Need Serious Opinions on STRANGE "object" that my male ball python "passed"

[BbyBoa]

My guess would be some type of fatty tumor that came lose with this last digestive movement.

[Freakie_frog]

Looks like an egg that didn't get calcified. you can see the vein, yolk, ect..I'd say your boy is a girl..

[jsschrei]

that is not a tape worm. tape worms are flat and long. If I remember right they only infect mamals. That is just crazy. I want to know what the vet said. I take it back they can infect snakes but I know that is not a tapeworm

Correct, THIS is not a tapeworm, but it may be a part of its life cycle called a hydatid cyst, an form of asexual reproduction for a few species of tape worm.

[jsschrei]

My guess would be some type of fatty tumor that came lose with this last digestive movement.

This is an interesting proposal. But it is really aqueous, unlike the fatty tumors I've seen in dogs. Didn't think along this line, though.

[jsschrei]

Ive seen this 3 times now. 2 with corn snakes and one with ball python.

Its a female that has gone through menstrual cycle and laid slug. Should be more coming out soon unless shes smaller. its not uncommon for sexually mature females to do this especially colubrids.


Picture curtosy of janet aka Edfspythons.

Ooooh! Those do look like the same thing. So weird because this snake probes male on both sides, and does male courting behavior and has locked up with a female. It would floor me if he's a girl. I am giving serious consideration to hermaphrodite. I'm the the phone now trying to get an appt with the vet.

There are things called hydatid cysts in the life cycle of a few species of tape worm that look EXACTLY like this thing too. I'd take a hermaphroditic python over worms any day

I was freaking out a bit last night researching parasites, but the photo you've provided sure seems applicable. Thanks!

[jsschrei]

The vet is booked today (and herp vets are NOT plenty where I live), so I have an appt with him tomorrow morning and they'll call me if they have any cancellations today.

Thanks for all of the comments and opinions so far everyone!

[JLC]

Correct, THIS is not a tapeworm, but it may be a part of its life cycle called a hydatid cyst, an form of asexual reproduction for a few species of tape worm.

I'm mystified and have no certain answers....but I do have two guesses.

IF it's some tapeworm cyst...maybe it was contained just like that within the rodent. The rodent passes through the digestive system and goes the way of all food, but the cyst within it does not get digested and passes along with the rest of the waste the next time the snake eliminates. I would think it unlikely that your snake is actually infected with tapeworms and that cyst was just passing through, so to speak.

The other guess is that it's an egg in its early stages of development and that your boy, is indeed, a girl. I have heard of a case where a small breeder had a male/female pair she was SURE of....they mated as expected....but it turned out to be the "male" of the pair that laid the eggs. Turns out both snakes were mis-sexed.

PLEASE keep us updated with what the vet says! I'm very curious about it!

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Ooooh! Those do look like the same thing. So weird because this snake probes male on both sides

Problem is I have seen female probing as male also which was the result of injury that occurred during probing (obviously not done properly in that case)

Any chance you can get this animal pop by someone experienced?

My first guess seeing the picture was animal not properly sex and egg that was not calcified which I have witness with other animal species and which look VERY similar to this picture.

[jsschrei]

I'm mystified and have no certain answers....but I do have two guesses.

IF it's some tapeworm cyst...maybe it was contained just like that within the rodent. The rodent passes through the digestive system and goes the way of all food, but the cyst within it does not get digested and passes along with the rest of the waste the next time the snake eliminates. I would think it unlikely that your snake is actually infected with tapeworms and that cyst was just passing through, so to speak.

The other guess is that it's an egg in its early stages of development and that your boy, is indeed, a girl. I have heard of a case where a small breeder had a male/female pair she was SURE of....they mated as expected....but it turned out to be the "male" of the pair that laid the eggs. Turns out both snakes were mis-sexed.

PLEASE keep us updated with what the vet says! I'm very curious about it!

Yeah, my husband is mystified by the thing too, because the species of tapeworm that that forms cysts like this have only been found in dogs, horses and cows and he can't find any scientific literature about them being found in snakes. Tape worms, yes, but not this species.

I am so bummed that the vet is booked today, but by tomorrow morning I should know for sure. I probed him again this morning, and "he" definitely probes male. I never popped him though. I really don't like that method because of the potential crushing of a hemipene factor. And he's so big now I certainly wouldn't try it myself. I've had a spider BP and a Jungle carpet sold to me know as females that turned out to be male because the breeder popped incorrectly. I could deal with it if "he" is really a "she" and probes deceptively and has male courtship and mating tendencies...that'd be strange but I could deal with that. Wouldn't hurt to have another female pastel in the collection.

[jsschrei]

Problem is I have seen female probing as male also which was the result of injury that occurred during probing (obviously not done properly in that case)

Any chance you can get this animal pop by someone experienced?

My first guess seeing the picture was animal not properly sex and egg that was not calcified which I have witness with other animal species and which look VERY similar to this picture.

I am working on getting in touch with an experienced person.....I am not comfortable popping on an adult BP.