ball python wounded

[youngster]

Originally Posted by ZARADOZIA

No, wounds don't make them shed more.

Are you sure? I've heard from multiple reputable people that they do.

[totheend]

Yes, Rob is correct. Same as when they have mites.

[mykee]

Thats hy-larious! Your vet gave the snake a shot of Baytril for a flesh wound. Goes to show, a fool and his money are soon parted.
Some vets are as useless as nipples on a bull.
Polysporin would have sufficed.
To avoid this from happening again:
1. Pay attention when feeding!
2. Don't feed live.
3. If you must feed live, feed rats, they're less skittish thus less prone to biting.
4. Buy a book on the captive husbanDry of ball pythons and read it a dozen times; that's two amateur moves in less than a week. Your ball python is clearly the only one suffering from your inexperience.

[SSSSnakes]

Originally Posted by ZARADOZIA

No, wounds don't make them shed more. They shed when they grow.

Don't worry that the skin is folded in a little bit, that is normal for a wound. They important thing is to keep him clean, fed, and watered until his next shed. I strongly recommend buying Betadine from the pharmacy. It is hospital grade antibacterial.

How often do you feed him now and how much? You (might) be able to increase his food intake to help assist his growth since he is still a juvenile.

Wounds and parasites can make a snake shed more often. A snake can cause itself to go into a shed to fix problems.

[spots]

I was paying attention during feeding, it was when spots coiled that the mouse poked him with his paw. I wish I could feed rats, but here in Alberta RATS are illegal, as some how we are a rat free province? I was going to try F/T again after that feeding or a few. And yes I will admit that I didn't know what to do so vet trip was the best I could do. So yes vet probably ripped me off, but at least I'm will to take care of my snake. Again makee I'm not trying to fight with you

[millertime89]

if rats are illegal, you could also used appropriately sized gerbils, hamsters, and guinea pigs. Use short haired guinea pigs if you do. Size is roughly equivalent to that of rats from what I've seen.

[mykee]

Frozen rats are not illegal in Alberta.

[spots]

the reason I was feeding live, is spots wouldn't eat F/T, as the breeder I got him from was feeding live to him, I want to maker the switch tho

[Gungirl]

Originally Posted by spots

the reason I was feeding live, is spots wouldn't eat F/T, as the breeder I got him from was feeding live to him, I want to maker the switch tho

If you want to make the switch... dont offer live. Simple as that. Your snake will soon get hungry enough to eat what you give it. Its not going to let itself starve to death it will eat when it has to. All you need to do is offer correct size prey F/t and it will eventually eat. I waited my BP out 4 or 5 months before he would take F/t. Now he eats it like a champ with no issues

[spots]

Originally Posted by Gungirl

If you want to make the switch... dont offer live. Simple as that. Your snake will soon get hungry enough to eat what you give it. Its not going to let itself starve to death it will eat when it has to. All you need to do is offer correct size prey F/t and it will eventually eat. I waited my BP out 4 or 5 months before he would take F/t. Now he eats it like a champ with no issues

Going to give it a try next week took hard lesson tho so the idea is wait him out. Got ya

[millertime89]

yeah, don't let him win, when you offer live because he won't take f/t, he wins.

[spots]

so should i be applying polysporin then? if so how often and for how long?

[ZARADOZIA]

This subject really has my curiosity going so I have contacted Dr. Fitzgerald, Dr. Hibbitts, Dr. Dixon, and Texas A&M Herpetology Society of Texas A&M and asked them. I should receive an answer back by Wednesday at the latest. It depends on the testing schedule and I didn't think to check that before I wrote them.

Just for the record, this has nothing to do with being right or wrong and everything to do with having factual scientific knowledge. I think it is a great subject that all of us should be well read in, at least I know that I need to be. (I love learning knew things)


Good morning Dr. Fitzgerald, Dr. Hibbitts, & Dr. Dixon
I am a member of a Herp forum, sSnakeSs.com, and our current discussion is about injured snakes and their shed cycles; so far, we are unable to find information that details how snakes are able to increase their shed cycles. Many of the forum members are self educated on reptile care and we rely on our communal knowledge to care for our reptiles because there are so few herp vets available to us. I have been doing research on this subject but have not been able to find exact information detailing how this is possible.

