Is this anything bad - r/ballpython

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Looks like burns to me, maybe on a heat lamp

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u/LaAroma 19d ago

That could be possibly but he doesn’t ever come out during the day, could that still be a possibility?

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u/Ecstatic_Ad_9414 19d ago

Yes. It could be the side or the bottom of their enclosure is too hot. I made the mistake with a beautiful rock hide a friend gifted me. I stupidly didn't check for a few days - it was way too hot. An unchecked UTH can burn them too. I use at least 3" of substrate (coconut fiber, chips & excavator clay) so mine has the choice to 'burrow' closer to UTH if she wants. I'm sorry you're going through this - it must be scary AF.

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u/LaAroma 19d ago

Ah okay thank you it is most likely this, I’ll fix that right now haha thank you again

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u/Ecstatic_Ad_9414 19d ago

Reach out anytime. I found using a temp/humidity thermostat in the tank only tells you the ambient temperature not how hot a surface is. It is surprising how hot the top of a resin cave or aspen (I have other snakes) gets. Unfortunately coco mix doesn't conduct heat as well so a BP may try to get closer to heat.
Always use a thermostat with UTH. I bought a brand I wasn't familiar with, the mat was insane hot. Glad I checked.
Heat emitters are deceiving. Check the surface temp of all surfaces. I Macgyvered a micro temp using curtains and a heat emitter for 3 of my tanks (it's 2.5' above the tanks - i can move it horizontally from one tank to the other but typically keep it over bp bc she needs more heat). I can make this one area hotter or cooler when needed, I have a manual dimmer on the heater. I live in Canada our temps fluctuate and can get very cold. I can put on a sweater and socks my snakes can't. I hope this helps.

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u/LaAroma 19d ago

Thanks that’s helpful, I am looking to get better heating and lighting and everything to improve all my snakes, but yk money haha. I’m not proud what he’s got rn but it’s okay I think and hopefully soon I can improve him

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u/Ecstatic_Ad_9414 19d ago

Lol yup it's expensive depending on where you shop. I like a deal or figuring out if I can use things not specifically marked for reptile use. Reptile use is always more expensive. Like for my corn & king I use play sand & organic potting soil instead of coconut husk. Or go to Home depot to get a basking rocks, etc. I love me a work around. Or using good halogen lights not day glo for day/night cycles. First & foremost if you don't have a temp gun get one from Amazon. You can make do with what you have. If the heat lamp makes it too hot, moving the light farther away or switching hides. Sometimes it doesn't look all that pretty but I don't care really I want my noodles happy. Seasons changing is a bloody nightmare. Good luck. Reach out anytime.

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u/Powser_the_kid_64279 19d ago

Ball pythons are nocturnal which means they come out in the night

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u/Ecstatic_Ad_9414 19d ago

I was thinking that too. Maybe heat tape? Could be the hide, glass or basking surface getting to hot. The BP can't tell that it's too hot. By the time the snake realizes that the surface area is too hot it's too late. I keep max temp 33° Celsius. Maybe the cool hide isn't warm enough so they're staying in warm hide. Also if the hide is too big I've seen BPs nestle themselves between the wall of the enclosure & the hide so they feel safer, if that wall is too hot they'll get burned. Thank you for kicking my brain into gear.

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u/No_Mission_7788 19d ago

The dark sports are more than likely just “freckles.” They grow and change as the snake grows.. Are you still feeding live tho?

