Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi there,

Perhaps against my better judgement (remains to be seen), I decided to rescue a ball python that has been underfed for months. It's acclimated to this enclosure I have it in (fresh aspen bedding, bowl of water, screen top).

The snake has gone through at least 2 sheds I THINK before I received it yesterday.

In any event, while pretty sluggish because it hasn't been fed, the positive news is that it aggressively went after and ate 3 young adult mice.

However, after the first mouse I noticed an area of raw pink tissue under the scales. I thought perhaps because it had dry skin on it perhaps it had excessively rubbed its body against a particulary piece of wood. SO I have removed all the grapevine.

Alternatively, I wondered if because the snake was so malnourished if the scales just broke away, that is maybe the skin is losing it's structural integrity? I really don't know, I have never cared for a snake in this shape before.

I have not seen any other areas on the snakes body that have exposed pink tissue.

I would appreciate any suggestions with this guy only because I am a bit optimistic that it had a healthy feeding response, exactly like my own healthy ball! So I hope it lives.

Did you throw a live mouse in the cage with the snake? It kind of looks like a bite from a mouse...

I did actually. I was out of CO2, and personally can't dish out some blunt force trauma to stun a rodent. I just wanted the little guy to eat. I watched him easily take the mouse out, but it is possible that perhaps even when coiled the mouse either scratched or took a quick bite?

I have always fed pre killed so I hadn't considered that possibility, especially because I watched him hunt/eat. Though while he had the mouse, I couldn't actualy see the head of the mouse.

So far he's doing OK..he's eaten, poop is normal looking. The wound never bled or oozed. It is dry. The snake is alert for sure, and hungry again. Next meal will be prekilled for sure.