Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, If someone can please help me I'd be very grateful because I am worried sick about my cornsnake. About 2 weeks ago, I noticed that each of the scales on my albino corn had a wrinkled apprearance to them. I quickly rushed to my herp books to try and diagnose the problem. After checking almost 10 books I concluded that what I had on my hands was a mild case of scale rot. Since several of my books prescribed rubbing polysporin into my snakes scales, I did just so. For a few days my snake continuously shed off clear pieces of skin, with each scale shedding of a separate piece of it's own. For example, each clear piece that shed off was exactly identical to one scale. This happenned to every single scale including the ventral scales. Since the wrinkled appearance of the scales had dissappeared with each clear shedding off each scale, I figured that the polysporin was working and I wasn't alarmed. I began to get worried however, when I noticed that the belly (ventral scales) of my corn seem very raw, soft, fleshy and unprotected. Also I am double worried because my corn used to be the most voracious eater of all my snakes and has refused to eat his last two feedings. Even after going 3 weeks without eating he shows no interest in food. This is very uncharacteristic of him. I am worried sick about my corn because he is probably the most cherished of my 3 snakes since he is my oldest. If someone can shed some insight into what is going on here I'd be sooooo very appreciative. Thanks

I have seen polysporin/neosporin ointments cause scale lose like you describe. Petroleum products can have that reaction in snakes....same with mineral oil. I use a 'cream' antibiotic on my herps and if it comes to mite oil treatments use olive oil.
That said I would get a vet appointment. I would also switch to a cream and lose the ointment.

What is the temp and humidity? Could he have burned himself? Let us know what the vet says.
-----
Sonya

Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with the software.

The petrolatum based antibiotic you are putting on is not helping, it is hurting.

Snakes develop wrinkled scales sometimes. It is often an indication of an impending shed. What you should have done is BE PATIENT. Make sure the snake is in a clean cage with a non-irritating substrate (newspaper or another type of paper is best) and leave it alone for a week or so. If it doesn't start looking better, see if you can find a qualified herp vet.

As for not eating for 3 weeks, I have over 30 snakes and have had between 20 and 50 snakes for almost 20 years. Sometimes I don't get around to feeding my snakes more than once in a particular month, other times they get fed 4 times. It doesn't hurt them to go a month or more without feeding.
-----
Chris Harrison

Not quite on topic, What kinds do you have Chris?
-----
"I'm tired of being a wannabe bowler! I wanna be a bowler!!"
-- Homer Simpson

After posting my original post in a frantic panic attack I searched the internet to find a credible herp vet in my area that was registered with the ARAV. I was fotunate to get an early morning appointment and this is what happenned. After careful inspection of my corn and weighing her, he concluded that she had a gastro-intestinal ailment possibly from eating a bad mouse. He gave her 27 mg of Metronidazole to calm her stomach and fight any bacterial infection in her digestive system. He also sent a the stool sample I brought with me out to get examined for any possible parasites. He came to his prognosis after carefully observing her and after my corn vomited twice in the vets office. The first vomit was just water apparently, and the second was a greenish color with what seemed to be part of a mouse in it. (sorry if I'm grossing anyone out). She vomited before the oral injection and seemed to look noticable less discomforted after the injection. He also advised that I keep her quarantined, (which I already set up the night before) with clean paper towels as the substrate to prevent secondary infections. He advised me to give her a 15 minute daily bath at 85 degrees, and to attempt feeding her in two days. As far as her permanent housing parameters, she is kept in a 30 gallon long with a heat gradient of approx 73 to 88 and her humidity has always been carefully monitored and kept between 40 and 60. She gets a 12 hour photoperiod from a flourescent bulb hooked up to a radioshack timer and is housed on aspen with an elaborate setup of driftwood with my Egyptian Ratsnake (royal diadem ratsnake). Their tank is always kept very clean and the two of them get along very very well, they aren't territorial and often perch themselves on the same branch together. I am also the proud owner of a female BCI which is obviously kept in a separate enclosure. I know that I may very well have been overly paranoid of my snakes original condition and obviously the polysporin did not help, but I think I was not acting irresponsibly considering, I was following information from reputable literature. It's also easy to say I should have been patient after the fact, when the reality is that early detection is also a good practice. I wasn't too concerned about the feeding issue, I was simply stating an observed change in behavior. This is the first time that any of my beloved snakes has become ill and I admit that I did become frantic. I do not own 50 snakes or breed snakes, but I DO believe that when one assumes the responsibility of caring for an animal, they are obligated to responsibly care and provide for that animal, and I do just that. I would not consider myself a herp fanatic, I only own 3 snakes, but I love them to death, handle all 3 every day, and do my honest best to care for them properly.