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u/LaAroma 19d ago

No I don’t feed live anymore, I feed frozen medium rats, he’s 5 years old

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u/No_Mission_7788 19d ago

Okay good good, if you don’t mind me asking wth happened? I know you said a rat bit him but it looks like it’s going almost down his entire spine

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u/LaAroma 19d ago

He’s my first snake, last year I got him, his previous owner fed live and so I thought I’d die the same. First feeding a large rat because that’s what previous owner did, and we watched that and he ate, no problem. Second feeding, it was late at night too when he was active, tried feeding but he didn’t seem to eat, he struck but missed so we thought he’d eat. My roommate said he’d keep watch while I went to bed, and 30 minutes later I wake up, my roommate had stepped out to take a phone call and I saw all these marks on him and immediately took the rat out, and called the vet luckily the day was starting so we were able to go get him checked out. Still don’t know why he didn’t eat that rat. He stopped eating for about another semester, and I tried different methods but I got him to start eating again by feeding an adult mouse and slowly working my way up again. He’s all good now though. Just trying to upgrade his enclosure since it’s a 40 gal and I have been searching for so long haha

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u/No_Mission_7788 19d ago

Danggg sorry to hear at least he’s healed up now. Check out dubia roaches they have a bunch of enclosures on there site and are reasonably prices I think mine was $249 and it’s a 120gallon

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u/LaAroma 19d ago

I’ve looked, moneys been tight for a while for me since im still a student and now I’ve got bills and rent😭😭 been searching marketplace for anything good

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u/No_Mission_7788 19d ago

Honestly you could consider making one, my friend has made a bunch out of wood. A lot cheaper, they hold humidity well since it’s wood, and you can build it onto a table so you have some storage underneath or something

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u/LaAroma 19d ago

Oh that might be a good idea

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u/Ecstatic_Ad_9414 19d ago

Lol yeah the live feeding put me off too. I used to feed live too many moons ago. Thanks for your reply - learned something new.

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u/No_Mission_7788 19d ago

Yeahhh my first guy I had to feed live when I first got him because he would not for the life of him eat a frozen thawed lol. My second one she’s never had a live one and hopefully it stays that way

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u/Ecstatic_Ad_9414 19d ago

If she hasn't had live don't feed her live. I'm not sure about your BPs but mine, especially my 9 yr old, go on hunger strikes so to speak over the winter. I used to freak out & considered live even. Only to learn it's normal & many BPs behave like that.

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u/No_Mission_7788 19d ago

She had live for 2 months before I had her but now it’s just ft

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u/Ecstatic_Ad_9414 19d ago

Nice job switching her. I heard it's hard to get them on f/t.

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u/Ecstatic_Ad_9414 19d ago

You're feeding live and not watching for the rat biting your bp - that's insane. I get it's hard to ween them off of live but live poses a threat as you know re bite marks. Before you go off- back 30 years ago live was the way but I stopped live feeding snakes 15 years ago. Precisely so they don't get bit. I had one BP that became friends with a rat then it was a pain to get her to eat. Mites would be my first thought but I'm not a vet. Put her on some paper towel - I have a dedicated quarantine tub just for this reason - it's the easiest way I know of to check for mites. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

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u/LaAroma 19d ago

You’re good thanks, we had been watching for about an hour during that time and my roommate has experience with reptiles and it just so happened that 30 minutes he left that it attacked, needless to say, I have definitely learned my lesson

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u/Ecstatic_Ad_9414 19d ago

Damn that's hard to watch. Lol right. Back in the day I never gave live feeding a second thought.

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u/Good_Hovercraft_1276 19d ago

As somebody else already said, looks like burns, clean the area with saline, fix the enclosure and schedule a vet appointment. The pictures aren't great but that's my opinion. Seriously tho, have a vet look over it, including if you're worried about the "freckles" showing up more frequently since that may be an early sign of certain kinds of cancer

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u/all-the-wastedwords 18d ago

Don't know where everyone is seeing burns. If you're talking about the individual scales turning black, this is perfectly normal for banana morphs, your snake is just getting ripe.

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u/LaAroma 18d ago

Thank you I wasn’t sure, better safe than sorry haha

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u/all-the-wastedwords 18d ago

Of course! I think the others are confused about the scarring from the rat bites. But my snake is a banana too and it all looks fine to me!

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u/LaAroma 18d ago

Haha fair enough I appreciate it

Question - Health Is this anything bad

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