What is this spot?

[nluogameno]

Yesterday I tried feeding my 2 1/2 ft. Corn and he didn't kill his prey etc. that was a different post but today I noticed some spots on him. There was blood yesterday but I was pretty sure that it was from the mouse. I examined him last night and saw no blood really but just today i saw these spots. I have also noted that he is a bit lighter in color. Being a novice of snake owning I don't know if this is just the first signs of shedding or what but here are some pictures.:eek1:

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/2721/snakespotmy3.jpg

[cornsnakekid92]

that spot looks like a scale that has either been bitten or ripped off to me.

[PnyKlr]

Agreed. Looks like a missing scale to me.

[dawnrenee2000]

Yes, that looks like a damaged area which could be in direct relation to you feeding live fully grown mouse. They can really damage a snake. Please take this learning opportunity to heart and stun the prey or get him on Frozen thawed from now on.

When a snake is injured they go through a shed as a healing mechanism. He could be starting to shed due to that, or he could have already been getting ready to shed and that is why he didnt want to eat. Either way, put some neosporin ointment on that raw spot and give him good humidity to help the shed.

Best wishes to you.
Dawn

[antsterr]

It does look like the scale was ripped right off. I don't know if a mouse could do that though. I would speculate a mouse bite would be more a puncture wound. I've had mice chew on my corns when being constricted and can tell you that corn snake scales are very resistant to mice teeth. I've seen it three times when feeding adult mice and the snake doesn't seem hurt or even scratched by it. I wonder if the snake got stuck somehow and in backing up pulled of the scale.