HELP! Baby ball python extremely skinny and corkscrewing!

[supremenoser]

I just got this baby last night, bought him from a breeder so I thought he'd be fine but it wasn't until I got home that I noticed he's extremely skinny and wrinkly. I saw another thread on here with similar issues that said dehydration could be a cause so I gave him a bath and he very quickly started drinking and plumped up. He's extremely lethargic though and doesn't flick his tongue at all. I didn't notice the corkscrewing until 2 am this morning when I woke up to check on him, he finally started moving on his own and I noticed it, he doesn't have a head wobble but he definitely can't seem to move in a straight line. The breeder mentioned to me that he left him on a heater while he was at work yesterday and I think he might've gotten too hot and that caused the dehydration and corkscrewing. Is there anything I can do for him? He's in another lukewarm bath right now, leaving him in there for 30 minutes. He's also only ever been eating pinkies so he's very skinny. He ate the day before yesterday so I'm thinking I'll try giving him a fuzzy after he poops. Any help or advice is appreciated. Thank you.

[supremenoser]

I don't know how to edit posts and I forgot to add that he's not a spider, he's pastel het for G-stripe.

[Bogertophis]

So this snake was shipped to you? (How did you not notice he was so skinny?)

Pinkies (rat or mouse) are NOT enough food for the typical BP hatchling. Most are started on mouse hoppers, but without seeing what size this snake actually is- I wouldn't upsize quickly & a fuzzy would likely be the best thing to try, as you mentioned in your plan.

Cork-screwing could just be that he's very weak! Again, not seeing & even if you post pics or a video, we cannot (& ethically, should not) assess or diagnose your snake as an experienced herp vet would. Actually, if you keep him, a vet would be a good idea, & this site can help you find one: https://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661

You're correct that excessive heat can also cause neurological damage to a snake- are you sure you want to keep this snake? Seems the seller passed off an un-healthy snake to you- I hope you have enough experience to deal with it. If not, you might want to consider returning him, because sick snakes can quickly get expensive, with no guarantee of survival.

What health guarantee did the seller give you, btw? What is the hatch date?

Do NOT leave this snake alone in water- he could easily drown, being so weak. Also- measure the temperature of the water very carefully- what feels warm to you is HOT to him- remember we're roughly 98.6* so the water that feels warm to you may easily be 100*+ and if he was previously overheated...this may not end well. The shallow water should be about 80* for his safety- get him out until you can make sure, & keep any soaks short (about 20 minutes max.) it's very stressful for him.

[supremenoser]

I picked him up in a city a couple hours away from a breeder I found on Craigslist. I just didn't examine him well enough when I picked him up so that's on me and he was curled up in a ball so I didn't notice he was so skinny and wrinkly until I got home and moved him out of his box. This is my first ball python, I've had a corn snake before but never a ball. Thanks for that vet source.

I think the guy I got the snake from is a hobby breeder so he didn't give me any kind of guarantee, it seems I'm learning a lot of things the hard way right now. I really want to keep him, he's such a beautiful little thing but I should still be able to talk to the breeder if he ends up not getting better at all soon but it seems this guy knows about as much as I do about ball pythons if he's feeding them pinkies. The breeder said he hatched in November 2021 but didn't give me an actual date.

Yes I have been keeping a close eye on him in the bath and I put a thermometer in the water to make sure it was a good temperature, it was about 86 degrees so he should be okay.

He's done with the bath now and I put him in his warm hide. He struggled a bit and managed to poke his head out and he's just resting now, hasn't moved for about a half hour.

[supremenoser]

Here are the pictures I have so far.





https://ibb.co/DgK2Sr5
https://ibb.co/XJG2pGm
https://ibb.co/FxNkqjR
https://ibb.co/82SLNCg

[Armiyana]

This poor baby. By leaving him on a HUMAN heater, this snake would have definitely been overheated. Think of how large of an area that is meant to heat and how hot that is for us to touch. Even if it was a reptile heat pad, without being regulated by a thermostat, they routinely will hit 115 or higher.

