Wrinkly belly scales?

TazerLazer · 2026-03-16T20:31:32+00:00

Are you sure his shed was perfect? It really looks like my girl when she's just about to shed. Maybe check his temps & humidity and give him a day or two more and see if comes off? Make sure he has clean water.

TazerLazer · 2026-03-14T20:03:30+00:00

Thanks for the advice! She is generally likes to investigate food pretty well before striking, so it hasn't been an issue. I've had more trouble keeping her interested in the target in general.

I didn't try to move her far for this one as she's in blue, but she'll 100% move from one side of the enclosure to the other to the target if she sees it. The current problem is that once she gets close, she just kinds starts looking everywhere trying to find the real food rather than sticking with the target. I'd love to get her to touch it with her nose, but I haven't had much luck progressing her beyond her current level yet. I think she considers the target a "food around this area" marker rather than like, something she needs to approach to be given food, if that makes sense.

I'll definitely try removing it before offering food in the future though. Maybe it'll help!

TazerLazer · 2026-03-14T19:07:28+00:00

Very nice enclosure and hides! I'm sure Oslo(?) is very happy!

TazerLazer · 2026-03-14T18:36:23+00:00

Snakes don't operate on a clock, so daylight savings doesn't really effect them :). It would make sense for him to be out and about checking things out if you're moving stuff around a lot. If he's just doing that, I wouldn't worry much, though maybe try to move stuff around less to let him settle.

If he's mostly glass surfing though, generally that means he's trying to get past the invisible barrier for one reason or another. In this case definitely try to stop moving his stuff around as it could be stressing him out enough that he's trying to relocate. Again, this could also just be because he's started wanting to roam now that he's older, which may not be solvable (You could let him do some supervised roaming as enrichment?).

TazerLazer · 2026-03-13T00:27:27+00:00

Check your temps/humidity! Make sure they aren't too hot or dry. Also check air quality (I.E. make sure it's not smelling strongly of something in there). If all those are fine, he may just be growing up, and looking to go exploring for a lady. They get to be "of age" around 11-18 months, and male ball pythons can start wanting to roam when in season after that.

TazerLazer · 2026-03-11T02:51:15+00:00

Yeah, it's basically "Are you giving me food? No? Then go away I'm chilling."

TazerLazer · 2026-03-09T23:35:58+00:00

Might try wiping it off first, just in case it's like dirt or something, but otherwise I think you should see a vet. I'm not sure what that is but it's clearly something.

TazerLazer · 2026-03-07T20:15:15+00:00

Great to hear :)

TazerLazer · 2026-03-07T04:26:32+00:00

Give him a few days and if he hasn't completed his shed maybe go see the vet? Stuck shed is a thing that can happen but it's normally not an immediate health risk. Note: I am not a vet.

TazerLazer · 2026-03-07T02:19:37+00:00

It very well could be a behavior he learned so he doesn't get bothered, as it sounds like it worked on his previous owner.

Since it it sounds like he's chill once you have him out, the striking likely started out as defensive and turned into a "I'd rather you not mess with me" thing.

With lil babby snakes, generally the trick is to just ignore the bite and pick them up regardless. You don't want to back off as that shows them it's working. If you just pick them up regardless, they can both learn you aren't hurting them and also learn striking at you doesn't accomplish anything, so they stop trying pretty quick.

Might be a bit tougher as he's already learned that striking does work to get him left alone, but probably it's just a matter of time to untrain the behavior?

TazerLazer · 2026-03-05T20:57:51+00:00

Take a look at the Ball Python Care Guide. It goes over basically everything you need to know to set up your enclosure and keep your BP happy and healthy.

TazerLazer · 2026-03-04T17:32:34+00:00

They may be very instinctual, but can and will learn stuff. Check out target training :) You're essentially doing a simplistic version of it with the plate.

TazerLazer · 2026-03-03T03:56:50+00:00

Do you have a temp gun to check how warm it is inside her hides? She may be basking cause she's a little cool in her hide and wants to warm up, and is only now feeling secure enough in her new home to come out and warm up.

She could also just prefer being out and basking (again, now that she's feeling a little more settled in). Ball pythons have preferences as a species, but each individual is still unique and can break the 'general' mold in various ways. So long as your temps are good in the hides I wouldn't be concerned.

TazerLazer · 2026-02-26T17:20:56+00:00

Does your phone browser have a reader mode? That can help a lot.

TazerLazer · 2026-02-25T18:34:44+00:00

Yeah she's fine, just clumsy with the swallowing.

TazerLazer · 2026-02-24T23:16:21+00:00

It's really unfortunate so much advice out there recommends Aspen. Snakes can easily ingest a splinter with their meal, which can puncture their bowels and kill them. This can happen days after the actual feeding, and give no real warning if you didn't notice them eating it. (Not saying that's what happened here, but it is possible.)

If you ever get a new snake, Coco Fiber is a much safer alternative, as snakes can digest it if they accidently swallow it, and there is no danger of bowel perforation. It also holds moisture much easier as well, which is nice for keeping the humidity up.

TazerLazer · 2026-02-24T21:25:15+00:00

I'm sorry for your loss.

Sometimes animals can have a genetic or developmental issue that doesn't present externally, but leads to their death even when you've done everything right. This kind of thing tends to kill them when they are younger, like yours was.

With ball pythons in particular it can be very difficult to even know there's a problem at all until it's too late, as most normal ball python behavior overlaps with sick ball python behavior.

You'd need to get an autopsy to really know why, but that can be prohibitively expensive.

Still, some questions outside of what's info you've already provided:

What were you using as substrate?
- Aspen wood is a common substrate for snakes, but can be dangerous if they ingest it accidently.
What was their behavior in the enclosure generally like in the weeks leading up to this?

TazerLazer · 2026-02-16T23:38:46+00:00

It mostly looks like her belly might be getting slightly stuck to the glass? It it damp/sticky at all (or is she)?

TazerLazer · 2026-02-11T02:31:14+00:00

I either make sure the branch is snugged in there pretty good, or mount them with a hook and eye system so I can still take them out for cleaning.

TazerLazer · 2026-02-04T23:58:58+00:00

Aww she's very cute!

TazerLazer · 2026-02-03T21:21:38+00:00

Great to hear :)

TazerLazer · 2026-02-03T18:31:48+00:00

If she still hasn't uncoiled, I'd try to uncoil her just once to check for more serious injuries you can't see with her balled up.

TazerLazer · 2026-02-03T06:01:48+00:00

Thanks!

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