# corn snake tail has turned black



## pepsi the yorkie (Aug 2, 2010)

over the last week the end of my corn snakes tail (about 2") has turned black, he's about 9 yrs old and has allways been healthy, he doesn't seam botherd about it, and doesn't seam to be affecting him in any way.i do have a excellent reptile shop locally with the owner very knowledgeable and helpfull but he's away on holiday at the moment so not sure what to do, anyone ever come across this befor? or have any suggestions


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## Paul Dunham (Apr 1, 2010)

If your corn snake is normal coloured or has black pigmentation then as they get older they become darker and darker with the increase of melanin in their system. Often you buy a beautiful snake and after several years they become dark and their pattern gradually fades often with a black tip to the tail.

Of coarse this is assuming that he or she hasn't damaged their tail and the resulting blackness is a sign you need to take it to a vet.


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## pepsi the yorkie (Aug 2, 2010)

he has got quite a bit darker over the last year he has turned into a dark slate color so maybe it is age, he is still wrapping it around things and useing it as normal, i wont take to the vets as i don't think my vet is that clued up on snakes so will wait untill monday when my local reptile shop owner is back from holiday as he will probally have more of an idea. thanks for the reply.


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## Pety (Jul 26, 2010)

Paul Dunham said:


> If your corn snake is normal coloured or has black pigmentation then as they get older they become darker and darker with the increase of melanin in their system. Often you buy a beautiful snake and after several years they become dark and their pattern gradually fades often with a black tip to the tail.


does that happens with other breeds too or just corn snakes?


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## MissG (Apr 18, 2008)

pepsi the yorkie said:


> he has got quite a bit darker over the last year he has turned into a dark slate color so maybe it is age, he is still wrapping it around things and useing it as normal, i wont take to the vets as i don't think my vet is that clued up on snakes so will wait untill monday when my local reptile shop owner is back from holiday as he will probally have more of an idea. thanks for the reply.


Snakes need to go to a specialist exotic vet, not ones that see companion animals.

It could mean he has damaged it somehow and it could be dead tissue. An infection however could spread, so I would get it checked out - by a vet, not a pet shop owner - as soon as.


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## Paul Dunham (Apr 1, 2010)

Pety said:


> does that happens with other breeds too or just corn snakes?


It usually happens to most species of snakes. Burmese Pythons can be quite beautiful in their younger years, but they become very dark with age.

There is a mutation bred in captivity called Hypomelanistic which means "reduced black". With this mutation the offspring are often brighter than the normal and do not turn dark with age. It's very common in corn snakes.


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## CandySwap (Sep 3, 2010)

Has he been shedding completely. Do you always check that the eye caps and the very tip of the tail has been shed?

If it is this, a build-up of unshed tail skin over the months can result in blood-flow to the tip of the tail becoming cut off and losing the tip.

I always check the eye caps and the tail tip after a shed.

If they dont shed properly you could try placing them in a warm bath. If this fails feeding him GENTLY through your hands while you hold a damp cloth and trying to ease any unshed skin off the tail in this way is generally all that it takes. Just be gentle and take your time, it may take a lot of passing through your hands before all the unshed skin comes off.

If you are at all unsure don't try anything that might hurt the snake and get him to a reptile qualified vet for the peace of mind of everyone involved.

Hope this helps.


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## kittykatkris (May 24, 2011)

It may be retained shed meaning after hes shed some has been left restricting the bloodflow and killing the tip of his tail, if so soak it in water and it may just drop off after a while leaving him with a slightly stumpy tail x


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