possible carpet Python deformity

Hi all

I have just found what I think is a baby carpet Python and it looks as if it has a slight deformatity or scar of the right hand side of it top jaw and would just like some opinions on if it will have trouble swollowing prey because of it.

Also would like to get an approximate age of as it looks fairly young

cheers. Jack

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Here are some better quality pics

Baby coastal. Most likely a hatchling from the beginning of the year but could be up to a year older. It shouldn't have any trouble at all eating with that deformity. Best off to release it where you found it.

Cheers Cameron

Very rarely you can get snakes that have no top lip scale between the mouth and the nostril, I forget the name of the scale over that section but I think its labial scale. It can sometimes be due to a cleft palet, if you open its mouth and have a look at the roof of the mouth you may actually see the sinus cavity that should be covered by the palet, it'll look like a halfpipe running back along the roof of the mouth. They can still feed and function normally, in captivity, but infection might take it out in the wild. I think it will feed just fine.

Hi Zeke, good to see you got a thread going!

I don't think it would cause much problem, as long as food is the right size. Maybe keep him a few days just to make sure, but I think he'll be fine.

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Never mind. Baker and Cement answered already. Probably more help than I.

It's not ok for you to take it from the wild, man. Circle of life and all that.

Don't worry I am not taking it, I have already released it back the fence that it came from. Was just interested if it was going to affect it in its development

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Thank you Baker, Cement and Herpo for the replys

Put it this way mate, if it doesn't live to a ripe old age it probably won't be because of that!