PDA

View Full Version : noticed this on my copperhead today

mikem
10-23-03, 11:46 AM
i had my big girl out today, offering food and i noticed this weird spot on her side that sorta caves in...could it be a broken rib? i'm unsure how long it's been like this...it doesn't seem to bother her, she is very active and crawls around her cage alot, exploring. anyway, let me know what you think and what i need to do, if anything, to fix this. thanks.

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/3325cr1.jpg
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/3325cr2.jpg
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/3325cr3.jpg

sorry for photo quality, best i could do.
SCReptiles
10-23-03, 11:58 AM
We have a stripped female copper that has a similar spot. It could be a birth defect or an old injury. Would be hard to tell either way with the skin healed. I don’t suppose there is anything that can be done for either snake. Doesn’t seem to affect ours. Do you know who collected yours? Could be a possible tong injury.
mikem
10-23-03, 12:21 PM
yes, i know who collected her. like i said, it doesn't seem to bother her at all, so, it may be an old injury or a defect. she was wild caught and the spot on her is about the same size as one of my small hooks...so, maybe she was injured being lifted? either during the capture or some time in captivity. i'll have to contact the guy i got her from to find out a little about her history. thanks for the reply, i feel better now :)

btw, from the pictures, does she look over weight? her scales don't overlap anywhere on her! and her tail is really fat. the guy who gave her to me said she could possibly be gravid...but, it's too late in the year to be having babies, isn't it?
SCReptiles
10-23-03, 12:52 PM
Not at all. North American pits are thick bodied by nature. Yours looks fine to me. Check out the girth on this gal, she is 43” long and weights almost 2 pounds. =)
http://secw.bravepages.com/Chuck/scr/chuck_hurd_tailing_copperhead.JPG
-WilleM-
10-23-03, 01:30 PM
beatifull snake!
chas*e
10-24-03, 07:53 PM
Looks like an old rib injury..from this view
jaybox_reptiles
10-24-03, 08:37 PM
im thinking a birth defectt but im not the expert but ne ways good luck

Jay
Box