Bent scales?

Has anyone seen anything like this before or know what causes it? I saw it on her once before but she was a about to shed so I figured it was somehow related. She just shed so I'm really confused.

http://i55.tinypic.com/ern7h0.jpg

http://i51.tinypic.com/2m4bwgw.jpg

It doesn't seem to bother her at all but I'm wondering what is causing it and am concerned about my lil' girl.

Thank you in advance!!

i will have to follow this one... my Conda snuck out of her tub while on the way home from the vet and got under the car seat... Very difficult to get a 6 foot anaconda unstuck... after tearing my car seat open, i was able to get her out... but she damaged some scales in the process :( She hasnt shed yet but her tummy is pink so hopefully they will return to normal.

I see it from time to time, no biggie

My female has scales like this too. They don't bother her and they stay after sheds. If they look irritated or swollen, then consider taking her to the vet, but if it doesn't bother her, then I don't think it's anything.

Thank you all very much! :) It puts my mind at ease.

Yup, as the others said, it's nothing to worry about. Usually they'll shed out of it, and sometimes it can be a little bit of mild dehydration, but just make sure your husbandry's right and it'll be just fine :)

My big boy has a few of these as well. I have seen some pictures with bent scales like that having mite eggs lodged in them, but I checked all the bent scales on my guy and didn't see any... if there's no eggs, I don't think it's a huge problem. Mine don't go away with sheds, either. I wonder if it's from when i fed him live rats...

I have also seen them, I have a pet theory. Just a thought I have been thinking on. Have you noticed that your snakes have a preferred curl side. One of my big girls always lays coiling left. (She is in a rack 41qt tubs and is huge so she doesn't have a hide as they won't fit in the rack with her. I am in the process of building an enclosure for her) anyway I can see how she is coiled when I open the tub and she is almost always coiling left (left hand turns) and she has a few bent scales on the inside left side in two spots. My thought is she spends so much time coiled and the scales get a permeant bend or grew that way not sure which. I am guessing here it is just my observations and filling in the blanks with logic. I don't know just guessing I'd be very happy to hear your thoughts on that idea.
Alex

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Originally Posted by Alexandra V

sometimes it can be a little bit of mild dehydration, but just make sure your husbandry's right and it'll be just fine :)

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I've been having a rough time keeping the humidity as high as I'd like because my house gets really dry in winter so that makes a lot of sense. Would weekly soaks help with the dehydration as I work on getting my humidity back up?

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

I can see how she is coiled when I open the tub and she is almost always coiling left (left hand turns) and she has a few bent scales on the inside left side in two spots. My thought is she spends so much time coiled and the scales get a permeant bend or grew that way not sure which.

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I haven't noticed how she coils but I'm going to start paying attention because that theory makes a lot of sense to me. I just don't know why it'd be in patches as opposed to running the length of the body.

Soaking can help, are you having rough sheds too? I don't have issues with humidity and still have the same, maybe they could be a bit dehydrated, I just don't know. The patches is likely that they are coiling the same way and not in perfect circles at least in my case for sure and they seem to appear at the bends. I am quite sure it isn't a problem just a curiosity.

On a side note for humidity issues I also have a dry house 12% in winter. I use a handful of methods to keep it up in the enclosures. Hanging wet laundry in the snake room is a great way to get the humidity up! :D I use coco coir (eco earth) and it holds tons and releases slowly. Also terracotta hides (flowerpot trays work well) will adsorb water if soaked and they increase it locally. I have also used sandstone rocks soaked to help too. Just tossing out some ideas...

Her sheds have all been fine. Thanks for the advice on the humidity!

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Originally Posted by babyknees

I've been having a rough time keeping the humidity as high as I'd like because my house gets really dry in winter so that makes a lot of sense. Would weekly soaks help with the dehydration as I work on getting my humidity back up?

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I've been having a bit of the same problem. It doesn't cause the snake any discomfort, as far as I know. The only downside is the aesthetic side of it. If you want to get rid of it right away, you can soak, but you can save the snake a bit of stress by not soaking and just working on getting the humidity up. A couple more days like that won't hurt the snake.

If your sheds have been fine the humidity isn't an issue, scratch that idea.