Red scales on belly...

mrsamorris · 08-26-14, 03:51 PM

I have a ball python who I have had close to a year now. She eats great and sheds regularly but today when I took her from her cage to soak in the tub I noticed her belly has a considerable length that is red and looks like the scales are damaged. She does have an under tank heater but rarely lays over it and she just finished shedding so scraping is a possibility. I am curious if I should leave it be or if there is something I should put on it.

alessia55 · 08-26-14, 05:29 PM

What temperature is the heat pad at? does she come in direct contact with it? Information/photos of the set up, temperatures, etc. will help us help you.

BIGT FROM F.B. · 08-26-14, 05:44 PM

I'll bet that is a lung infection. If there are any signs of popping noises when it breaths or bubbles, that's a good clue too. I was told by a vet that pink on the belly is an infection growing in the lungs. I would go to the vet if it were my snake.

mrsamorris · 08-26-14, 10:10 PM

The undertank heater doesn't have a temp gage. It's just an on or off thing. It's on the end of the tank with the heat lamp so that one end is her warm basking end and the other she can hide or cool down. In the past I had a ball that had a upper respiratory infection and she made a wheezing noise. I have been listening to Sophia (my current ball) when she is out and she has only wheezed randomly after soaking but was told that is common after being in the water.

sharthun · 08-27-14, 09:49 AM

It's possible without monitoring cage floor temps that the snake could be burned . A thermostat is necessary for safety and temperature regulation. An infrared temp gun is also handy to spot check temps.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrsamorris

The undertank heater doesn't have a temp gage. It's just an on or off thing. It's on the end of the tank with the heat lamp so that one end is her warm basking end and the other she can hide or cool down. In the past I had a ball that had a upper respiratory infection and she made a wheezing noise. I have been listening to Sophia (my current ball) when she is out and she has only wheezed randomly after soaking but was told that is common after being in the water.

alessia55 · 08-27-14, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrsamorris

The undertank heater doesn't have a temp gage. It's just an on or off thing. It's on the end of the tank with the heat lamp so that one end is her warm basking end and the other she can hide or cool down. In the past I had a ball that had a upper respiratory infection and she made a wheezing noise. I have been listening to Sophia (my current ball) when she is out and she has only wheezed randomly after soaking but was told that is common after being in the water.

You may want to consider investing in a good heat pad that is attached to a thermostat that can help you adjust the temperatures. There are set ups for all budgets. The thermostat must come with a sensor that you place directly where the snake feels the heat, so that you can make sure it doesn't get too hot and burns the snake's belly. Also, get rid of the heat lamp; they dry up the air and ball pythons need high humidity.

shaunyboy · 08-27-14, 05:32 PM

its hard to tell just from pictures,but id say that looks like a burn mate

it don't look too bad,at worst some of the pink area may turn brown,dry out and scab,then the scabs fall off,sometimes leaving graized/raw bits,just keep an eye on it and keep it clean,after a few sheds you will never know its ever been burned

i had a carpet pythom in quarantine tub,it trailed itself through the water bowl,then moved all the substrate so it was sitting on top of the bare tub floor,the mat on the outside of the tub,heated up the water on its belly causing burns

cheers shaun

Zelg · 09-23-14, 06:40 PM

Gotta agree that it looks burned but I have no experience with burned scales so im not goin on much other than looks

I would say that a temporary "patch" until you get a thermostat could be to use extra substrate over the heating pad area. But then again im not sure how much cooler i'd actually be if you could a couple more inches of substrate.

kiiarah · 09-24-14, 01:16 PM

Does look like a mild burn. I have read that prior to shedding they will get a light pink tint to their belly, but given that it is regional and not all over I would be concerned that the heat mat is heating too high. When I first set up my heat mat my thermostat had not arrived yet (neither had the snake at this point) and while monitoring I logged temps as high as 115 (at this point I turned it off entirely so it may have gone higher if left on).

I have heard that snakes do not have many nerves on their belly and often won't notice that it is too hot until it is too late. You definitely need to invest in a thermostat, regardless of whether the heat mat instructions say that you need one. You can go high end and get something that will maintain a steady temp constantly, or get a lower end thermostat that will maintain about a 4 degree range around its set temperature. I wound up getting the Hydrofarm seed mat thermostat, as I have seen many keepers recommend it, and it was only about 30 bucks. Pick up a good digital thermometer for about 10-15 to actually monitor the glass temps and you will be good to go. Those heat mats can be incredibly dangerous when unregulated.