this is a little long (I'm sorry), and I realise this may turn off some readers, but I want to be thorough:
Quick background- I adopted a BP from an animal shelter that was improperly heated (hot rock) and it was badly burnt on it's underside. Since then, the wound has healed remarkably and he is now eating with vigour.
Setup- 55 long gal aquarium. Pro-heat radiant panel on roof. 2 hide boxes, small water bowl, newsprint. Temps 80/90 bask-95 Average humidity 40 percent. He's approximately 44", was 27oz at shelter, but has eaten 8 mice since (none have passed through).
A week or so ago, his skin started milking up which meant this would be the first shedding under my watch. I wanted to make sure it went smoothly (a shedding ocurred at the shelter, and it wasn't a good one). I made a humidity box out of a small sweater box, I hadn't any sphagnum, so I used paper towel. In a day or so, he went in there (and to my knowledge) stayed there until he shed... 4-5 days, I think. Each day I would open the top of the humidy box to see how things were progessing and sprayed him and the paper towel. Things seemed fine....
Lat last night I saw him pop his head out of the humidity box and noticed how bright his colors were... the little sneak did his full shed right in the box! I took out the shedding and unrolled it to inspect it. It was a very good one, except for one detail. I noticed the slightest dot of red on the hole where the vent would be! Blood!?! On the paper towel in the humidity box I saw a few tiny red dots as well. I inspected him under a good light and noticed that there seemed to be a little bit of diluted bood between some of the scales around the vent, but not on the vent itelf. I cleaned him up, and put him back in a completely cleaned tank. I inspected him in the morning, his scales looked clean, and there were no red marks on the fresh newsprint.
My first guess was constipation of some form. He's been eating for 5 weeks (between 1-3 mice per week) for a total of 8 mice, and he hasn't passed anything yet. I know he didn't eat for at least 8 weeks before I got him. He has been able to urinate, so I think that rules out his previous burns affecting his ability to pass waste.
After some research, I wonder if it could be early warnings of scale rot. P.73 of De Vosjoli's 'Ball Python Manual' mentions the earliest signs being bleeding between belly scales. Sounds spot on to me, I think I may have gone overboard in making the humidity box too humid.
If this is the case, should letting him dry out a bit take care of things, or does it need more attention than that? Any advice would be most appreciated.
thank you,
Paul
