Hi all,

I just got my first ball python about two months ago, and he's developed some belly issues ever since his last shed (about 3 weeks ago). I've been searching the interwebz everywhere for possible solutions, but I can't find anyone with a similar problem. After his shed (which was seemingly a great shed--all came off in one piece), his underbelly was rusty/pink at the edges of the scales and sort of more "crinkly" than his other scales, and because I had made him a moist hide spot while he was in shed, I thought that maybe it had been too wet and he had gotten scale rot (it looked a lot like other pictures I found of the early stages of scale rot). So I started giving him daily hydrogen peroxide/water baths and swabbing his whole belly with antibiotic ointment as per suggestions for scale rot treatment. It didn't seem to be changing any, and then it started getting more crinkly and flaky, and now scales are coming off individually--it started with his belly scales, and now even scales up to his sides are coming off one at a time--something that is apparently not a sign of scale rot. A few days ago it dawned on me that it could be burns from his UTH so I unplugged that, and I'm still putting antibiotic ointment on him everyday. Also, when his scales come off, the underskin looks kind of wrinkly and slightly pinker. If things don't change soon, I'll take him in to the vet for a visit that costs more than I paid for him (hah), but until then, any hypotheses?

It's hard to tell in these pictures, but his belly is also kind of blotchy pink now.



This is how my hand looks after holding him.