red tail boa skin problems

Question
QUESTION: I have a 4 foot female Colombian Red Tail Boa, along with an assortment of other snakes. I have owned her for about 8 months and she is housed in a large tank with a smaller male Red Tail. So far she has shed twice, both of which have been complete and easy sheds, coming off in one piece. She had been eating well and in a clean, spacious environment. However, this last month or so she has shed three times with in 5 weeks (which seems a bit odd), she hasn't been eating, and now her skin is rough overall, it is also flaking off in patches on her spine. Her tank-mate seems to have the same problem. When I hold her she seems to itch on me, the male is fairly aggressive so he isn't held much, but I've had both checked for mites to no avail. I think I've gone over all the major effects that would cause skin problems. Any ideas as to what's going on? Should I take her to the vet or?


ANSWER: Hi Megan,

I must say the first thing that came to mind is mites. you may want to check her again. Mites will hide out in the folds of the skin under the mouth, as well as around the eyes.

If you do not find anything you should check to be sure the temperature and humidity is at the correct levels.

Temp: 85-95 degrees
Hum: 60-65%

Another question would be how old is she. If she is over three years old, and the male is around one year old or older, there could be a chance she is gravid.

Either way you may want to also remove all the substrate and decor in the cage and thoroughly clean it with a mild solution of bleach water. Make sure you clean the enclosure as well.

I hope this has helped. If there is anything else I can help you with please feel free to contact me again.

Thanks, and have a great day.
Eric Rovegno
www.ballpythonplanet.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Well, she is 4 foot exactly and about 2-2 1/2 inches in diameter but I'm not familiar with normal growth rates in contrast to years, etc. I received her from a client of my mother's pet store. However, I wasn't working the day the snake arrived so I don't know anything about her except her species and her feeding regimen. I don't think the male is a year though, he is about an inch in diameter and 1 to 1 1/2 feet in length so I don't know whether they are old enough to breed yet. They are housed in a 80 gallon tank with the temperature at 86 towards the bottom of the tank and 90 in the branches (branches and plastic tub of water is the only decor in the tank). I'm looking at her now and there are no visible mites anywhere on her and the male is soaking now, no mites in the water. Do you think it could be a different type of parasite or disease? (I apologize for practically writing a book here) :)

Answer
Hi Megan,

Sound like they are both still young yet. When I bought my girl the women said she was a year old. The only problem was that the woman did not know how to properly feed a snake. She was feeding her once a month and the prey item was only the size of her head. I could not say anything to the woman because she sold her to me for only $50. A bargain here in Pueblo, Colorado. They normally sell for $150+.

Anyway, I am sure you know a little about snakes and know that they can go months without eating and still grow. I bought a male pastel ball python in August and he has yet to eat, but I am not worried because he is not losing a drastic amount of weight.

I would not worry to much about the feeding. As for the shedding, try misting in the tank every day. This will help with the shedding coming off in pieces. They are young and grow fast when fed right. My girl grew to over 6 six feet within the next two years of owning her. When I bought her she was about 1 1/2 feet. Big difference.

You should still consider removing the decor and cleaning the tank out really well.

Hope this helps,
Eric Rovegno
www.ballpythonplanet.com