Strange Anal Scale Qurstion: Is This Normal?

[sylverkestrel]

I've tried finding answers but searching for anything regarding split or double anal scales pulls up, of course, scaless heads.
My male is not a scaleless head but a black pewter. Os this just a random occurence, or could it be the result of some sort of trauma to the scale? And ideas or suggestions would be great. Thanks!

[tttaylorrr]

that's interesting. they're two fully-formed scales; everything appears to look healthy...might just be a genetic fluke?

as long as he's eating and pooping like a normal snake, i wouldn't worry too much about this.

[sylverkestrel]

Well he is definitely otherwise perfectly normal. It was just one of those things I had never paid attention to; it wasn't until recently that I even realized most balls had a single scale.
I just mainly wanted to make sure it didn't appear to be some sort of trauma to the scale.
Thanks a bunch!

[tttaylorrr]

Well he is definitely otherwise perfectly normal. It was just one of those things I had never paid attention to; it wasn't until recently that I even realized most balls had a single scale.
I just mainly wanted to make sure it didn't appear to be some sort of trauma to the scale.
Thanks a bunch!

i don't think there was any trauma as they look like two separate and fully-formed scales. i'm going to go home and look at all my snakes butts and see if i can find anything like this hahaha.

[Kcl]

This 1997 CITES survey found divided anal plates in 12.6% of wild specimens. Surprising to me since anal plate divided/single is a common and reasonably major point in snake identification, but there you have it. Your snake butt is part of the 12%.

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/cite...thon_ghana.pdf

[tttaylorrr]

This 1997 CITES survey found divided anal plates in 12.6% of wild specimens. Surprising to me since anal plate divided/single is a common and reasonably major point in snake identification, but there you have it. Your snake butt is part of the 12%.

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/cite...thon_ghana.pdf

fascinating! thanks for sharing.