Odd belly split

[platypus12]

So I was at petco today picking up some substrate for my girlfriends tarantula and I always go look at the snake stuff they get in. I noticed this guy and when we went up the glass he had this huge line. I took a picture and sent it to the breeder I deal with where I got my bp. Said they have no idea. Thought I'd check here. BTW snake looked super under weight, was moving around like he was on the hunt, and about 18 ish inches long. no clue any ideas?

[Ax01]

wow that's unusual. looks like the split is running down the neck and chest/lung area. did it continue again down the belly to the tail?

u should go back, point it out so that BP can see a vet.

[stickyalvinroll]

Seems to have stopped right when the pic cut off

[JodanOrNoDan]

Sure doesn't look like a wound to me. I'd buy it and breed it to see if something interesting was going on if there were no other visible defects.

[Fraido]

I have seen this on a couple ball pythons. No idea what's going on, but it certainly had no effect on the snakes. I can't recall if I saw it on older snakes as well, or just hatchlings, but I know for a fact there was a couple hatchlings with "splits" like that.

[Kibbleswhites]

I have had small hatchlings with a split like that. They all grew out of it once they had eaten several times. If this is a hatchling we are looking at, that is most likely the case. Needs more meals before being sold.