WHITE scales? Tumors? ripped cloaca??? Before I adopt her, what do you think?

[Droxalope_94]

So I've already adopted my latest addition to the bunch from our local shelter a month or 2 ago, and lo and behold, ANOTHER ball python shows up on their doorstep. she was found out in a park, and seems well fed. but there's some strange things going on that I need opinions on...



she's a big (i'm assuming over 10 years old) female normal morph, no idea if she has other hidden morphs. just her head is about 3 inches long (big girl compared to my 6 year old at home!) and from eyeballing it shes about 5 to 6 ft long. no idea how much she weighs, these guys at the shelter don't know anything about taking care of reptiles.









on her head and next to her spurs on one side are two hard little lumps that can be seen in the pictures. they don't feel squishy, and they are resistant to moving around. no idea how long they've been there, that's how they found her. from reading around on here, its likely they are cysts from an injury and need to be surgically removed (I was kinda hoping the vet will remove them anyways just to be safe) and on her cloaca it either looks like a tumor or maybe she had an injury that tore her and she healed from it without growing back scales. not really sure. it doesn't feel anything like her lumps, just soft squishy pink tissue.

i worry that she cant poop without hurting herself, she hasnt pooped for them yet, but she has eaten 2 mice (again, they don't know what they are doing but at least she has some food in her belly and she's proved that she can eat) and has passed urates once. shes been there almost a month now.

she has what looks like a scratch on her eye, or some sort of injury but beneath it i could see her looking at me, so i feel like maybe it will shed off after a few shed cycles. something Ill also have the vet see.

when I got there, there was a heat lamp on top of a 30 gallon tank, with no way to measure temps or humidity, and a blanket for substrate, a tiny water bowl and no hides. I got them to get a bigger water bowl, a box to hide in and an analog gauge for temp and humidity, and get that stupid lamp off the mesh top and higher up so they didn't fry this poor girl. looks to be working so far, that's about the best they can do for her right now.

some of her scales are also white. NOT missing, NOT scarred, just white. no idea what that's about.

when I first saw her she looked to be in shed so we will see if she will shed for them or not.

sweetest old lady ball I've ever met, she let me hold her and cuddle and take these pics, then I went home and put my clothes in a bag to wash and took a shower (not risking anything getting to my precious bunch at home)

any thoughts? we made a deal for next week that I would drive her an hour away to the nearest reptile specialist vet to see whats wrong with her and get those lumps checked out, and their facility will pay for it. (yay, no vet bills for me!) then I can take her home with her tank once she gets a clean bill of health or is all healed up from possible surgery. that should line up with the time frame my new 5 shelf rack system and tubs will get here. she will stay in her tank for her quarantine period or at least 60 days (longer if she takes a while to heal from possible surgery or meds) so maybe 90 days. then she can join everyone else.

i decided if she ends up becoming mine to name her Mrs. P from guardians of Ga'hoole, an old lady snake character. LOL

[Hannahshissyfix]

Prolapsed hemipenes in a big old male will do that. I had this huge guy and his took a few days to go back in before I retired him.

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[Bogertophis]

Prolapsed hemipenes in a big old male will do that. I had this huge guy and his took a few days to go back in before I retired him.

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I was thinking prolapse that was ignored also. Bingo!

And I don't think the white spots mean anything (to worry about)...this is not a young snake. Poor baby...good luck!

[Droxalope_94]

I was thinking prolapse that was ignored also. Bingo!

And I don't think the white spots mean anything (to worry about)...this is not a young snake. Poor baby...good luck!

I wonder if they can reverse her prolapse...? I fear its hurting her

[Hannahshissyfix]

I wonder if they can reverse her prolapse...? I fear its hurting her

That would make it a male. It isn't red and irritated like I've seen so likely not causing pain. You can do a sugar paste mixture to supposedly help shrink in back in faster but I'm on the fence if it makes a difference or gentle massage back towards the tail. The ones I've seen not bad like that eventually work their way back in. The vet can surgically remove it but that's probably a lot more traumatic than leaving it if it's not infected.

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[Bogertophis]

I wonder if they can reverse her prolapse...? I fear its hurting her

If it's been let go a while (as this appears) it's probably not going back in, though never know 'til you try? Maybe a surgical removal though? Also not sure what is
prolapsing (males & females both can prolapse).

[sur3fir3]

If it's been let go a while (as this appears) it's probably not going back in, though never know 'til you try? Maybe a surgical removal though? Also not sure what is
prolapsing (males & females both can prolapse).

In vaginal prolapse the vagina stretches or expands to protrude on other organs and structures. ... The situation seldom involves the vagina alone. Supports for the uterus often stretch allowing it to also fall (prolapse) when a woman strains during a bowel movement.

That is a prolapse this is just a male snake instead of a human female.

A prolapse can also happen anally. I would post some pics but I think it would be considered porn.

[sur3fir3]

I don't know about you, but that snake has way too many issues for me to get it. If it was just one thing it would be ok, but this one seems to have quite a bit wrong. I know you want to take it home and fix it, but is it really worth the risk?

[Hannahshissyfix]

If it's been let go a while (as this appears) it's probably not going back in, though never know 'til you try? Maybe a surgical removal though? Also not sure what is
prolapsing (males & females both can prolapse).

In females it's typically part of the oviduct that would be sticking out. From what I can see, this is limited to the one side and looks like the corresponding hemipene from that side as it has on numerous males I've seen. I have seen them successfully go back in on their own after a few weeks but I've also known people just have the vet remove it. I also knew someone that had a tiny males prolapse and it basically just dried out and never caused a problem That's just from what I see in that one picture so I'd still have a herp vet check it out but I wouldn't stress that it's life threatening in any way at this point.

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[Bogertophis]

...when I got there, there was a heat lamp on top of a 30 gallon tank, with no way to measure temps or humidity, and a blanket for substrate, a tiny water bowl and no hides. I got them to get a bigger water bowl, a box to hide in and an analog gauge for temp and humidity, and get that stupid lamp off the mesh top and higher up so they didn't fry this poor girl. looks to be working so far, that's about the best they can do for her right now.....

any thoughts? we made a deal for next week that I would drive her an hour away to the nearest reptile specialist vet to see whats wrong with her and get those lumps checked out, and their facility will pay for it. (yay, no vet bills for me!) then I can take her home with her tank once she gets a clean bill of health or is all healed up from possible surgery. that should line up with the time frame my new 5 shelf rack system and tubs will get here. she will stay in her tank for her quarantine period or at least 60 days (longer if she takes a while to heal from possible surgery or meds) so maybe 90 days. then she can join everyone else....

A few thoughts: this snake does have issues, & hopefully nothing seriously wrong. to you for wanting to help & adopt. My concern is that she (?) is not in the best care (at the shelter still) if she has surgery at the vet's; successful recovery would be better in the hands of experienced snake keepers, which they obviously are not, even though they've done their best to be of help for the time being. Maybe the vet would be willing to go to bat for the idea of someone such as yourself taking her home immediately after whatever treatment they deem necessary...I think she'll be far better off that way...not staying at the shelter. -Not so sure this is a "she"...