Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,

Below are some pictures I took of Henry yesterday. You'll notice a spot on the top of his head and also one below/around his mouth.
Just wondering what it could be. Any hints on tips would be helpful. Just want to identify the problem. Thanks in advance!

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0.1 BCI
0.1 JCP
1.0 BRB
1.0 BD

Here:

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0.1 BCI
0.1 JCP
1.0 BRB
1.0 BD

scale rot tends to form on the belly scales...those marks on the head and lip of your snake look more like rat or mouse bites. Do you feed live rodents?
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PHLdyPayne

Yes, I've alwasy fed live. I relocate my snakes to a "feeding bin" and watch from beginning to end before they are moved back to their cages. Im pretty sure I would have remembered if he was bit as I do inspect them when blood is present. Usually its from the rat itself and not the snake.
I dont want to rule that suggestion out completely as anything is possible.
However, when he was a youngin during one of his first sheds, a single scale atop his head came off. It took several sheds later before it grew back in but never once has he had an incomplete shed. That was the only real issue ive had with him which was about a year ago.
The weird spot on his head looks nothing like the missing scale that he once had which is why im a little concerned. And the thing around his mouth one ups the anxiety levels.

Thanks PHLdyPayne for your thoughts
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0.1 BCI
0.1 JCP
1.0 BRB
1.0 BD

Not sure what the scale problem is, rat bite was what first came to mind for me as well.

Feeding live is risky. While snakes are very good at taking down live prey, the feeder animal is not going to offer itself to the snake god for dinner. On the contrary, the rodent will do all it can to get away and will do it MUCH faster than you can react. Rodentsw will bite and have incredibly powerful jaws. Whatever part of a snake they get a hold of, there will be holes and damage. Typically to the body but CAN be the head. I've even heard tell of a snake getting it's tongue bit off - slow death sentence.

Please stop feeding live if you can. Try stunning the rat first and see if your snake will take it twitching. You cna progress from there to full dead fresh killed and even to frozen/thawed/rewarmed prey.

There are some snakes that will refuse all but live. I find even those when hungry enough will eat dead prey and once used to it, will contnue to take dead prey on a regular basis.
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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 (05/26/2009):
36.51 BRB
29.42 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

What are some of the best methods you use to "stun" your rodents? a quick flick to the noggin? i don't want to have to do anything drastic if i can avoid it.
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0.1 08 JCP
0.1 05 BCI
1.0 08 BRB

Easiest method is grab the tail so the rodent is facing you. Then a quick spin flip up and over so the rodent comes in contact with a hard surface upside down. Not too hard or it will be messy.

For larger prey, same method but onto the edge of a bucket so that either the neck or back comes in contact - blunt force to the spine. And with larger prey it WILL reguire more force.
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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 (05/26/2009):
36.51 BRB
29.42 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

that's not so bad, i just didn't want to have to throw it at the wall or anything. we have some feeding tongs anyways, maybe we'll actually get to use them.
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0.1 08 JCP
0.1 05 BCI
1.0 08 BRB

Lol, the images that came to mind.....

Last but no least, rodents don't make good basketballs, hard to bounce them off the backboard into the net.....
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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 (05/26/2009):
36.51 BRB
29.42 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

"swish"
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0.1 08 JCP
0.1 05 BCI
1.0 08 BRB