Reptile & Amphibian Forums

my bp was climbing up against the aquarium when i noticed some black spots on his belly, is this normal or is it burns ?
i'll try posting a pic tonight ... if it is burns, how or can i cure him ? o yeah, and i saw him soaking his belly only is water... i just want to know if snakes can heal back from burns???

thanks

Most of my normal bp's have black pattern on their bellies. If the scales look damaged, get it checked by the vet. If not, don't worry. I think that burns are usually pinkish/white, though I've *luckily, knock on wood* never had a problem with that.

and do they move???
This just made me think of mites......tiny specks of bugs. Have you tried wiping them off?

IF indeed this is NOT mites you want to see if it is just okay looking scales with coloration or rougher looking dull scales that might indicate a rot situation. Which also might be from too much soaking.
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Sonya

....black spots; how big and how many? Sounds more like it may have crawled over its own feces maybe?
"Mild" burns will appear as strong pink to reddish areas. More severe burns are obvious, and dead tissue can turn black. But if the snake doesn't have access to temps over about 90F, particularly under-tank heat it isn't burns.
Minor heat stress to belly is self-limiting and no problems will occur. Burns that are enough to call scale damage should be treated with topical antibiotic ointment (Neosporin or Polysporin, both OTC) or povidone/iodine ointment (ie Betadine) applied frequently because it gets rubbed off. More severe cases may require additional antibiotic injections. Keep the cage floor clean and dry. I recommend a paper substrate to avoid contaminating wounds. Scott J. Michaels DVM