Scenario:
A snake is wounded and some of the skin and scales are missing.

Research states:
Snakes go into a shed cycle faster and more frequently to heal.

Research does not state:
What causes the snakes to go into shed cycle faster and more frequently. Normally a snake sheds because it has grown larger.

Main question:
What are the exact circumstances (scientifically speaking) that details how a snake is able to heal its injuries?

Specific questions:
Can snakes force themselves to grow faster so that they may heal by shedding?
Do snakes eat more so that they can grow and shed faster?
Can a snake shed without actually growing?
If a snake does not increase its food intake, will it still shed more frequently to heal? And if so, how is the snake able to shed more frequently without growing?

I thank you in advance for any information you can provide.






Bio's:
Dr. Lee A. Fitzgerald, Professor
Co-Director Applied Biodiversity Science
Faculty Curator of Amphibians and Reptiles
Texas Cooperative Wildlife Collection

Research focusing on...
Evolutionary ecology and conservation of reptiles and amphibians
Applied Biodiversity Science in the Neotropics


Dr. Toby J. Hibbitts
Curator of Amphibians and Reptiles
Texas Cooperative Wildlife Collection
Division of Amphibians and Reptiles

Research focusing on...
Sexual selection and evolutionary ecology
Natural History and conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles


Dr. James R. Dixon, Professor Emeritus
Curator Emeritus of Amphibians and Reptiles
Texas Cooperative Wildlife Collection

Research focusing on...
Systematics of amphibians and reptiles worldwide with emphasis on South America, Central America, Mexico, and USA

[Jay]

Lots of claims but lack of science. Thanks for taking your time and emailing, looking forward to their response.

[ZARADOZIA]

I forgot hat I had also contacted Mr. Franklin of University of Texas at Arlington. This is his reply to the letter posted above:

Originally Posted by Carl J. Franklin, Biological Curator

Good morning De Ann,

In my experience I have had various snakes for several year that exhibited what seemed to me as a similar shed cycle schedule.

I had one specimen of Boiga that shed every month for at least 7 years. It was healthy and never refused food.

Some would be more frequent than others but this is likely due to species differences and variances in physiology.

If you have found research that states they shed more frequently when injured then I would suspect a potential hormonal influence as a cause for triggering new epidermal growth.

Also do you have a citation for that research?

This could be tested. I’m not aware of anyone doing such work. However, it could possibly be tested by checking blood hormone levels post trauma and throughout the healing stage.

Trauma could be inflicted to the skin to monitor healing as another experiment although that would likely be too cruel to be necessary.

I doubt anyone is going to pursue either avenues of research anytime soon. I haven’t maintained several injured snakes of the same species, size, age, sex, etc (and all with similar injuries) to make any notable comparisons.

Over the years I’ve maintained a few snakes that were found injured from cars. I cannot say that I’ve noticed anything I would consider unusual about their healing.

Snakes heal in a fashion similar to many other vertebrates. The body’s immune and defense system both go to work to protect and heal the body not unlike our own.

The rate of healing of course is influenced by the animal’s physiology.

Sometimes scales are not re-grown, but the skin is.

I believe that the priority is a closing the wound and once the skin is healed my bet is that the scales are eventually replaced with successive shed cycles.

Anyhow I hope I’ve narrowed some of the gaps pertaining to understanding this topic.


Saludos,
Carl J. Franklin
Biological Curator
franklin@uta.edu

Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center
The University of Texas at Arlington Dept. of Biology
Box 19498
501 South Nedderman. Rm 337
Arlington, Tx 76019
Tel: (817) 272-3615
Herpetology
Texas Turtles