Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok, I have an adult male ball python that has a swollen head/face just behind the nostrils. came out of no where really. heat is good and humidity is fine, i dont keep up to high and i am on top of things when it comes to keeping enclosure clean.he also isnt rubbing on anythin. it seems like some sort of infection maybe, not pussy or moist looking just a lump with a large scab?? his scales did seem kind of dry/wrinkled before with two tiny scabs in the general area,thought maybe his prey nipped him - i mean tiny, but I treatd those two small scabby looking areas with very diluted turpintine, I read on some that turpinetine and hydrogen peroxide were ok. and he also has an OLd scar on the middle of his head form a previos owner click tke link for a pic. any help would be great.
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Turpentine?? Oi.. get the kid to a vet.

SO i'm thinking that was an unreliable source regaurding diluted turp. yeah, im gonna scheduale a trip to the vet. this snake has been a problem since i got him from some run down pet store.

How long has he or she been like that? It looks like old scar Tissue from RI over and over, after a while they scar up and it never really goes away. I bet its hard like bone or scar Tissue. Animals like this can never be cooled to low again. It looks like his nostrols are closed up also.. Let Me know how long its been like this.

Van
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Forever Trust in what we are,and nothing else Matters

Thats the thing, he has never had any sighns of a resperatory infection and this tissue does seem pretty hard. I check/ handle all my snakes daily and i've noticed it, lump, for about a week. i just check and look and his nostrils dont seem to be closed up, may just be the picture. attached is a photo of him literaly the other week and you can just see a white mark where i initial thought he was injured from prey. as for temp sometimes i keep high side at about 90 and cool in the mid 80's. I'll just end up up taking him to the vet, my area is fortunate in the number of reptile specialist. all in all I have no idea
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any chance of mouth rot, since it can cause their heads to swell

I don't even see the lump in that Picture. You need a friend or someone to help You do this open his mouth up and look up thier should be two ducts in his upper head that go to his Nostrols,take a very good look and use a Q -tip and see if anthing is packed up in those nasal ducts. Wood chips or a Bite like You were thinking... Have a look and see whats up there and what color it is and see if its nasty up packed in his nasal ducts, it could be all it is.

Van
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Forever Trust in what we are,and nothing else Matters

Back in the 80's, I had a male, that every fall, would grow, almost like a "rhino horn"! Not as dramatic, obviously, but when it started, it looked much like what you have there! I always suspected it had something to do w/his male changes as it always seemed to coincide w/ breeding season! It would last 3-4 months, then he would shed it off! Very strange! BTW, I'd stay away from turpentine!

thanks for the input, and yes its now clear turps a no no.

have nasal ducts checked out.

I also recommend a vet check. In the first picture, it looks like somebody snipped off the tip of his nose, or mushed it in till it formed that lump. In the older picture, he looks normal but I can't see any nostral openings (could be the lighting and/or angle).

A vet will need to check and see what is causing that lump, if it is an upper respiratory infection, abscess, clogged sinuses or infection.
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PHLdyPayne