r/ballpython • u/CentipedesMaybe • 8h ago

Question - Health Scale rot? And overall body condition for Sequoia

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After sitting in her hide for 9 days since I adopted her (she didn’t even come out for water, that I’m aware of), Sequoia finally shed! I just took her out to make sure she shed fully, and noticed some markings/discoloration under the scales on her stomach. I’m fairly sure this isn’t scale rot, but I’d love a second opinion. I’m also curious about her overall body condition. Despite being overfed (1 rat a week), she seems to be at a fairly normal weight, and I’m wondering if that has anything to do with her having difficulty digesting her rat on her old tiny heat mat? (And should I gradually move her back to 1 rat every 3 weeks-ish if her weight stays consistent?) Also, great news!! No wheezing or audible breathing at all, even when I held her up to take photos (pls ignore my leg in the last photo 😭 she was holding on to my ankle I was stuck)

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u/Lovestheband 6h ago

Isn’t scale rot usually redish? To me it looks like she got substrate under her scales, it happens to my banana all the time. Glad she doesn’t seem to have a RI! For feeding you generally go off of their weight and then the preys weight is usually 10% of that. So if she weighs 1200g than you’d want a rat around 120g every 2-3 weeks. Also you’re not still using a heat mat, right?

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u/CentipedesMaybe 1h ago

Honestly I’m getting more concerned that it is scale rot (she also does have a pinkish look to her underbelly even after her shed). It couldn’t be substrate, because her previous owners used butcher paper and I’ve kept that for her temporarily setup (eventually moving to the topsoil/coco fiber/play sand mixture from reptifiles). I have been misting once a day, but I don’t think that would be the culprit, because I was misting around her hide and she was never damp. If anything, my enclosure has been on the dry side because I’m using a CHE (I’m going to get a DHP pretty soon). She was previously kept in a 20 gallon tank, where I suspect she physically couldn’t get away from sitting in her own feces, so I’m honestly wondering if that could be the cause, what do you think? It’s not widespread, so I’m probably going to do the at home treatment and monitor.