By the way, the albino corn's name is Zoe, she is a little over 3 feet long, and looks a lot like a sunglow, being that she is predominantly orange and red with very little white. I have had her since she was a little worm and not only is she beautiful, she is as friendly and docile as you could ever hope a pet snake to be.

not to use any topical ointments on her for the time being.

>>After posting my original post in a frantic panic attack I searched the internet to find a credible herp vet in my area that was registered with the ARAV. I was fotunate to get an early morning appointment and this is what happenned. After careful inspection of my corn and weighing her, he concluded that she had a gastro-intestinal ailment possibly from eating a bad mouse. He gave her 27 mg of Metronidazole to calm her stomach and fight any bacterial infection in her digestive system. He also sent a the stool sample I brought with me out to get examined for any possible parasites. He came to his prognosis after carefully observing her and after my corn vomited twice in the vets office. The first vomit was just water apparently, and the second was a greenish color with what seemed to be part of a mouse in it. (sorry if I'm grossing anyone out). She vomited before the oral injection and seemed to look noticable less discomforted after the injection. He also advised that I keep her quarantined, (which I already set up the night before) with clean paper towels as the substrate to prevent secondary infections. He advised me to give her a 15 minute daily bath at 85 degrees, and to attempt feeding her in two days. As far as her permanent housing parameters, she is kept in a 30 gallon long with a heat gradient of approx 73 to 88 and her humidity has always been carefully monitored and kept between 40 and 60. She gets a 12 hour photoperiod from a flourescent bulb hooked up to a radioshack timer and is housed on aspen with an elaborate setup of driftwood with my Egyptian Ratsnake (royal diadem ratsnake). Their tank is always kept very clean and the two of them get along very very well, they aren't territorial and often perch themselves on the same branch together. I am also the proud owner of a female BCI which is obviously kept in a separate enclosure. I know that I may very well have been overly paranoid of my snakes original condition and obviously the polysporin did not help, but I think I was not acting irresponsibly considering, I was following information from reputable literature. It's also easy to say I should have been patient after the fact, when the reality is that early detection is also a good practice. I wasn't too concerned about the feeding issue, I was simply stating an observed change in behavior. This is the first time that any of my beloved snakes has become ill and I admit that I did become frantic. I do not own 50 snakes or breed snakes, but I DO believe that when one assumes the responsibility of caring for an animal, they are obligated to responsibly care and provide for that animal, and I do just that. I would not consider myself a herp fanatic, I only own 3 snakes, but I love them to death, handle all 3 every day, and do my honest best to care for them properly.
>>
>>By the way, the albino corn's name is Zoe, she is a little over 3 feet long, and looks a lot like a sunglow, being that she is predominantly orange and red with very little white. I have had her since she was a little worm and not only is she beautiful, she is as friendly and docile as you could ever hope a pet snake to be.
-----
Sonya

Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with the software.

because if you have them housed together, then they are sharing EVERYTHING. Just my opinion. Take it or leave it.
-----
sue

I have a few cb things and a few things that I have collected over the years.

1.1 Eastern Kings (cb)
1.1 Black Milks (cb)
0.1 Mexican Milksnake (WC by me)
0.1 New Mexico Milksnake (WC by me)
1.1 Western Hognosed Snakes (WC but given to me as juvs)
2.0 Mexican Hogs (WC by me)
0.0.2 Desert Sandboas (cbb by me)
1.1.1 Rubber Boas (my cb pair and a leftover baby)
1.1 NM locality Trans-pecos Ratsnakes (one WC as baby, other cb)
1.1 Gray-banded Kingsnakes (both WC by me)
1.1 Ball Pythons (both cbb of course)
0.0.5 cb Slowinski's Cornsnakes (cb by me - leftovers)
0.1 Prairie King (picked her up for a photo and never let her go?)
2.1 Ringed Pythons

