I stopped by the store yesterday and saw this ball there that just seemed like it needed a helping hand. I decided to make an offer for it today when I went to get some rats. I made the offer and it was eventually accepted and I took the ball with me. This ball needed to get out of there and I feel confident that I can get it healthy, so here's what I know so far. The store thinks it's a male, about a year and a half old. It was in a small enclosure with that green astroturf in it with another, smaller ball. One hide in the enclosure and heated with a heat lamp, no t-stat that I saw. Little to no air flow as well. The snake is 488g, and seems well fed. Its scales are unusually smooth in my opinion... smoother that any other ball python I have handled in the past, except for the belly. Its got reddish spots along its underbelly and a sore spot on its mouth. The scales on its belly are also very dry and brittle feeling. Urine burn? Scale rot? I am going to go to the vet tomorrow and have it diagnosed (and sexed if possible with the skin conditions going on.) Other that that, the snake seems fine. It's resting in a hide in its new enclosure right now and had been kind of poking around a little before. Here are some pictures... Let me know what you all think of the problem areas. (there's a little bedding stuck to the nose... I'll be switching that out for some plain paper towels.)
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j2...e/DSCF1247.jpg
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j2...e/DSCF1245.jpg
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j2...e/DSCF1251.jpg
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j2...e/DSCF1244.jpg
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