scale issues? help please

[KaNcEr]

Hey guys. I have 2 ball pythons, both female, and both have a some kind of scale issues on their backs. I'll give you some info on them first.

I got Lilith about a month and a half ago and I got Eve just over a month ago, both from petsmart. They both eat extremely well (Eve isn't a big fan f/t, but Lilith will eat anything). They both shed about a week to a week and a half after getting them. Lilith needed assistance in her shed as not all of it came off and had a strip of skin along her back. Eve got everything off except a small patch on her head which I helped with as well (I was extremely gentle and cautious on both counts, I used warm water and proceeded painfully slow).

They both looked great after their sheds until about 1-2 weeks ago. As I can't accurately discribe what's going on I'll post some pics.

This is Lilith. Eve looks similar.



I looked up scale rot, and it doesn't appear to be that. All the pics of scale rot I've seen have been on the belly. Both of their bellies are perfectly healthy and beautiful. Here is a pic.


Unfortunately as a first time owner I housed them both in the same enclosure for a while. Once I learned that was a no no, I fixed it promptly.

I keep them in separate 10 gallon tanks. With reptile bark as substrate. Both have UTH's under their hides and a heat lamp with 75 watt (purple) light over their hides. They both have a large water dish (big enough to soak in if they like, although I've never seen them do it) that gets changed every 2-3 days. The water bowls take up the width of the tank on the cool side, so there isn't room for a hide on the cool side. They spend most of their time on the cool side pressed against the glass and water bowl. Ever once in a while I will catch them in their hides on the warm side. The temp in the hide is about 99, middle of the tank is about 91, and I'm having problems getting a reading on the cool side (will try to get one if it will help you guys tell me what's wrong). The humidity fluctuates from 40-80. I spray it down as often as I can but I do have a job and occasionally sleep... So, its hard to keep it optimal.

Does anyone have any idea as to what's going on?

[DrakaShore]

I would not recommend helping a snake with it's shed. If you are really having trouble getting the humidity right, I would consider getting tub setups instead. It can be rather difficult to keep the humidity right in tanks (in my experience). The dull pieces of skin you are seeing are generally either from an incomplete shed or could be from trying to help the skin come off. If your ball is ever having a bad shed or you don't think the humidity is right in his environment, try soaking them in warm water. I've also taken the lid off of my tubs and had them in the bathroom when I shower. The steam helps loosen the skin. There are also products at the pet store that may help with shedding. I believe there is one called Shed Aid. They are usually spray bottles that also help to loosen skin like humidity will. Often times pet stores won't keep the right humidity for their reptiles. My baby is also from Petsmart and she shed the second week I had her. It was like she was waiting for the right humidity. She's super dark now and has shiny, glossy skin I have her in a tub setup and that makes it a lot easier for us that work and can't mist every hour ._.

[Dakota11]

U may want to get some sort of thermostat. 99 I believe is way to hot. Could the heat light be drying them out? Just a thought.

[Raven01]

For starters, 99 is a bit high for these snakes. Shoot for 90 in the warm side hide if you can.
I can't be sure about the scale thing but, I did have a snake in QT that had a bad shed before I got her. Being in QT I didn't realize I had missed helping with a few small bits of loose skin that became very noticeable pale spots as she approached her first shed with me. A healthy shed had her right back to normal.
Hopefully that is what you are seeing. The belly looks on the pink side, I'd spot check the hot hide with an IR gun to verify the temp and hope it is a pre-shed pink belly as opposed to a burned belly. A closer shot of that might help you identify which is the more likely case.

[KaNcEr]

I don't think it had anything to do with their last sheds (although I'm not an expert). They both looked fine, and it wasn't until about 2 weeks ago that these spots started showing up. I'll definitely keep your advice in mind for their next she however!

Edit: I'm in the market for an IR gun. Haven't seen any locally and I'm having issues with my amazon account. Hopefully ill have one before too long.

[rocknhorse76]

Petsmart carries the Repti Temp gun. And 99 is WAY too hot. Get a thermostat for your UTH and either ditch the heat lamp or put it on the stat as well.

[KaNcEr]

They were sold out in that case. Cause I looked all over the reptile section. I've turned off the UTH for now and am only using the lamp until I can aquire a thermostat for the UTH. And may ditch the lamp after that.

How would I go about hooking up a thermostat to the UTH if you wouldn't mind explaining it to a newbie. And or where to get one / brand / ect... Thanks!