Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We got in a brb the other week and it has what looks like a rash on her underside. I would think it was a burn but she has no belly heat in her tank. Her whole stomach has turned a bright pink color..... Any experience with this....?
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-David Harrison-
.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
.1 Ball Python "Rocky Ballboa" (Didn't name her!)

"Have you ever tried simply turning off the T.V., sitting down with your kids... and hitting them?"

i'm not for sure what causes this but my CRB goes through this every time she is about to shed. after her eyes lose the blue misty color she goes back to normal coloration for, all except her belly which stays a pinkish color, a day or two before she sheds. could you have missed her pre shed signs?
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Tim

0.1 Colombian Rainbow Boa
1.0 Albino Motley Corn
1.0 Black cat

I could have but her belly isn't just a light pink like the balls get.... It is almost maroon...... Is that normal before a shed...? She has lost some of her sheen but is not what I would call "blue"
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-David Harrison-
.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
.1 Ball Python "Rocky Ballboa" (Didn't name her!)

"Have you ever tried simply turning off the T.V., sitting down with your kids... and hitting them?"

hmmm... that is odd usually when my CRB does it she turns a light pink to almost a salmon color. i'd keep an eye on it and if it doesn't get any better i'd go get it looked at by a vet.
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Tim

0.1 Colombian Rainbow Boa
1.0 Albino Motley Corn
1.0 Black cat

David,
..What kind of substrate are you using? Cage temperature and humidity?
Jeff

>>I could have but her belly isn't just a light pink like the balls get.... It is almost maroon...... Is that normal before a shed...? She has lost some of her sheen but is not what I would call "blue"
>>-----
>>-David Harrison-
>>.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
>> 1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
>>.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
>>.1 Ball Python "Rocky Ballboa" (Didn't name her!)
>>
>>"Have you ever tried simply turning off the T.V., sitting down with your kids... and hitting them?"

The humidity is 70% The temps are slightly warm (just under 90) and she is on "forest bark." It has no signs of blister disease which I have encountered... Some of the scales just above her vent stick out and look very bad BUT we have been using the zoo-med wound aid which is basically like juju bean oil and aloe or something similar to those. I doubt a pic is possible since she is at work and not one of mine.... At first it was just 2 or 3 small pink patches but now it is her entire stomach!
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-David Harrison-
.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
.1 Ball Python "Rocky Ballboa" (Didn't name her!)

"Have you ever tried simply turning off the T.V., sitting down with your kids... and hitting them?"

cuz 85 is too high and they really like 78-82 preferrably.
Bob

David,
..They often get a little pink tint on their bellies before shedding. Darker pink with some curling or wrinkling of belly scales is often associated with too high temperatures and dirty or acidic substrate. I would drop the temps down. Preferably you would need a gradient from low 70s in the cool end of the cage to high 70s or low 80s in the warm end. Try clean paper substrate until you get this cleared up. I would use a little antibiotic ointment on the worst looking spots if they seem any more than just on the very surface of the scales.
Jeff

>>The humidity is 70% The temps are slightly warm (just under 90) and she is on "forest bark." It has no signs of blister disease which I have encountered... Some of the scales just above her vent stick out and look very bad BUT we have been using the zoo-med wound aid which is basically like juju bean oil and aloe or something similar to those. I doubt a pic is possible since she is at work and not one of mine.... At first it was just 2 or 3 small pink patches but now it is her entire stomach!
>>-----
>>-David Harrison-
>>.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
>> 1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
>>.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
>>.1 Ball Python "Rocky Ballboa" (Didn't name her!)
>>
>>"Have you ever tried simply turning off the T.V., sitting down with your kids... and hitting them?"

Is it possible for you to post a pic?

It could be nothing and will disappear with a shed.

It could be belly/scale rot due to high temps, high moisture, unsanitary conditions or a combination of the three. This condition is not uncommon in snakes. It is caused by a bacterial infection and is treatable.

Let's see a pic to narrow it down though. And, as Jeff asked for. what are the cage temps, substarte, moisture levels, how often are you cleaning the cage... etc. A pic of the enclosure would be helpful as well.
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Mike Lockwood
www.tooscaley.com

Like others have said....

1) DROP the temps to around 80!

2) SWITCH the substrate to paper!

3) APPLY a little polysporin ointment to belly!

Most likely causes of rash would be substrate, unsanitary conditions and/or temps. Fix all of them at once to make certain the cause is gone. The polysporin should help heal the existing rash.

>>We got in a brb the other week and it has what looks like a rash on her underside. I would think it was a burn but she has no belly heat in her tank. Her whole stomach has turned a bright pink color..... Any experience with this....?
>>-----
>>-David Harrison-
>>.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
>> 1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
>>.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
>>.1 Ball Python "Rocky Ballboa" (Didn't name her!)
>>
>>"Have you ever tried simply turning off the T.V., sitting down with your kids... and hitting them?"
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
24.36 BRB
19.19 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Follow the experts advice posted above.

Are you using sphagnum moss?

I've had scale discoloration, both salmon and light brown, on the belly from damp to wet sphagnum moss before that went away within a few days of changing the moss out with fresh sphagnum.

Never was 100% sure of cause for the color change but seemed to be coloration/die leakage from the moss. I would have worried more about some of the possible causes others mentioned when it occured with me except it was going on with vastly different setups and species.

Namely it occured with my BRB's and with my trans pecos rat snakes. In the BRB's case the entire substrate was moist sphagnum moss and obviously a very humid setup. In the case of my TPRS's it was a paper towel substrate with the only sphagnum being slightly damp sphagnum inside of a moist hide with the rest of the enclosure very dry and well ventilated.

However in both of these situations it was only discoloration and no visible skin or scale damage. Reminded me in appearance to the way transfered ink from wet newsprint looks except different coloration. Also as I said it disapeared/cleared up within days of a moss change. I cannot remember wether or not my BRB's shed shortly afterwards so I cannot exclude that as a possible factor as well but I do not normally see a belly color change when they shed.

Either way hopefully the suggestions the others posted clear it up quickly.

PS: Anyone else have moss discolor belly/under chin scales to a light brown?

Sean.