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  1. #1
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    Funny scale colour after shedding

    My 25 year old normal female shed a couple of days ago, it pretty much all came off in about 4 pieces.

    http://www.colin-java.co.uk/pics/scales.jpg

    I noticed some scales look like they have haven't shed, in the pic in the green oval there's a blob in the middle with like a V shape.
    And to the sides of the at some scales look discoloured.

    I rubbed them with a bit of water but it makes no difference.

    Is this like an age thing, like how people get blotches and stuff as they get older?

  2. #2
    Registered User ApathyAngel's Avatar
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    Re: Funny scale colour after shedding

    Quote Originally Posted by colin-java View Post
    My 25 year old normal female shed a couple of days ago, it pretty much all came off in about 4 pieces.

    http://www.colin-java.co.uk/pics/scales.jpg

    I noticed some scales look like they have haven't shed, in the pic in the green oval there's a blob in the middle with like a V shape.
    And to the sides of the at some scales look discoloured.

    I rubbed them with a bit of water but it makes no difference.

    Is this like an age thing, like how people get blotches and stuff as they get older?
    I am in no way a BP expert, but I have had a handful of grumpy old buddies, and I noticed that, especially once they got in their 20s, it was slightly more common for them to have problems shedding.

    I should state that all of them have either been rescued from neglectful situations or purchased as adults with no info on their history, so I don't know if that was a contributing factor.

    But giving them baths helped a lot.

    I got a piece of reptile carpet and put it on the bottom of a plastic tub, then filled it with just enough 85 degree water to barely cover the snake. I also put a clean rock in there as well.

    My vet suggested the rock, and honestly it makes such a huge difference. My snakes will wrap their tails around it and it seems to give them a kind of anchor. Totally calms them down and allows them to relax and feel secure in the water, so it doesn't stress them out (obviously don't want to cause unneeded stress in an old snake).

    15 minutes later, I'd take them out and let them slither through my hands, and any stuck pieces of shed would come right off.

    I didn't notice any major discoloration in most of them, but one did seem to kind of fade as he got older, and it wasn't an even fading, so for a year or so, he looked kind of blotchy.

    I'd suggest giving your female a bath, just to make sure it's not a stuck shed. And if it's not, double check with your vet, but it is probably fine.

    Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

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    colin-java (06-29-2020)

  4. #3
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    Re: Funny scale colour after shedding

    Thanks, I've found giving them 2 or 3 hour long baths during a shed helps a lot, even though people say you only need to increase the humidity.

    The rock in the middle of the bath is a good idea.

    I don't think it warrants a vet visit, its not like the scales have come off, its just some have gone a different colour.

    Besides I'm just getting her back to normal, after she laid 6 parthenogenesis eggs, she lost about 1000g and she was restless for a week after that.
    She's calmed down a bit and is staying in her hidebox mostly and has eaten 2 rats so far, so hopefully she will get her weight back up to 3kg or just under before October/November when she will go off feed.

  5. #4
    Registered User ApathyAngel's Avatar
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    Re: Funny scale colour after shedding

    Snakes are individuals. What works for one may not work for another, so don't worry if they need baths.

    An hour might be too long, though, unless you're replacing the water. After about 15 or 20 minutes, the temperature of the water drops, and it gets too cold.

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