Olive turning white?

[mysnakesau]

My female olive python just shed today. I misted her everyday from the time I notice her eyes blue, because she has never had a perfect shed. The misting almost worked, her shed came off in two big whole pieces except she did have quite a bit of retained on the last 30cm to her tail. I bathed her for a good half hour which got the retained shed off but I have discovered quite a few light patches in random places. They are not raised or rough lumps, it is the colour of her scales. But when I examined her shed skin, where those white patches are on her, there are dark patches on the skin. While it does not feel like a layer of her new scales have come off, that is what looks like has happened - only guessing really, going by the dark patches on her old skin.

Anyone know why this has happened? Maybe she is showing her true colours and really is an albino that was painted .. I wish. No I know that isn't the case, but would like to know what causes stuff like this to happen/

I know someone will ask so will answer you first.. she is 8.5feet, weighs 6Kg. In an enclosure 4ft x 2ftW x 2.5ftH. Has top opening lid. Heating top and bottom so her temperature has been stable around 31c. Night time may cool a bit as I turn her light off, but have kept her heatcord on 24/7 since her vet check about 4 weeks ago.

 

[Serpentor]

Calico Olive?

Seriously though, that's quite strange....Perhaps something wrong with the kidneys?

 

[waruikazi]

I've seen something that looked exactly the same on wild olive. From the pattern on this one iassumed it was scarring from being run over by a car or something similar.

I would assume it is a similar case here. Is it possible that she has burnt herself and because of her colouring you have just not noticed until this shed? Either way i would get a vet to check it out it could also be some kind of fungal infection like white spot that fish get (Yes i have seen snakes, an olive at that, with white spot the same as fish get).

 

[waruikazi]

Calico Olive?

Seriously though, that's quite strange....Perhaps something wrong with the kidneys?

ROFL how did you get kidneys from white skin? Perhaps she needs her tonsils out lol. jokes

 

[Gecko_ProCs]

Is the snakes name Michael?

 

[Serpentor]

ROFL how did you get kidneys from white skin? Perhaps she needs her tonsils out lol. jokes

Well isn't the Calico trait in BHP's feared to not be hereditary, but something to do with the kidneys?

I dunno, just thought I'd throw that out there.

 

[-Peter]

I tend to go with Gordo on the burn theory but skin disorder isnt out of the question.
My girly is still recuperating from her horrendous burns from last year as well as an ongoing skin infection that looks very similar. Are the discoloured patches drier to the touch?

 

[waruikazi]

Well isn't the Calico trait in BHP's feared to not be hereditary, but something to do with the kidneys?

I dunno, just thought I'd throw that out there.

I hadn't heard that. Perhaps ur right.

 

[Brettix]

She isnt too close to any heat globes,looks like burns ?

 

[Khagan]

Is the snakes name Michael?

Reincarnation? :lol:

 

[Gecko_ProCs]

Reincarnation? :lol:

hahaha!
was worried it might have been "too soon"

but seriously i hope its nothing serious and creates no problems for your olive

 

[-Andrew-]

I had one of my olives do that looking exactly the same about 8 years ago it came up after it shed & the scales look as though they shed off more than it was meant to at the time.

I still have that snake now & it shows no discolouration at all now as it seemed to correct
itself after a couple of sheds within about a year after it happened.

I will try to find pics I took at the time it happened.

 

[Gecko_ProCs]

Yeah it could just be having trouble shedding properly and a few extra scales are coming off

 

[Helikaon]

i see it a quite often after a shed where the scails are damaged/developed incorrectly can be due to a fungal or bacteria infection. after a few sheds they should be back to norm

i msut admit though i have never seen one that was that extensive most of them have just been small patches

 

[mysnakesau]

Wow, thank you for the fast replies. My girl was originally wild caught, and certainly has her fair share of scars on her, but no she hasn't had any light bulb contact since I've had her. She has a downlight in her tank but she can't get to it.

Are the discoloured patches drier to the touch?

Peter, actually they are drier. I went and checked that, and paid attention, feeling both her normal scales and comparing the white ones. It does feel slightly drier - they are smooth but not quite as smooth as her normal scales.

I hope it isn't a bacteria infection Will give my vet a call right now, I think, but Pythoninfinite is coming up tomorrow so will quiz his knowledgable brain and see what he says, too. She has always been a bad shedder, she has never had a perfect shed in the 15 months I've had her. But even past the crappy shedding I have never seen discolouration like this. I always soaked them them but worried about applying humidity to an inland snake but have learnt that at shed time, it isn't a problem.

BTW - who is Michael? I am obviously missing a joke

 

[waruikazi]

So she is wild caught. Righto, how long has she been in captivity and where did she come from?

 

[mysnakesau]

I actually don't know how long she's been in captivity but will check with the fella I bought her from. I think he mighta said she was pretty well fresh from the wild when I got her, and she is from Katherine, NT.

 

[Sturdy]

Well isn't the Calico trait in BHP's feared to not be hereditary, but something to do with the kidneys?

I dunno, just thought I'd throw that out there.

there is also a calco bluie out there too

 

[waruikazi]

there is also a calco bluie out there too

There's calico childrens also.

 

[Jackrabbit]

BTW - who is Michael? I am obviously missing a joke

AKA Michael Jackson