My mom is getting this ball python soon and was hoping to know what morph or morphs he is. Also if anyone could give us a rough age estimate if possible that would be great. He was dumped at a pet store overnight and they have had him awhile. They said no one wants him because he’s different looking than the normal they had. They said he was male but I don’t know if they have actually sexed him. I know the pictures aren’t the greatest. I can get more in natural light once he’s here and had time to settle in.
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I can’t help with the morph but I do not like the looks of the brown spots on him. They look suspicious to me…… @armiyana Christiina?
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I was worried about the spots too. Do you think they are mites? My mom didn’t know about mites at the time. I’m having her ask the pet store what they think (I just want to see what they say, not going to trust petland for advice.) and if he was properly quarantined. I told my mom if people are suspicious of mites I’m not going to be around him and she can’t be around my room to protect my boa. We’re already keeping everything separate for his quarantine period. Is there anything else I need to do to protect my snake?
Those look more like scabs to me, the whole back of the ball python’s scales look a bit roughed up tbh, like scarring from healed scabs.
Big Box Pet Stores as far as I’m aware do not quarantine animals unfortunately, the snake will absolutely need to be quarantined for over a month if its brough home. Theres no telling what it might have coming from a pet store that doesn’t provide information on where they get their animals from.
Edit: I looked back at the post, but what I said basically still stands. If he was dumped then lord only knows what that snake has been through.
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Thankies for the tag @caron !
So… Offhand this looks like a candy albino/candino to me. You can always consider having them shed tested if you really wanted to know gene and sex for this one. But it can be difficult to accurately ID a funky color morph for anything else without knowing the history.
The spots on the neck look like some dirt or smudge from cage debris. The ones on the back don’t look terrible, but definitely is something to be aware of.
Without knowing how the condition of the snake was when it was abandoned, this could just be healing from things the snake had arrived at the store with. They don’t look too angry, just a little raised like a healing scab. Maybe they can give you an idea of what they did if you ask about it. They may have been required to do a vet check on it. (Big box pet shop where I am does but not all do)
Regardless I would still quarantine this little one well just in case. There are some diseases that can take a bit to show symptoms. And I would be cautious about mites, so make sure the qt cage is easy to clean and I would do paper towels for a couple of weeks to monitor for mites and potty habits.
There’s a chance this can be an early sign of something like a bacterial infection. So during qt I would keep a good eye on how these spots are progressing. If they’re getting worse in any way I would talk to a vet. If you don’t have one already it’s a good idea to find one now so you aren’t blindsided later. You can also ask the store if they can recommend one or if he has seen one that may be familiar with him already.
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My mom talked to the store when she picked him up. They did not quarantine him and he has not seen a vet. We’re going to get him an appointment with a vet. We will watch the spots on his back. It sounds like my mom will probably do shed testing. Someone at the store said he looked like his super banana cinnamon when it was young so we may test for cinnamon as well. He will be quarantined for awhile. Thank you for all your help.
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It could still be banana. I was hesitant because they usually have at least a couple spots at that size already. Looking at the first photo again there might be a couple of banana spots I missed further down the body, but the scabs are definitely more of an eyecatcher and concern. That and snakes that aren’t in the best condition often do color up more once they’re settled in and healthy again.
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I’m like @armiyana. I believe he will brighten up a bit when he’s fed and housed properly. In other words he just needs a little tlc! It’s smart that your mom is getting a vet appointment for this guy too. This should help protect your boa.
Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after handling him and especially before handling your boa. At least until he has been seen by the vet and during the quarantine period. Predators can hitch a ride on your clothing too. Just be very cautious.
Also he looks a little underweight but that might be my old eyes playing tricks on me.
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I too was thinking super banana, but the lack of any spots at that age made me think not. There is really only one reason to definitely get shed-testing and that’s for breeding reasons. Beyond that, I understand some non-breeders just want to know what they have. If you have the disposable income and the curiosity, sure get the shed testing done. Otherwise, just enjoy the beauty of what you have.
Definitely quarantine for 4-6 weeks, in a separate room if possible, keep an eye out for mites. Be as aggressive/methodical/careful as you can with the quarantine. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure is definitely true here.
If it’s just those “scabs/scars” on the back that are the concern, I personally would hold off on the vet visit. I would closely monitor those scabs to see if they get worse. They may totally clear up after 1-2 sheds. If they get worse, or other symptoms appear then I would take it to the vet. But yeah, you need to at least have the name of an exotic vet on-hand so you can easily play that card if need be. You guys might already have a vet in your back pocket since you already have a boa and you’re not a total noob.
Now that you have the BP in hand, how do those scabs look?
Keep us updated as things progress. We want to hear the story all the way to the end.
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I haven’t handled him yet as I’m waiting till he’s out of quarantine, but I’ve seen him while my mom was looking him over after getting home. Part of the biggest scab came off and it looked like it was healing well. So far we’ve not seen any evidence of mites. He’s in an enclosure upstairs while my boa is downstairs in my room. We had to switch him to my spare 2ft enclosure because he seemed overwhelmed in the bigger one we bought as a longer term enclosure. He seemed to enjoy being able to stretch out across the floor instead of having to stretch vertically. I did notice he’s got what looks like either missing or damaged scales on one side. I haven’t seen him up close enough to tell which. We talked to the vet and they said to continue to watch him for now. If the scabs get worse or we see mites or anything else concerning they want us to bring him in. For now they said just letting him settle in and recover from the stress of the store is best. He was in way to small of an enclosure with no hides or way to feel hidden. We did find out after we got him that he was fed live at the store so I’m hoping he switches to frozen thawed without to much trouble. The first employee said he ate frozen thawed then when my mom bought him a different employee came up and asked if she wanted to buy a live mouse to feed when she got home. Apparently they were supposed to feed frozen thawed but the employee that did the feeding fed live because she found it more convenient. Overall he’s doing good. He likes to lay in his warm hide with his head poking out watching everyone.
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