Hello everyone!!

I have a question about my Red Tail boa, eddie. I have never owned a reptile before, so I learn as I go.

Last night as I was handling him I noticed that his underbelly was really pink. I have never seen this before, its usually a creamy white. I also noticed that he looked like he was close to a shedding cycle by the way his skin felt and looked.

Is this a reaction to shedding?...is that a normal pigmentation? I have a undertake Zoo med heater. It doesnt have any settings and it makes the glass really hot, so I just put a lot of aspen shavings in his warm side, but sometimes he snuggles down close to the glass, and im worried if maybe he burnt himself.

Im not sure how worried I should be. I wanted to take him to the vet right away but my husband thinks it just due to his shedding. I would appreciate any advive on this...thankyou so much, fiddler

Yes it is normal if he is in the shedding cycle. My ball pythons bellies usually turn pink first so I know they are getting ready to shed. If he lays on the glass on top of the Under Tank Heater, he could get burned yes,,,try putting some newspaper or something between the glass and the shavings.

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MARSHA
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Could you possibly post some pics for us? It would be very helpful. I know when my red tail boa is in shed she never has a red coloration on her belly.It could be burns, but Im not sure

If it is a burn can I treat it myself?...and if I put some news paper between the glass and the shavings can that be a fire hazard?....

Its hard for me to put pics up, I really dont have the equipment, I wish I could. My husband said its probably not a burn, because the pink is consistant troughout his whole body, and if it was a burn, it would be in specific spots where he was exposed to the heat. This makes sense, but Im still worried.

So the pink is normal with shedding then?

I think it is normal, from the sounds of it its not a burn,Ive dealt with them before and this isnt one. Newspaper wont be a fire hazard I have to use it with my Under Tank Heater as well.

Both my rainbow boas and my ball python get a pink belly: (sometimes almost red that looks like a sunburn) shortly before they go into the blue phase of shedding. This is completely normal.
However, your should get your Under Tank Heater hooked up to a thermostat that will adjust the temperatures to the range correct for your boa.

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Andrea

A burn will look like an obvious wound not just a change in color over the extent of the snake. The pinkish color is natural approaching a shed.
I would advise that you get a temp gun or a digital thermometer with a probe that can be used to test the temps on the bottom of the tank. If it is too warm it can burn the snake.

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Merlin,
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Thankyou all so much....I will put some news paper down just in case.
I guess I never noticed the pink before, He is like my baby so I get over-worried if anything might be wrong.

I really appreciate it. Take care, fiddler