Quote Originally Posted by SoundUnsleep View Post
Hi Vega: Just a few more thoughts.
How old or what's the weight of your ball python? If it's a baby, it should go through a shed cycle every month and what you are describing as an overall dark tint sounds like just that to me.
If it isn't a baby:
1. Check out the bag of Aspen and see if you have an ingredient list (should say 100% aspen, if it doesn't I would toss the bag assuming that it's a mix that belongs into the hamster department).
2. Where are you taking the temps? Bottom of tub over UTH, bottom over the bedding, mid height ...?
3. Here's a couple pics of a burn that led to a dermatitis (dermatitis can have many different causes). This snake was exposed to too much belly heat and developed a mild case of dermatitis (scale rot). Pics aren't enhanced in any way, so it should give you a good idea of what you don't want to see on your ball python.


I'm pretty sure your BP is just simply getting ready to shed and in another 24 to 48 hours from now you'll notice the cloudy eyes.
Those are great pictures. It doesn't look like scale rot it looks like it did just before she shed the last time and her eyes do seem cloudy.

The aspen is ZooMed snake bedding, it doesn't have an ingredient list but its recommended for snakes.

I take temps with my temp gun on the surface of the tub above the uth as well as with the probe from my thermo.