While we were visiting with my mother in law tonight, a friend of ours that lives in the same complex stopped by to tell us he had rescued something that slithers and wanted us to come have a look and see if we wanted to take it home. We got all excited and rushed over. He told us it was a ball python that he had rescued along with a turtle and a fat tailed gecko from the same person. We were not prepared for what we saw. He handed us a ball python that had just had a really bad shed (stuck shed everywhere) and a retained eye cap. But that wasn't the worst part. The first thing you see on this snake is a long scar all the way down its back where the scales have been rubbed clean off. Not to mention I suspect the snake of having belly rot (scale rot?) and a possible RI. (I heard it make a wierd noise). I suspect belly (scale) rot since a few scales seem to be off color and the belly is kind of pinkish (and not in a shed kind of way).

I'm going to pick it up tomorrow since we couldn't bring it home tonight. We will be keeping it in a 40g breeder tank in QT for the next 3 months. I didn't see mites but I didn't get a really good look at the snake. My guess is that its somewhere around 500-600 grams but I don't know its age.

I will post pictures tomorrow and ask advice on how to get this snake healthy.