Ball with six scales between eyes instead of four? Question about scar/skin flap.

I just noticed my butter girl has six scales between her eyes instead of four, is this normal? All the pics I've seen where I could count those scales there were always four. Also,(unrelated topic, same snake) about three months ago she escaped and my cat and I got to her at the same time, he was about to pounce and I couldn't grab him, only my snakes tail, so I pulled her away but my cat got a scratch in, skinning a small part of her neck(I think it was only the epidermis). While it was healing I tried to get the flap to heal back into place but the sides just attached to each other and healed that way. Now, after about three sheds she has a scarred over area that appears to be trying to regrow scales and a living skin flap( I know it's living because it's shed three times since it detatched and she flinches when I pinch it). The flap gets a little thinner with each shed but dosent seem to be dying or anything. Other than the flap it's healed nicely and sheds fine. Should I cut it off or just leave it be?

Well, I certainly wouldn't cut off living flesh. Since you say it is improving with each shed, I'd just let nature take its course.

I'm not sure about the thing with the scales.

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Originally Posted by TurkeyPython

I just noticed my butter girl has six scales between her eyes instead of four, is this normal? All the pics I've seen where I could count those scales there were always four. Also,(unrelated topic, same snake) about three months ago she escaped and my cat and I got to her at the same time, he was about to pounce and I couldn't grab him, only my snakes tail, so I pulled her away but my cat got a scratch in, skinning a small part of her neck(I think it was only the epidermis). While it was healing I tried to get the flap to heal back into place but the sides just attached to each other and healed that way. Now, after about three sheds she has a scarred over area that appears to be trying to regrow scales and a living skin flap( I know it's living because it's shed three times since it detatched and she flinches when I pinch it). The flap gets a little thinner with each shed but dosent seem to be dying or anything. Other than the flap it's healed nicely and sheds fine. Should I cut it off or just leave it be?

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I definitely wouldn't cut anything off. If you think it needs to be addressed like that, I would take her to a vet.

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Originally Posted by 200xth

I definitely wouldn't cut anything off. If you think it needs to be addressed like that, I would take her to a vet.

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Agreed! If you are not a vet yourself do NOT attempt surgery.

Far as the scale counting, there will always be variance from specimen to specimen...I wouldn't worry about that.

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Originally Posted by The Flying Henry

Far as the scale counting, there will always be variance from specimen to specimen...I wouldn't worry about that.

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Actually, the number & pattern of scales is one way of identifying different species of snakes. That is one way of identifying hybrids also...if they look like a certain species, but their scalation (is that a word?) more closely resembles a different species. Or at least I see people on various snake forums talking about this, so I assume it is true.

Indeed! I wouldn't buy a western hognose, for example, without counting. Too many hybrid hognose (western and Mexican) being sold nowadays.


I only meant that sometimes these are "fragmented" and the scale divides when it should have been one piece. I've had a few hognose born with these variations. They mostly retain the shape nature intended, aside from the divide. Most folks wouldn't even notice. Or maybe I just stare at my animals too much, LOL...


Sorry, I should have elaborated! I'm tired. Hope that made more sense!

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Originally Posted by kc261

Well, I certainly wouldn't cut off living flesh. Since you say it is improving with each shed, I'd just let nature take its course.

I'm not sure about the thing with the scales.

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Yeah, I figured. I wouldn't really want to do that either. But I can't take her to the vet because the only one within 2 hours of here is a complete idiot and no good at all. He doesn't even know the difference between a sulcata and a Greek tortoise.

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Originally Posted by The Flying Henry

Indeed! I wouldn't buy a western hognose, for example, without counting. Too many hybrid hognose (western and Mexican) being sold nowadays.


I only meant that sometimes these are "fragmented" and the scale divides when it should have been one piece. I've had a few hognose born with these variations. They mostly retain the shape nature intended, aside from the divide. Most folks wouldn't even notice. Or maybe I just stare at my animals too much, LOL...


Sorry, I should have elaborated! I'm tired. Hope that made more sense!

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yeah, I get what you mean. The scales above her eyes are normal but she has four instead of two between them. They don't look like divided scales, this is what confused me.

Hi,

Can we see pictures?

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Originally Posted by dr del

Hi,

Can we see pictures?

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I have pictures of the scar uploaded to my gallery but my iPod wont let me copy/paste the URL. I'll try later on my computer. I don't have any pictures of the scales though because my iPod cam isn't worth a hoot and my phone cam won't pick up things close up. But with the scales is kinda like this. X is the position of the eye. The head is looking upwards.

X()0°°0()X

I checked out her parents today, Did a scale count. They both have the normal number. I guess my little basilisk just happens to have nicely shaped divided scales.