About two weeks ago while on school break we noticed our ball python rubbing her nose along the top of her cage at night. She had a few rough patches on her face, but it didn't warrant a vet. We searched the web and the first two things people suggested were

1. Mites and
2. RI (look for wheezing, bubbles, and snot)

We thought our presence at home might have been too much for her (since normally for several hours a day we were at school) and since we were leaving for a week vacation we thought we would wait and see how our BP looked after returning. The time away would be more similar to the work week and maybe she would calm down and stop rubbing her nose.

Before leaving we soaked her in warm water to check for mites, as per someone's suggestion and we saw no mites or anything really.

Her face and nose look much worse after having returned from vacation (got back tonight). No scabs or scarring, but definitely flakey dry skin all around the heat pits and lower lip. I don't see any mites, and I don't hear wheezing, or see bubbles. I suspect it is simply nose rubbing along the top of the cage.

She's in a 40 gal breeder with several hide spots and decorative plants to give her security. Photos of head and cage set up upon request.

Normally the humidity is 50%-70%, sometimes 40% but always on the high end around shedding time. Temps range from 74 to 90 along a gradient. Tonight when we got home, the humidity was down near 30%, but I presume that is only because of the cold front that moved through. We're in northern flroida and humidity is usually really high. We used an UTH for while we were gone because it allowed for natural day/night cycles. At night, when we're home, I drape a 3 sided cloth over the top to help make it dark and offer her security.

She eats regularly, poops regularly, and seems cool as a cucumber.

Virtually all other posts have said, ignore the problem and she'll learn there is a top to her cage. Some have suggested neosporin to help prevent infection, and only consider a vet if it looks really bad (scabs, puss, blood).



How long should I wait for her to stop rubbing her nose? Is there anything I can do to train her to stop rubbing her nose?