Ball python grew a new heat pit on one side

[Luvyna]

I noticed that over the past two years my ball python has been growing a new heat pit on one side of his face, so he now has a total of six heat pits on one side and five on the other. When I look at photos of other adult BPs they all seem to only have five heat pits on each side so I'm wondering if this is some kind of mutation or just regular variation within the species?

The new heat pit started off as just a slight dent on the side of my BP's face when I first got him as an 8-month old and every time he shed it looked more and more like a normal heat pit. There is also a similar dent on the other side of his face so maybe he will eventually have 6 heat pits on both sides.

[FollowTheSun]

That's cool! I think you should find a stud to put in it!

[Bogertophis]

That's cool! I think you should find a stud to put in it!

-Luvyna, I don't currently have BPs & don't recall ever noticing that they added heat pits, nor how many they 'normally' have?

But this is very interesting, & I'm so glad you're paying such close attention.

[Luvyna]

That's cool! I think you should find a stud to put in it!

LOL

-Luvyna, I don't currently have BPs & don't recall ever noticing that they added heat pits, nor how many they 'normally' have?

But this is very interesting, & I'm so glad you're paying such close attention.

Now I wish I named this thread "How many heat pits does your BP" have haha because I could swear that in every photo I've seen, BPs have 5 heat pits on one side. I was slightly unsettled when I first noticed the new heat pit developing because a part of me was wondering if this would be like if a human grew an extra nostril lol