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Bad Guy REPTILE CITY

Deformed Ball Python

Recently I ordered a baby ball from ReptileCity.com. I received her this morning from...USPS in an unmarked envelope. She was in a small cloth bag filled with newspaper inside of 2 boxes inside of an envelope. She was shipped overnight, but this shipping method is awful and inhumane for her. As soon as I pulled her out, I immediately noticed a contortion on her body that I took as a broken back. I immediately called Reptile City and spoke to Nina who was kind and wanted me to update her later on the condition of the animal. I asked if I should take to an animal hospital and she said she didn't feel that was necessary for her. I took the python home, and later talked to my breeder, Jody, about her. He confirmed that she had a deformed kink probably from birth...but reptilecity had to have sent her like this, as this did not happen overnight. I've also came to realize that this python is MEAN. Once I got home from work, I went to hold her and she went crazy trying to snap and bite at me. I've managed to hold her a few times since, but she acts almost as if she is wild caught because I've never had a ball that acts in such a way. She is defensive of human touch and anything coming near her. I am very dissatisfied with this service and am awaiting a reply to get a refund for my money. They offered an exchange of the snake, but I would rather not return her as I fear she will be disposed of for her disposition.
 
Dallas, she may be acting aggressive because she is in pain from her injury/deformity. Poor thing. Do you have any photos you could post?
 
This is a picture of her. That's a complete indent on her side that pushes through almost her whole belly. I'm not sure how eating would be for her. I also don't know if this is just a deform from birth or if it's an injury causing pain :(.
 

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Perhaps someone else has seen it occur, but personally I have never seen an inverted kink, kink being defined as a birth defect.
I've seen kinks appear as just a minor bump on the spine, to more severe cases where the spine is actually bent multiple times. The bends in the spine however point outward, either peaking up or to the side, but away from the interior of the body.
I've never given a lot of though as to why that is, but have attributed it to them being in a coiled state inside the egg when the kink developed, causing the bend to push outward from the coils rather than inward.

Just from looking at that concave "kink", my opinion would be that is an injury that occurred after birth, and at that level of severity, a broken spine to some extent would not be surprising.
I'm sure it's possible that the snake was born that way, I've just never seen or heard of a kink developing in that fashion.
Either way, if it was inside a box that was undamaged, it was like that prior to being shipped.
 
Honestly, that looks more like a crush injury than a birth defect - note how the ribs around the indented area point outward. I would think that if that developed in the egg, the ribs would not be fully formed. I would definitely take that animal to a qualified reptile veterinarian to ensure it's not in pain. How is her movement? Can she grip your finger with the end of her tail at all? Does she have muscular control and movement beyond the indented area?
 
Are you shipping her back to them? I know they're working on a full refund for you, the aggression is most likey pain/discomfort or flashbacks of how she was crushed by humans carelessness most likey, even an old injury would make her defensive, pain or not. A ball is def worth a vet visit. IF it happened more recently, there could be internal injuries to an organ or slow bleeding. If eating and poo'ing are not an issue it is most likely an older injury. Too soon to know that and not recommended before a vet visit asap, at least they'll be able to see more signs and give you some idea if its a fresh injury. Sucks you did not receive what was ordered. But if you are keepin her maybe put that refund towards a vet check? I hope she pulls through with flyin colors. The aggression may very well calm down once she comfy again- lotsa stress from life-shipping-etc. I rescued a few aggressive boas in the past and with a comfy home and gentle handleing they all were big softies in a few months.
 
I am glad they are issuing a refund, or at least claiming to be. But they still shipped in this manner which could of gotten you into trouble and endangered the animal. I am still pretty certain it is a birth defect (kink). If you would like I can check it out for you in person rather then just looking at the picture you text me.

Drop shipping, sending them in humanely so they can charge a $19 shipping fee to sucker people in, sending more then this one animal with defects, shipping illegally in unmarked packaging (which effects all of us in the industry), not ever asking you about the poor animal just blatant disregard like my bad. etc. Reptile City is definitely on my bad guy list.
 
She seems to be able to move without any problem whatsoever. The one part where her spine is bent in makes her slithering slightly off, but she doesnt indicate that it's bothering her. But there are definitely signs of stress, her breathing is heavy and she constantly is in a defensive position 'S' with her head and going after my fingers and even the glass in her tank once I put her away. I left her alone so that she can get accomadated in her tank, but also have been trying to hold her so that she gets used to my scent and doesn't feel as threatened. Also, I am not going to return her because I don't want them to dispose of her because she is obviously not resellable, but they did say they would return my money.
 
He means that is one of the most severe cases of that type of kink he has seen. Same here, I've seen a lot of BP kinks, but that one tips the extreme scale.

I'm sorry, but that poor little BP would probably be better off if she was humanely euthanized.

I would get a vet's opinion about the quality of life. It seems like she could be in extreme pain.
 
I hatched a lesser that was kinked like that last year even worse than that. I have the pics on my phone, I'll have to convert them when I get home and post them up or I can email them to someone and they can convert them and put them up.
 
He lived I gave him to a friend of mine and he still has him today. He worked with him and his spine popped back into place and he is doing well. I honestly didn't believe him when he said his spine straightened out until he sent me a pic. He never seemed like he was in pain though.
 
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