Ball Pythons Bit each Others Face During Breeding

[DrDoom]

I have two ball pythons that are male and female and I put them together Tuesday through Friday and for weeks they’ve been linking up for almost two days at a time. This time when I opened the tub both had been gashed in the face. I thought it was very uncommon for males and females to fight. Should I see about taking them to a vet or will their wounds typically heal on their own?

[Erie_herps]

How deep are the wounds? Are they just small scratches or are they deep? Can you add pictures of them? Ball pythons don't need to be together for that long to breed. Most people only keep them together for a day at a time once every 1-2 weeks. You should give them both a diluted betadine (I'm not sure of the exact dilution ratio) bath and clean out the wounds. If they are deep you do need to see a reptile vet. If you don't have one you can find one here: https://arav.site-ym.com/search/default.asp?m=radius

[Bogertophis]

I think they're done mating... It's not unheard of for snakes of any kind to attack a mate, & since they're not "social" animals normally it's best to keep captive-breeding to a minimum to get the job done, since they cannot get away from one another under these circumstances as they can in the wild. It's hard to keep an eye on them 24/7- breeding snakes is not risk-free.

I hope yours heal up okay- I suggest Betadine (povidone-iodine) diluted to look like "weak tea" or Vetericyn brand antiseptic ointment for reptiles, BUT IF the wounds are deep, see a qualified herp vet for help. Remember that snake bites can leave teeth embedded, & in your snakes, that could result in a serious facial abscess if not dealt with, which can impair eating, breathing, & if infected, could spread to the eyes, brain, etc. Face bites should be taken seriously, IMO.

[Bogertophis]

How are your snakes doing?