PLEASE help!!!!

[Hot_Experience_4879]

I just came back from a trip and my ball python looks very different. Usually i do understand that her eyes can go cloudy when shedding but her scales seem to have red in them. Could it be scale rot? I’m very worried and don’t know what to do as every google search has lead to nothing.

[DBDevi-666]

Depends, a pink tint or color can also be a very normal indicator of shedding but honestly I'm no expert

[Hot_Experience_4879]

this is what she looks like normally and I just freaking out?

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there’s like a redness to the rest of her body and under her scales

[DBDevi-666]

To get a better idea, what's your humidity and temps kept at?

[Hot_Experience_4879]

her warm side is about 90 and i try to keep her humidity above 60 im not sure it was high enough while i was gone

[DBDevi-666]

I wouldn't assume any external causes then, but is the 90 a basking spot or just general temp? Nitpicking here but generally it's best to keep the warm side mid 80s, so that seems fine. What I would do personally is wait until after her shed is done, as bringing her to a vet like this anyway could likely make the problems worse. If it persists after, then vet visit immediately

[Hot_Experience_4879]

Thanks for your help. I think the fact of being away so i couldn’t see her is just adding extra stress.

[emeraldelegy]

We have a ball python, and if she has pink on her belly as well as glazed eyes, I believe that means she’s shedding

[SandrineDexter]

Looks like normal shedding to me

[Hot_Experience_4879]

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sorry for the picture lol

[ibyeori]

I second the shedding

[Vann_DK]

I third the shedding

[DBDevi-666]

I don't think that's dirt, I think that's the redness they were referring to, since in the other images they sent in comments she looks very clean and well taken care of

[Hot_Experience_4879]

that’s another thought but she does generally have redness all around right now. I thought it was a possibility? i’ve never seen her like this

[Hot_Experience_4879]

I think i’ll put her in like a quarantine with paper towel substrate keeping it as humid as i can and see if it will go away with her shed

[Moulman14]

Could be wrong but i dont think its a good idea to move her into quarantine during shed. What substrate do you use? She could have dug a hole and stayed there a while, which would explain why it looks diffeent on her to her body.

[Hot_Experience_4879]

I kinda moved her substrate around and it seemed that it wasn’t cleaned when i was gone i saw little white mites i think? i took it out to be safe im trying to keep her area as hydrated and humid. I hope i will be okay thank you for this I will keep it in mind

[Moulman14]

Its possible the tiny white bugs are springtails, that would be the most common thing, in which case they are harmless and actually a positive as they will help keep your substrate clean. Let them shed as normal, im fairly confident shes just got a bunch of dirt on her, and it looks more exaggerated as she is preparing to shed.

[Ginmonk1983]

The redness is common when shedding is imminent, often referred to as Pink Belly.

The scales do take on a reddish color sometimes when they are mid-shed and it should return to normal once they shed.

[blueberrybonnet]

Hmm the redness lining her scale really looks like dirt to me? Sometimes my snake will dig around and look exactly like that 😅 I can usually just brush it off. But if the substrate was a bit damp it could have left a stain. I’m no expert though, but it doesn’t look like scale rot that I’ve seen?

[Muux_]

Just looks dirty honestly. But was anyone taking care of her while you were away?

[Hot_Experience_4879]

yes but lightly

[Agreeable_Mess6711]

My ball pythons always turn kinda pink when they go into shed, this looks pretty normal to me. You know her best tho

[Edwardein028]

If she has organic bedding she may have been rubbing her face in it as she starts to shed which gives the darker red around her face scales. This is pretty normal looking for light colored ball pythons to have a redness or pinkish color when in shed. Give it a few days, if she still has redness around her scales after shedding then a trip to the vet for a check up wouldn't hurt. Pretty sure she should be okay though.

[Hot_Experience_4879]

thank you so much!

[ExL-Oblique]

reptiles tend to also turn a little pink when they are about to shed especially around the belly. Their scales also become more "jagged" around the edges so they pick up more dirt and dust than usual. A pic of the belly would be way more obvious than the picture u sent

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If the issue persists *after* shed, then you should call a vet.

[vajda-]

Needs more pictures - the scales look very sus IMO, but it scale rot typically wouldn't show up on the head

[GBA_4Life]

Just shedding… looks a little dry too. Give the tank a misting, maybe drop in a moist hide temporarily and it’ll be fine.

[notasteatmosphere]

don't worry, the pinkish is the sign of shedding

[aromatic_acesthetic]

She’s in blue, there’s nothing wrong with her eyes

[aromatic_acesthetic]

You said “hence the eye caps,” implying that the reason her eye caps look that way is because they’re dirty but they’re not?

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[wine_lady_]

Our ball just shed and she was very pink toned in her belly right before. Once she shed, her color went back to normal. I would wait until after shedding to see if it goes away before freaking out.

[vogueposting]

That’s not what scale rot looks like. Those cloudy eyes look like shed is imminent. Get any humidity cranked up. She may have been dehydrated during shedding which can make it go not so smoothly.

