HELP! I think my ball might have scale rot

[h00blah]

I got out my old camera that is better at close ups...

looks like tick ewww

[rabernet]

That is a tick. I have no experience removing ticks, hopefully someone else can chime in.

[ColinWeaver]

That is definitely a tick.

Tick removal is nothing fancy... grab it with two fingers and yank it off in a quick motion. They come right out (with no lingering parts remaining). After removing the tick, smash it with something (you'll hear it pop) or drop it in a little vial of rubbing alcohol until it's dead.

Thoroughly check the rest of the snake for other ticks. They can blend well to the untrained eye and can also get under the subcaudal scales and disappear pretty well.

If your snake has ticks there is a 95% chance that it is an import. This suggests that the scars it has are remnants of what it means to be a ball python in the wild.

[T&C Exotics]

Yup it's a tick. Colin said one great way to remove them another way is to place a layer of petrolium jelly over it and sometimes they will back out. A third way is to twist it while pulling it out. Other than that like Robin said make sure you look ove the entire snake top to bottom and from every thinkable angle. Is thinkable a word? Anyways just make sure that it has no others on it, lightly lift the belly scales to make sure none are under them and rub the snake from tail to head on its back and sides you should be able to feel them that way. Good luck.

Tom

[h00blah]

If your snake has ticks there is a 95% chance that it is an import. This suggests that the scars it has are remnants of what it means to be a ball python in the wild.

to add to that, a lot of the pet stores (the ones ive been to) have WC snakes. so yes, definately do a COMPLETE scale check. definately agree with colin.

[BabysMomma]

It's definitely a tick. I'd suggest using tweezers instead of your fingers to get it out, and try to grab it as far up the body towards the head as possible - you don't want to go squeezing the contents of the tick's gut into Archy. It's not a good idea to go touching it with your bare fingers for the simple reason that it's a tick and it carries what are most likely obscure West African diseases that you have no immunity to.

Have you taken your snake for a vet check? You should always get a new snake vet checked, to make sure they're healthy and have no parasites. They'll do a test called a fecal flotation, you just take them your snake's poop and they check for creepy crawlies like worms. Definitely put it on your to do list, since you've got a BP who's most likely wild caught.

[hermeticcharm]

I got the tick out and let Archy crawl around on me for a bit while I checked the rest of his scales. I havn't found any more but I will definitely keep an eye out. I am trying to find a Vet that is open right now but I will probably have to wait until after the holiday weekend.

[h00blah]

do u hav pics of the tick outside of its host?! i wanna see but i dont want to at the same time ><

[hermeticcharm]

I burned it immediately to avoid losing it. I did try and grab my camera to share with the forum but the memory card was missing and the internal was full.

For anyone else that might have this problem in the future I used a pair of tweezers and wedged them under the butt-end of the tick as close to the head as I could get and then pulled it out. Archy of course did not like it much but he was brave and stuck it out.

[frankykeno]

A tick and scars adding up to what is probably a recently imported wild caught ball python.

How's the snake settling in for you otherwise as far as eating and so forth. Personally with these indicators I'd have a fecal float done then if there's indication of internal parasites as well you could take the snake in then for a full going over by the vet. However, if you are unsure or there are any other worrisome issues, get the snake seen (and the fecal done as well of course).