Color Change Or...?

[CoolioTiffany]

I'm watching my friend's snakes for a week or so and we noticed this before on his GTP but just figured it may just be his color changing. The GTP is a Sorong male and he's tealing up on his sides and his mouth. We noticed these symmetrical black spots between the eyes and the nostrils. The spots have gotten a little bigger since when we first noticed them but I wanted an opinion. Took some photos the other night for a visual on what it is. To me it doesn't seem like scale rot because that usually seems to start on the belly of the snake, and that these two spots are exactly symmetrically horizontal from each other. Your thoughts? Is this just the start of him turning teal? Or maybe something else of concern?

[cmack91]

i dont have any hands on experience with these, but to me the blueing looks like color changing. from what i understand, scale rot is pink. and as far as the dots under his eyes, i cant really tell, the one under the right eye is alot darker than the one on the left, it kinda looks like a wound, but i cant tell if there are scales there. would you be able to get a nice, really close up shot of that? it would help alot more. have you noticed him rubbing his nose anywhere?

[Jerhart]

Can't answer your question Tiff....but it almost looks like that animal has a tick on it in the last photo...

[kristan]

The blue on his sides (including around his mouth) is just his coloring. The dark spots in front of his eyes look like rub marks or burns that are in the healing process.

[CoolioTiffany]

i dont have any hands on experience with these, but to me the blueing looks like color changing. from what i understand, scale rot is pink. and as far as the dots under his eyes, i cant really tell, the one under the right eye is alot darker than the one on the left, it kinda looks like a wound, but i cant tell if there are scales there. would you be able to get a nice, really close up shot of that? it would help alot more. have you noticed him rubbing his nose anywhere?

There are scales there. The shots were taken with flash so I will get some better pics up. He has never rubbed his nose or face anywhere that we have noticed. We also have nothing in the enclosure that could have given him those symmetrical spots; the enclosure is pretty basic with only two perches but is safe and secure.

Can't answer your question Tiff....but it almost looks like that animal has a tick on it in the last photo...

I could totally see what you mean. That's actually just a black scale. It does look like a tick from how the photo was taken though, I like how you spotted that.

The blue on his sides (including around his mouth) is just his coloring. The dark spots in front of his eyes look like rub marks or burns that are in the healing process.

Yeah the blue on the sides wasn't a concern of mine, I've heard that Sorongs can teal out and I believe he is just starting to do so. My friend would have noticed if it were an open wound in the first place. These dots were actually jet black a few weeks ago but now they're lightening up.

I'll try to get some better photos right now.

[CoolioTiffany]

After taking these photos and zooming in super close on each photo on the camera, the spots do sort of look more like burns. The odd thing is that these spots started out as a black patch of scales and now zooming in on each photo the scales look more like they were burned (I saw some brownish-hue coloration when zoomed in on the photos).

I remember zooming in on those spots with my camera a few weeks ago and the scales were literally shaded black and even some blue speckling on the black. The spots showed up at the same time some blackish coloration on the nose appeared. The black on the nose can probably be seen in the photos, but is the actual coloration on the snake. There is no external heat source in the enclosure, and no possible way he could get into anything that could burn him.

Maybe those spots could just be him tealing out.. But I don't really know what to think.

[cmack91]

i see the scales now, but i have no idea at all, i guess wait till next shed and see how they are then, thats all i can think of

[kristan]

No, it never was an open wound. Scale damage often causes some kind of reaction with the melanin (I don't know all of the details), which is why the scales turn dark blue or black. This is also the reason that older (fatter) chondros will get small dark creases in their scales..it's just from the scales folding a bit when they're coiled. As stated, it many not necessarily be a burn...many kinds of scale damage will cause this reaction. Here is an example (my biak female with some kind of nose burn/rub mark - never really found out):
photo taken Spring 2010

and here she now

Oddly enough that spot was green before the burn/rub, but came back in yellow.

Also, did your friend get that snake from a breeder (e.g. with breeding records)? I don't really see any sorong in there. Looks more like some kind of aru x biak cross to me, which would be more likely IMO to have the blue on the sides. Sorong females are known for having a higher likelihood of turning hormonal blue after breeding..is that why you mean by "tealing"? Either way, it's a nice looking snake, I love the white.

[CoolioTiffany]

Wow thank you so much, that's exactly what I was looking for. I'm glad it wasn't anything serious. Thanks for the photos, those helped as well.

The snake did not come from a breeder but he did purchase it at the reptile store we go to for feeders. The store is fantastic and I'm sure the snake was labeled correctly, unless the previous keeper of the snake thought it to be a Sorong. The snake has gotten more random white scales since we've had him, but he's also been turning teal (or what I called it as "tealing") up his sides and around his mouth. He also has a black tail which I've read Sorongs have.

He's a cool snake nonetheless, and whatever he is it sure made him look pretty spiffy. Thanks again !!

[Brandon Osborne]

Looks like a Yapen. Definitely not Sorong. The dark markings are from the snake trying to stick its nose into something. I've seen this with many babies people sell at shows. The snakes look for every possible way to escape their enclosure and usually end up try to stick their nose out the vent holes. Nothing serious to worry about. Just be sure it isn't stressed out. Good luck.