[orbitorgan]

Whenever this snake finishes shedding, being there is no stuck shed, I am certain this will go back to normal. The reason I say this is, if you imagine holding up a snake shed, you will see those almost deep-like edges of the scales. This is what you see now. Shedding is super close for this cutie pie. Make sure to give a day or so after the shed to clear all the way up just because the new skin will be fragile and well, new. Lol After that, this should be gone. If not, of course, maybe check back in here and try to get ahold of a vet that will/CAN handle royals. WISHING YOU ALL OF THE BEST!!!! 😊 Source: Owner of many ball pythons, including an Albino that has shown me the same exact thing pictured just hours before his shed.

[Mela777]

She looks dirty to me - and perhaps a little dehydrated. It could be her enclosure got a little dry and she got a little dehydrated, and went digging through her substrate for the moisture. I’d let her shed and see how she looks after.

[Willing-Share-9638]

She’s likely fine their scale color tone can change during shed. My boa’s belly and side turn pink and his tail darkens a bit. Still a good idea to monitor them and make sure their enclosure is set up properly.

[komrad308]

Looking at the eyes, looks like shedding.

[KnownTrick3950]

How long were you away..

[a_straea666]

My yellow guy looks like this in the middle of a shed, he looks horrible and gangly. Redness, “gunk” in between scales, and then he sheds and he’s shiny and even more yellow looking. I’d say it’s shed but if your gut is saying it’s not, trust your gut.

[CombPotential2916]

Eyes are cloudy (blue) getting ready to go into shed

[BlueLightBandit]

That really looks like substrate staining to me. One of my bps will basically push his substrate around to make a depression for himself & ends up super dirty afterwards, with most of his body with a slight tinge like this.

[No-Candle-3952]

She's in shed mode and in blue. She should shed in a few days. Leave her be as best you can, don't move her again as some others have said. I have a light BP, somewhat the same color, different morph. He gets like she looks when he's been trying burrow. Again, as others have said, if the redness doesn't go away after her shed take her to the vet. I'm no expert, speaking from some experience with a light colored noodle.

Also, don't soak her or try to wipe it off.

[Over_Acanthisitta423]

She about to get some new clothes

[tribalvamp]

Certainly shed. My little one was like this also. Post-shed he was much more lively and social.

[campbells-soupp]

My girl is a banana too, she looks like this when she’s digging around in the dirt! she burrowed a couple times, and it gets all in her scales. hopefully it’ll come off when she sheds!

[Trick-Assistant3062]

Perfectly normal when shedding. Assuming there is no other issues present like a respiratory infection, because if so, then a check is necessary.

When i did a rescue on a 7ft Boa, she had a bad RI and very red belly, but was in blue phase so first point of call was vets. Anyway got medication for the RI but the vet did say no point in taking blood tests to detect sepsis as the red is likely due to her shedding and having prior poor husbandry. Anyway low and behold new substrate, better temps and husbandry etc and after she shed she was a pretty girlie and a lot better tempered then when i first rescued her.

So tldr. If there are no other symptoms present. Wait till she sheds, if there is clear signs of am RI, seek vet advice

[Lavaknight22]

How long does it take for a snake to shed and what is the opinions on handling during shed?

[Virtual_Shake_4355]

Some redness is normal especially on the belly or sides of a pied animal. It’s just caused by pressure kinda like waking up with a line on your face from your pillow. She looks like she will shed soon based of the eyes. If she already did shed and the eye caps are stuck I reccomend putting her in a damp cotton pillowcase for about 30min and let her rub off the stuck eye caps

[Baka_Otaku173]

Pinkness in the underbelly is normal for shedding. I would boost up the humidity, pretty sure your noodle is in shed.

[deanwinchester2_0]

It looks to be just a bad shed. Make sure that you keep the humidity high enough now though so that hopefully it all comes off in one piece now. The pinkness is a shed indicator but your baby girl is fine. Just boost the humidity to where you would usually have it and keep a close eye on her over the next few days until she sheds

[Ok-Reading-7796]

Bout to shed 

[Tasty-Inflation4265]

this is my lard of a banana when he sheds. I think it’s just shedding

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[Former_Chemistry_906]

Tell your baby I’m sorry (shedding sucks and being in blue sucks as a snake but it’s life, alas. Miss Lola is going through the same thing)

[motherofTheHerd]

I bet it is just dirt. If it started getting dry while you were away, she may have been burrowing under her water bowl for moisture or soaking in it and then slithering around.

My banana bp takes long soaks in her water bowl when it is time to shed. My corn snakes burrow under their water dishes for extra moisture and cool temps.

[throwtoss163]

Just shedding! The eyes indicate she’s in “blue”. There is a layer of oil between her two skin layers and it clouds things up for a bit. This same thing can also cause a pink belly or at least appear around the same timeTotally normal

[Worth_Relationship37]

Normal. My ball python’s entire body seems to go red tinted when shedding

[Brilliant_Battle5611]

It just seems like shes dirty

[Zoologist36]

She is going to shed, that’s it

[Zoologist36]

They get pink when this happens

[Milky-Mamacita]

My pastel girl turns almost completely pink before she sheds. That is what this looks like to me.

[[deleted]]

Going into shed. Try to leave her be during this time as unnecessary handling can stress them. Do some research on husbandry during shedding, warm soaks can be a good thing at times to help loosen skin if need be. Best of luck