# Ball Pythons > General BP's >  Bad shed!! Scales missing

## Highline Reptiles South

I'm not particularly concerned about the snake. Just wondering why what seemed to be a really good shed resulted in this. My beautiful pastel girl is now spotted!

Shed came off in one perfect rolled up piece. Temps perfect, humidity perfect. I've had one or two scales go missing - but whats up with this?

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## Hydrolicious

I had the same thing happen to mine, in the exact same spot. I posted a topic, but despite the conclusions people gave me, I still have my doubts. Glad someone else posted a topic, I want more info on this.  :Please:

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## Highline Reptiles South

its almost like they are just scales with no color...i have tried to rub them off...maybe just a stuck shed to just those scales?

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## Nicole Turner

:Tears:  sorry that happened, but your snake is beautiful.

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## Foschi Exotic Serpents

That's actually pretty normal. Don't worry. It will fix itself next time. It isn't really the entire scale missing. More like a layer of the scale. It usually only happens around the head. There is nothing you can do and it won't harm the snake at all. Just bump humidity the next time it goes into a shed cycle.

*edit.. Also, I've seen this happen more often to pastels than any other morph. I don't know why, but it does happen. Sometimes even if the humidity is high.

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Black_dragon (09-29-2011),_decensored_ (09-29-2011),Hydrolicious (09-29-2011),_meowmeowkazoo_ (09-29-2011)

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## notmyfault

I have the same problem on my bp, missing scales on his tail end, hopefully it resolves during his upcoming shed.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

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## Hydrolicious

> That's actually pretty normal. Don't worry. It will fix itself next time. It isn't really the entire scale missing. More like a layer of the scale. It usually only happens around the head. There is nothing you can do and it won't harm the snake at all. Just bump humidity the next time it goes into a shed cycle.
> 
> *edit.. Also, I've seen this happen more often to pastels than any other morph. I don't know why, but it does happen. Sometimes even if the humidity is high.


This makes the most sense out of anything I've heard. Simply stating it was a "bad shed" is too vague for me. I've got a pastel, too.

Thanks.

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## crepers86

The scales look like they are there. My big ball actually rubbed scales of of her head in the middle of a shed phase next she you couldn't tell

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## dr del

Hi,

As Monica said it is simply that the top layer of the new scale got stuck to and pulled off by the old skin during the shed process.  :Smile: 

It's nothing to worry about - just try increasing the humidity a little more for the next shed to see if it helps.


dr del

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## sciencemuse

One of my baby ball python had the same issue. He has a few midway down on his topside too. I am a new owner and panicked thinking it was scale rot, but I keep him on newspaper and his underbelly looks good. 
I couldn't manage to get a good photo of my guy because he's finicky with the camera, but it looks the exact same and the ones on his back almost look like scratches.
Did your snake look better next shed?

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