I would definitely leave a little washcloth in the water for the snake to rest on if he feels too intimidated by the water. It will also help try to keep him from being even more stressed by being unable to escape the water. Boger has also given you some good advice!

I would personally try to get this baby more hydrated over the next 48 hours before feeding, unless this baby is absolutely emaciated.
This is where I might go a little differently than some suggestions, but....if emaciated, I would possibly consider keeping him on the pinky every 4-5 days because they are small and very easy to digest for at least 2-3 meals with you. You may need to ask your vet about alternative methods like tube feeding if he will not eat. After a couple of meals with you I would move up feeders to correct size slowly. Remember his body may not be used to eating that much and he may regurge or get diarrhea from the sudden change.


It really does sound like this breeder has a number of points that they need to improve on.

[Erie_herps]

It sounds like it's from overheating, it could also be from chemicals but overheating is much more likely. All of the information that Bogertophis mentioned is spot on. I think a vet visit is a good idea but it might be better to wait at least a couple days for an in-person visit just because he's so weak (a phone call would be a good idea). Try to avoid unnecessary handling since it will cause more stress, handling for health reasons is okay. Make sure he has a lot of cover in the tank, if he's in a clear tank covering 3 of the sides will help. Try to keep the warm side a little bit cooler than usual (maybe about 86*) so he doesn't overheat (he might not be able to thermoregulate properly).

[Armiyana]

Okay my post was being typed while you were posting....
He doesn't look emaciated, but he is on the skinny side. I would still do another soak at some point today or tomorrow to help hydrate him a bit more and make sure he has a nice humidity level in his tub for now.

I think you can still try a fuzzy for him, but do be careful with upsizing too quickly because the point about him not being used to it and possible regurge still stands.
He definitely is a cute little one though so I hope once he's hydrated and has a few more calories he'll start doing better.

[Bogertophis]

Yes, this is definitely jumping in quickly & learning the hard way...I'm not impressed with the breeder you found. A snake should never be sold in this condition- rescued perhaps, but not sold.

86* for that bathwater was still a little too warm; that's nearly as high as the maximum recommended temperature in their enclosures (you want the cool side to be roughly 77* & the warm side to be 88-89* max. warmth), & remember, in their enclosures they can always move away from the warmth, unlike in a bath where they're totally surrounded by whatever temperature the water is. I do hope he's okay, he's going to need all the help you can provide, it sounds like. Think of him as being in your ICU- (intensive care unit).

Don't handle him at all, as you might a pet- just watch & let him rest until he's eaten (& digested) AT LEAST 3 meals with you (& preferably after 5+ meals, with one in such poor condition) at normal intervals (5-7 days). In this case, if you get him to eat a fuzzy, I'd offer again after 5-6 days, unless he's in shed.*

*You said his skin is wrinkly- he might be wearing an old stuck shed, which you might need to help him get out of- but for now, keep his humidity up- about 75% (I hope you have a gauge? and also are using a thermostat on any/all heat sources?)

I see you've posted pics while I was typing- that helps us see what you're dealing with. He's a pretty little soul- & as Armiyana mentioned, he's thin but could be worse, & he doesn't appear to be wearing old shed, so that's good.

[supremenoser]

Thank you all for your quick replies! I will definitely put a towel in the bottom of his baths from now on. I'll probably give him another bath this afternoon. The warm side of his tank is set for 88 degrees for now. He ate a pinky the day before yesterday for the breeder, I could feel it in his stomach and he does seem to be digesting it fine so that's good. If I can find a fuzzy that's on the really small side I'll try that but otherwise I'll do another pinky. I'll probably try feeding him tomorrow, and I'll see if I can get a video of the corkscrewing.

Is there anything that can be done for that corkscrew? I'm very worried he'll be so screwed up he won't be able to strike to eat. It doesn't look like a normal wobble, he can hold his head perfectly still he just doesn't seem to be able to figure out where the ground is and what's up or down.