How does the pattern grow?

[Jeo123]

So I've been wondering, as a snake gets bigger, how does the pattern change?

Like on a normal, do you get more markings? Do they get bigger and stretch out as the snake gets longer? Is it a combination?

[Mft62485]

I believe it just stretches with age.

[Kinra]

I've heard that snakes are born/hatched with the same amount of scales they will have all their life, assuming nothing happens to cause them to lose scales. I think their scales just get bigger and the pattern stays the same.

[RichsBallPythons]

Same as humans, stretch

[gardenfiend138]

This is very interesting, I've wondered the same thing! It also seems to me that more pattern develops near the tail, that's not usually as "interesting" (for lack of a better word) as the markings on the front 2/3 of the body (Meaning that it would stretch and also grow outwards from the tail?). Am I just crazy, or has anyone else noticed this?

[RichsBallPythons]

They do not develop more pattern as they age. Their pattern is the same no matter how old they are.

[dr del]

Yep,

Pattern is fixed and never changes - colour on the other hand changes quite a bit depending on the morph etc.


dr del

[Freakie_frog]

Over all pattern stays pretty much the same a few morphs get a little more artifacts here and there but for the most part they just get bigger.

[gardenfiend138]

it's nice to have all of this experienced input! I just looked at pictures of my lesser straight out of the egg, and what I thought was new pattern emerging has been there since she hatched. I remember too when I got my first normal, thinking that the blushing on his back were areas that new dorsal spots would emerge (obviously that didn't happen).
Is it true that snakes are born with a fixed number of scales that never changes? it would make sense since their patterns don't change, but that would be damned difficult to actually determine! nice topic!

[Kinra]

Is it true that snakes are born with a fixed number of scales that never changes? it would make sense since their patterns don't change, but that would be damned difficult to actually determine! nice topic!

Brian mentioned it on an episode of SnakeBytes once. I really want to know how they determined that, someone had way too much free time if they were counting snake scales. It makes sense to me though, because the scales on my large female are larger than the scales on all of my 2010s.