Missing Spur?

According to Tim Bailey (as he's popping the spurs off one of my males), spurs are really just layers upon layers of shed that build up to make the spur larger. They do "grow" back over time with future sheds.

He's popping them off my male going "I bet you didn't know that spurs are just layers of shed". And I'm going :O, my poor boy!!!!! LOL

In any case, to the OP - it's no big deal or any detriment to your snake. This same boy went on to successfully father a clutch a few months later with no "visible" spurs. This also further proves that you can't sex a snake based on the size of their spurs.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

According to Tim Bailey (as he's popping the spurs off one of my males), spurs are really just layers upon layers of shed that build up to make the spur larger. They do "grow" back over time with future sheds.

He's popping them off my male going "I bet you didn't know that spurs are just layers of shed". And I'm going :O, my poor boy!!!!! LOL

In any case, to the OP - it's no big deal or any detriment to your snake. This same boy went on to successfully father a clutch a few months later with no "visible" spurs. This also further proves that you can't sex a snake based on the size of their spurs.

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That's interesting, I did not know that. It does make sense though, when is the last time you noticed spurs on a shed skin? Is there any reason to remove the spurs? Or is it just an appearance thing?

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Originally Posted by MarkS

That's interesting, I did not know that. It does make sense though, when is the last time you noticed spurs on a shed skin? Is there any reason to remove the spurs? Or is it just an appearance thing?

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I don't know of any reason to remove the spurs (other than to prove the point to me that they were a build up of shed - LOL).

I have had my normal boy also break off a spur once in a while. They do grow back slowly, but it is freaky if you've never seen it before!

I his book, Barker tells that the male spurs are used during courtship, the male is suposed to make special movements with those. I've personally never saw a male making anithing with its spurs, and at least sometimes they grow back after they fall. Time ago , I got a male pied missing a spur and now it has both ...

My BP had his left spur come out about 6 months ago and it has definetely grown back some(but not fully) since then.

I remember reading this somewhere but once a snake loses its spur(s) they will never grow back, and it really won't have any effect on the snake at all. So pretty much once it's gone it's gone.

Never mind that, I read the above posts and found out this statement isn't true. Though, I DO remember reading this somewhere.

Thanks for all the help, guys! :P I didn't think it was anything to worry about, but I learned some interesting facts along the way, so thanks! :D

i have an adult ball python that is missing one spur. she never had it when i got her when she was young. she must be at over ten years old now and still nothing. it never appeared to bother her though.

yet another thing I've come to this forum for information on. My little guy just lost a spur during a shed and now I'm not too worried about it