weird thing on my snakes tail...

[SunshineSpraypaint]

So I have 2 corn snakes that are about a year/ year and a half old. One is a ceamsuckle and one is a sunkiss snake. I got them about 5 month ago and they seem to he very happy and healty. The creamsuckle has this weird thng on his/her tail. its like just a few millimeters long and lind of stiff. it doesnt have any flesh to it. It looks like its just skin... He/she doesnt like it when I touch it... he/she had it when I got them. I am not sure what it is and if it is bad. If anyone could halp me out with it.

[AliCat37]

Can you post a picture? Is it possible that it is stuck shed? If it is stuck shed it is important to get it off as soon as possible other wise the tail will die.

[SunshineSpraypaint]

I dont think it is shead. I tryed pulling it off and it wount come off and I dont want to rip it off. it does seem to bother him when I look at it and stuff. Let me see if I can get a pic of it give me a few minutes...

[SunshineSpraypaint]

I cant get a good pic of it with mycell phone. But I know its not sheed. because that part sheeds too. I have pulled sheed off it before. Is it possible that its just part of the tail but it got injured before and just doesnt grow very thick?

[AliCat37]

Yeah it is possible that it is scar tissue. I guess I just skipped over the "has no flesh to it/just skin" part. Oopsies! If it looks like she doesn't have scales there it very well could be the result of an old injury. Most snakes don't like their tails being touched, so her reaction to you touching it might be normal. As long as she is shedding that area fine then I don't believe it is a cause for concern.

[SunshineSpraypaint]

here is the best shot I could get

[AliCat37]

Are we looking at the very tip? From the picture it almost looks like she has damage to the very tip of the tail and maybe just pulled of the skin from that last piece of her tail. As long as she is shedding that area completely and there are no signs of infection I would not worry about it. If she has had it since you got her it probably is an old injury that has healed.

[BloodyBaroness]

That looks like the snake is missing the flesh of the end of it's tail. This can be caused by many things; stuck shed, mouse bite, injury.

Several questions:

Does it look like bone? Or Cartilage?
Do you feed live prey or frozen thawed?
Do your snakes live together?
Is there any way you can get a better picture with a camera?
Do you have a vet in your area?

[SunshineSpraypaint]

Yeah it is the very tip of the tail. No its not bone. I feed then fozen mice and they have always been feed frozen mice. Yes my snakes live together. I feed then seperat in little plastic tubs. I used to feed them together in a tank for the first few times I feed them till I learned not to do that. The snakes get along very well and curl up togther. They have never been agressice towards eachother!

[BloodyBaroness]

I would get your snake to a vet. It really looks like the flesh from the end has been sheared off somehow. There is a possibility it can become infected and your snake can possibly die from becoming septic. Best to get it checked out and dealt with by a vet.

As far as your snakes living together....

I strongly urge you to read these threads.

http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1292935&postcount=53
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=114151&highlight=cohab
http://squamishserpents.ca/care-info/can-i-keep-multiple-snakes-in-one-enclosure
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=110783

[dwyn127]

Looks like a previous shed left skin on the tip and it died. That's usually what happens, it turns black and may eventually fall off.

[Shiari]

I vote dead tail tip from old stuck shed.

Oh, and it's creamsicle, not creamsuckle.

[AliCat37]

I know this is not the topic we came here to discuss, but if your snakes are curled up together that is actually competition. I would get a second cage to avoid fights..

[SunshineSpraypaint]

Yeah I read that today! I never read up on kepping snakes together. I just tok them over from someone who didnt take care of them. I just read up on snake keeping and non of it sais anythng about keeping snakes together. I bought materials to build me a 2x4 foot kage. i am going to make it 3 feet high and put a second floor in it to make too tanks 2x4 and a foot and ahalf hight. Just put 2 doors on it and get another heating pad and that should fix the issue.
Also I read today snakes dont need UV lamps.... how does that work. What kind of light do they need?

[Jdog3131]

They need no light(well day night cycle isnt bad and can be good).
I think your idea is good too)

[Farmgirl]

depends on the snake, most are just basking lights, and corns don't even need that. They need thier heat from the belly, not the back, so light just distinguishes night from day.

[SunshineSpraypaint]

Ok what about vitam D for them?

[Jdog3131]

mice......

[vetusvates]

I vote dead tail tip from old stuck shed.
Ditto. Several stuck sheds. What was once "living" tail...is now dead hardened tail.

Note, not going to address the cohabbing "thing" at this juncture...except LOL @ "curling up together"...

[Farmgirl]

I THINK that they are supposed to get all the vitamins minerals they need from thier food unless they are ill. I have heard of supplement shots of different vitamins, ect but only in cunjunction with a sick or severely malnourished snake.

[AliCat37]

Yeah I read that today! I never read up on kepping snakes together. I just tok them over from someone who didnt take care of them. I just read up on snake keeping and non of it sais anythng about keeping snakes together. I bought materials to build me a 2x4 foot kage. i am going to make it 3 feet high and put a second floor in it to make too tanks 2x4 and a foot and ahalf hight. Just put 2 doors on it and get another heating pad and that should fix the issue.
Also I read today snakes dont need UV lamps.... how does that work. What kind of light do they need?

That is a wonderful idea! They will enjoy the room.
As far as lights go everyone has you covered. They get all the nutrients and vitamins from their food. I have regular "under cabinet" lights in my cages to get them a day/night cycle. If you're building your own cage I would get something like that to brighten up the cage (mostly for your viewing). I use 4x2 cages for my bigger snakes and the extra light is nice to see them :)

[AliCat37]

Lol, yes all the time. Because my frozen mice attack :)
silly troll.