What Are These Blisters?

SerpentineDream · 04-26-17, 03:48 AM

This little CB yearling albino Cape house snake arrived today. Not sure if it's male or female as I was met with fierce resistance trying to pop it and didn't want to do harm. Will have to get another set of probes, as they seem to have gone missing.

I noticed these little blisters on his / her nose. Anyone know what they are? Maybe nose rub?

Scubadiver59 · 04-26-17, 06:15 AM

Excessive rubbing inside the shipping container? Just a guess...

SerpentineDream · 04-26-17, 07:14 AM

That's kind of what I was leaning toward but not sure.

**Aaron_S** · 04-26-17, 08:37 AM

I am not sure. Someone with more house snake experience might be able to chime in. I recommend just keeping an eye on it for now and see how they develop.

Albert Clark · 04-26-17, 11:28 AM

When you purchased the animal did the seller say what sex it is? Also, did you try and bring the issue of the blistering up to the seller? Did you see a picture of the animal prior to purchasing it? If it's as young as it looks it may be easier to just use the " popping" method to determine the sex. If you're having difficulty why not ask a friend you trust and who can adequately perform the popping procedure? Just my thoughts.

SerpentineDream · 04-26-17, 05:40 PM

Seller was supposed to sex the snake before shipping but forgot. I saw a pic but the blisters are only visible close up. Seller says he's never seen blisters as a result of nose rub but he supposed it wasn't impossible. He didn't see any blisters when packing it up so if that's it, it happened in the shipping bag. He said to call if the blisters get bigger rather than healing up. I offered to send photos but he said he'd need to examine it close up and feel the blisters to offer any sort of useful suggestion.

Don't know any other reptile peeps who could help with sexing. We are few and far between here. The vets aren't very experienced with snakes either because they see so few. That little critter is surprisingly strong. I've had better luck popping ball pythons 20 times bigger than that house snake. I need to replace the probes anyway and don't want to hurt it so I'll wait for those.

Albert Clark · 04-27-17, 05:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SerpentineDream

Seller was supposed to sex the snake before shipping but forgot. I saw a pic but the blisters are only visible close up. Seller says he's never seen blisters as a result of nose rub but he supposed it wasn't impossible. He didn't see any blisters when packing it up so if that's it, it happened in the shipping bag. He said to call if the blisters get bigger rather than healing up. I offered to send photos but he said he'd need to examine it close up and feel the blisters to offer any sort of useful suggestion.

Don't know any other reptile peeps who could help with sexing. We are few and far between here. The vets aren't very experienced with snakes either because they see so few. That little critter is surprisingly strong. I've had better luck popping ball pythons 20 times bigger than that house snake. I need to replace the probes anyway and don't want to hurt it so I'll wait for those.

. Wow. Ok. Gotcha! The only blisters I am aware of in snakes comes from too moist of an enviornment and they are usually on the body behind the head and neck. Also known as "blister disease". This seems more localized. I would think rubbing the rostral scale and frontal scales on a hard surface would cause more of an abrasion than a blister formation. Sorry you have to deal with this. Hope everything works out and the scale issue resolves.

TRD · 04-27-17, 06:10 AM

Is it important to sex the snake now, for some reason(?). I for one dislike popping, mostly you can determine the sex quite accurately by sight alone, otherwise, scale count on the subcaudal and ventral scales.. I would use popping or probing only as last option, with popping being the very last.

Maybe put a picture of the tail (post anal scale) up, if you can? Maybe its visible what you have..

**Andy_G** · 04-27-17, 11:30 AM

I'd keep an eye on it and watch for swelling or any coloured discharge, otherwise it should clear up during the next shed. I'm unsure what caused it though, to be honest.

In my opinion, a yearling is too old to pop successfully.

jjhill001 · 04-27-17, 11:39 AM

It was probably there before he shipped it. I mean like you said they are really tiny and he might not have even noticed. Like Andy G said whatever it is it will probably clear up when it sheds next.