It's impossible to say exactly just how it got that way, but if it DID eat,..that is a wonderful sign. But the mouth and eye do NOT look good. Judging by it's gaped mouth, it does look like it's showing at least beginning signs of infectious stomatitis(mouth rot). I would first GENTLY pry the snake's mouth open with a blunt object,and look to see if there is any "cheesy looking" substance that's visible. If there is, gently remove any you see, then follow up with putting some peroxide, and/or Betadine in the mouth with a small syringe or eye dropper. Do this twice a day for approx. two weeks. You should see a DEFINITE improvement by then, even before, but keep treating it, as you want to get rid of ALL of it, and prevent any reocurrence.

The snake's ocular scale(eye-cap) looks like it could have a previous shed still on it, or even an old rodent bite(hard to tell). Put the snake in a pillow case that has been stuffed with moist spagnum moss. Then put the bag into the snakes secured enclosure, or something similar, so it doesn't escape. This has been known to happen fairly frequently, as snake's sometimes vigorously work the corners of the bag to escape. Leave the snake in the moistened bag at LEAST 24 hours, this will allow the extra thick stubborn skin a chance to absorb the moisture from the moss. When you take the snake out the next day, you should be able to VERY GENTLY work the edge of the ocular scale with a pair of tweezers to gently take off the outer shed. Administer a little dab of antibiotic oitment to the eye afterwards to help combat any bacteria that was harbored underneath.

If this DOESN'T do the job, the snake needs to be seen by a qualified reptile vet as soon as possible. The snake probably has a great chance for recovery if this is done very soon, but if left untreated, this can get very bad, and lead to the snakes death.

Hope this helps!


~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

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