Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My sister has a corn that has had ongoing skin issues with her snake and I'm not sure why. They use aspen shavings for a substrate and he has a large water dish to bathe in - and a heat lamp/UV bulb of course. 29 gallon tank with a hiding area and a climbing branch too. He gets fed 1-2 times a week and is about 2 years old. Here is a picture of the latest problem:

Previously he's had scales that looked like they weren't shed properly, sort-of whitish and cloudy, and hard. This looks like an ulceration beneath the scale to me. He was offered food but did not eat. He may be due to shed and he usually doesn't eat prior to that, but this seems unusual. I had gotten her a bottle of Shed-Ease to spray him with previously as well. Any ideas what may be going on here? Mites? Please know that this snake is in Chicago and I'm in Oregon, and I'm trying to get information for them. If you need additional info and I don't have it, it may take a couple days for me to contact them. Thanks.

Things I would think of

Is he being fed live....getting bit?

Is he soaking too much and rotting a bit?

Is the aspen nicking him up, splinters?

If he were mine I would strip it down to a minimum cage with newspaper and see if they heal up. If he is getting fed live obviously stop it and move to prekilled.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny

put this question to the cornsnake forum here on kingsnake.com. People there might have more ideas on what might be wrong. Click on the link to go to the forum.
Cornsnake forum

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phflame
kingsnake.com host

Possibility of a fungus. Apply a topical fungicide and keep in a dry habitat and try that.