomach because she partially flipped over she struck so hard. This is the first time I've noticed it on her.

She has yet to eat anything (same for her other clutch mate) but she otherwise seems to be perfectly fine. The flesh in between the scales is not raw, it almost looks like regular skin.

Also worth noting, though it could be due to her current state of aggressiveness from the mouse that was just removed from her tub, but her entire back end is completely concave.

She seems ok overall, but this is obviously a cause for concern.

[WebbyD]

Holy crap! Looks like she split right open, get to a vet!

[Patrick Long]

Yeah her umbilical opening never closed up all the way.

Tim Bailey I think it was had a girl similar to this...cept she had her heart out I think.

You should definitely head to the vet for this one.

[Twisted Reptiles]

Yeah her umbilical opening never closed up all the way.

Tim Bailey I think it was had a girl similar to this...cept she had her heart out I think.

You should definitely head to the vet for this one.

I remember seeing that thread as well, it was the first thing that popped in to my mind when I saw this. It looked similar yet different. The pics here don't capture it well, but the belly tissue is firm, this has obviously been healing for a couple of weeks.

[J.Vandegrift]

I have seen it before but not quite that bad. I think after a few sheds it will heal over just fine though. I don't really see what taking him to a vet would do to help at this point.

[SlitherinSisters]

I agree, even if it was fresh going to a vet would be pointless-unless they were a snake specialist, which is doubtful even if they claim to be. Had you noticed this in the beginning you could have stitched her up with fishing line thread. Now that it has been healing, I suppose the only thing to do is let her heal up and see what happens. I would only keep her on clean paper towels.

I had my first clutch this year that was like yours, doomed from the start. Four eggs made it to the end, but the babies were deformed, kinked, and their bellies were split open like that-maybe worse. I have no idea what happened, but I hope it never happens again.

Good luck with her!

[Patrick Long]

Weird how people jump to the vet over a wheeze but a huge gaping wound on a 14 day old ball is nothing to worry about???

Am I missing something?

[SlitherinSisters]

Weird how people jump to the vet over a wheeze but a huge gaping wound on a 14 day old ball is nothing to worry about???

Am I missing something?

Maybe you have a vet that actually knows something about snakes. Most don't. The 'reptile specialist' in my area knows nothing-I know this first hand because I gave him $35 for him to tell me nothing. From what I've heard most so-called-specialists don't know jack.

Also, if you cut yourself with a knife, needed stitches, but let the wound heal for two weeks before going to the doctor would you really waste the money? It's not infected, the vet can't do anything other than maybe give antibiotics to ward off possible infection-which is unlikely after two weeks. Or kill the snake, I suppose that's the other option.

[fishboyUK]

I have seen this on a friends corn snake and on my first hatchling ball and they both slowly closed up over time. Wasn't as extreme as this one though.

[Oxylepy]

Couldnt a vet make incisions and then stitch the flesh together? I believe that is how one would do it, it's also useful to remove scars in humans (plastic surgery)... I may end up practicing it on myself when I'm in med school