Reptile & Amphibian Forums

2 Questions.

My adult black pine( 87" )has been sheeding once every 2 1/2 weeks since I got him a few months ago. This is much quicker than my other colubrids shed. Does this sound normal? I've got him eating 1 or 2 medium rats every 10-14 days or so.

2nd question is, has anyone had a snake with a scent gland impaction or infection before? My pine was at the vet yesterday because I noticed a small "bulge" a few scales below his vent (toward his tail). The vet was unable to manually milk the fluid out, and used a needle to syphon it out. He seems fine (of course today he's going opaque). Anyone else run into this before?
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1.0 Malagasy Giant Hognose
1.1 Jungle Carpet Python
1.0 Black Milksnake
1.0 Black Pine
0.0.1 Black Ratsnake
1.0 White Lipped Python (Black phase)
0.1 Dumeril Boa
1.0 Columbian Red Tail Boa
0.1 Guyana Red Tail Boa
0.0.1 Blue Tongue Skink
0.0.1 Black Throat Monitor

That does seem like a LOT of shedding? Is it growing as well, or just shedding over n over? Does it's skin appear to look normal or is there something else we should know about? A snake fed often which is still growing before attaining adult size may shed once a month but it seems odd for an adult. I have never heard of the problem you took your snake to the vet too before, but it is great to hear you took it seriously and had it treated. I would like to hear what the vet had to say about that. You are calling the snake "him". is it a male? I am wondering if it was not a scent gland, but the effects of a prolapsed hemi pene which was assisted back inside...and became infected? Is the snake on anti biotics now? Let us know how things are going. Tom Stevens

It is a "him" and the hemipenes was never showing. Because the bulge was down a little further, the vet concluded it was the scent glands. The vet recommended we wait on the antibiotics and see if the draining took care of it. The great thing about my vet is he's a friend and fellow snake owner.
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1.0 Malagasy Giant Hognose
1.1 Jungle Carpet Python
1.0 Black Milksnake
1.0 Black Pine
0.0.1 Black Ratsnake
1.0 White Lipped Python (Black phase)
0.1 Dumeril Boa
1.0 Columbian Red Tail Boa
0.1 Guyana Red Tail Boa
0.0.1 Blue Tongue Skink
0.0.1 Black Throat Monitor

His first shed was 3 weeks after I got him. His next 2 have been 2 1/2 weeks between opaques. He was a breeder for a long time and looked a little "thin" when I got him. He's put on over 100 grams since I got him (around 2300 grams now).
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1.0 Malagasy Giant Hognose
1.1 Jungle Carpet Python
1.0 Black Milksnake
1.0 Black Pine
0.0.1 Black Ratsnake
1.0 White Lipped Python (Black phase)
0.1 Dumeril Boa
1.0 Columbian Red Tail Boa
0.1 Guyana Red Tail Boa
0.0.1 Blue Tongue Skink
0.0.1 Black Throat Monitor

Well I am glad to hear your vet is a fellow snake lover. I have one as well and the enthusiasm factor to really help the snakes as opposed to only warm blooded pets really makes a difference. Hopefully he is giving you a break on the price too. Now I do find that interesting about the shedding and how the snake gained weight. Maybe he will get in the routine of shedding with a lot more time in between now that he has filled out since being in your possession. I guess we will have to wait that out and see. Sounds like the snake is lucky to have you, I hope he makes a full recovery. That my friend, is just about the best feeling a snake owner can have. Knowing you went through the motions and did the right thing and saved the snake, well done. Good luck and keep us posted Tom Stevens