Other species I have kept at least temporarily (more than a few weeks) (I have bred the species in bold). This list is quick and off the top of my head....
Kenyan Sandboas
Rough-scaled Sandboas
Indian Sandboas
Desert Sandboas
Black Sandboas
Tartar Sandboas
Spotted Sandboas
Calabaria
Rosyboas
Spotted Pythons
Ball Pythons
Blood/Short-tailed Pythons (red and Borneo)
Ratsnakes (guttata, emoryi, everglades, yellow, TX)
Asian Beautysnake
Kingsnakes (Eastern, FL, Black, Speckled, MX Black, Cal, Yuma, Desert, Prairie)
Milksnakes (Sinaloan, Louisiana, Black, Mexican, New Mexican, Scarlet Kingsnake)
African Housesnakes
African Molesnake (Pseudaspis)
Coachwhips
Racers
Tentacled Snakes
File Snakes (Achrocordus granulatus)
Western Ribbon Snakes
Checkered Gartersnake
Black-necked Gartersnake
Eastern Gartersnake
Wandering Gartersnake
Eastern Hognosed Snakes
Southern Hognosed Snakes
Rough Green Snakes
Nightsnake
Western Wormsnake
Rough Earthsnake
Glossy Snake
Long-nosed Snake
Pinesnakes (Southern Pine, Black Pine)
Bullsnake
Gopher Snakes (Sonoran, San Diego)
Speckled Rattlesnake
Black-tailed Rattlesnakes
Rock Rattlesnakes
Trans-pecos Copperheads

and this list probably overlooks another dozen species.
-----
Chris Harrison

>>I have a few cb things and a few things that I have collected over the years.
>>
>>1.1 Eastern Kings (cb)
>>1.1 Black Milks (cb)
>>0.1 Mexican Milksnake (WC by me)
>>0.1 New Mexico Milksnake (WC by me)
>>1.1 Western Hognosed Snakes (WC but given to me as juvs)
>>2.0 Mexican Hogs (WC by me)
>>0.0.2 Desert Sandboas (cbb by me)
>>1.1.1 Rubber Boas (my cb pair and a leftover baby)
>>1.1 NM locality Trans-pecos Ratsnakes (one WC as baby, other cb)
>>1.1 Gray-banded Kingsnakes (both WC by me)
>>1.1 Ball Pythons (both cbb of course)
>>0.0.5 cb Slowinski's Cornsnakes (cb by me - leftovers)
>>0.1 Prairie King (picked her up for a photo and never let her go?)
>>2.1 Ringed Pythons
>>
>>Other species I have kept at least temporarily (more than a few weeks) (I have bred the species in bold). This list is quick and off the top of my head....
>>Kenyan Sandboas
>>Rough-scaled Sandboas
>>Indian Sandboas
>>Desert Sandboas
>>Black Sandboas
>>Tartar Sandboas
>>Spotted Sandboas
>>Calabaria
>>Rosyboas
>>Spotted Pythons
>>Ball Pythons
>>Blood/Short-tailed Pythons (red and Borneo)
>>Ratsnakes (guttata, emoryi, everglades, yellow, TX)
>>Asian Beautysnake
>>Kingsnakes (Eastern, FL, Black, Speckled, MX Black, Cal, Yuma, Desert, Prairie)
>>Milksnakes (Sinaloan, Louisiana, Black, Mexican, New Mexican, Scarlet Kingsnake)
>>African Housesnakes
>>African Molesnake (Pseudaspis)
>>Coachwhips
>>Racers
>>Tentacled Snakes
>>File Snakes (Achrocordus granulatus)
>>Western Ribbon Snakes
>>Checkered Gartersnake
>>Black-necked Gartersnake
>>Eastern Gartersnake
>>Wandering Gartersnake
>>Eastern Hognosed Snakes
>>Southern Hognosed Snakes
>>Rough Green Snakes
>>Nightsnake
>>Western Wormsnake
>>Rough Earthsnake
>>Glossy Snake
>>Long-nosed Snake
>>Pinesnakes (Southern Pine, Black Pine)
>>Bullsnake
>>Gopher Snakes (Sonoran, San Diego)
>>Speckled Rattlesnake
>>Black-tailed Rattlesnakes
>>Rock Rattlesnakes
>>Trans-pecos Copperheads
>>
>>and this list probably overlooks another dozen species.
>>-----
>>Chris Harrison
-----
Chris Harrison

I would love to see a pic of your prairie, if you have one. BTW, what locale is it, and how old? Thanks-Brett

Central AR, male

same locale