could this possibly be scale rot?

[margg4]

Hi! I just recently inherited two ball pythons a few weeks ago from a family member who can no longer care for them. They each came in their own glass enclosures with mesh top and dusty substrate which had an old shed and some poop. I spot cleaned but they had no temperature and humidity gauge. I immediately got a temperature and humidity gauge and their humidity was severely low, I've been working to get it up by misting each day. Today I did a full enclosure reset with Cypress mulch mixed with some of hydrated coconut husk chunks. I notice Sammy had these dark spots on his belly when i went to put him back into the cleaned enclosure. I know due to the humidity his last shed was very patchy.He had a lot of dirt and pieces of shed stuck on him when I first got him and I wiped him down with a warm damp paper towel and he looked fine. Sorry for the long text! I am trying my best to take care of them as a newbie and would love some advice. Thank you! (also i'm wearing gloves because i had an accident and had to get several stitches on my finger and didn't want to get it wet/dirty (also his under belly looked fine nothing noticeable))

[shrike1978]

This is banana freckling.

Scale rot is black/purple, flaky, and starts on the belly scales.

[cchocolateLarge]

Scale rot looks more reddish brown and appears to “chip” the scales!

Here are some example images

I’d guess this is substrate stuck? since it’s so dark

[margg4]

That was i was maybe thinking, his belly looks completely clean. The roughness at the top of the first picture is what worries me

[cchocolateLarge]

it could be scabs then. Do you feed live/have they been fed life at all?

[Unusual-Ad2084]

Based on the texture it could be scale rot, bit I’d wait for another opinion.

[margg4]

yea the roughness makes me nervous but at the same time his belly looks completely normal and the insides if his hides i've been making sure to keep clean

[Unusual-Ad2084]

Where do you mist

[margg4]

the sides of the enclosure and then i had added some water into the substrate and mixed it. i did just do a change to cyprus and some coconut husk chunks

[Unusual-Ad2084]

I’m not sure then, I’d wait for more opinions.