Unusual scales after last shed... any ideas?

[nightserpent]

Hello!

After my BP's last shed (which wasn't his best... raher patchy, actually), I noticed that a number of his scales looked unusual. They weren't as shiny, and had a rougher finish.

Hopefully this will help:



It's to the left of his eye, just above the beige stripe. They were not there before the shed.

I am assuming this is an indicator of something wrong about his enclosure? My guess was poor humidity. He's in a 55 long, coconut bark substrate, pro-heat radiant panel (cool-80/warm- 90/95 bask). Humidity was a bit of a battle, and probably averaged 40%, but I have worked harder since the last shed and usually have it at 50-60%. He's eating well, drinks regularly and all else seem to be fine. I've asked around, but no one so far has had any ideas or theories.

Any idea why this happened, and how I can remedy it?

Thanks in advance for any help you can share!

-Paul

[Adam_Wysocki]

Just some dry scales ... Not a big deal and very common during the cooler dryer winter months ... most people even have patches of dryer than normal skin this time of year ... your snake is fine.

-adam

[nightserpent]

Hello Adam,

Thanks for the quick reply, I appreciate it. I was hoping it was a result of low humidity, and not something worse, so I am glad you said what you said. That's a relief.

I am trying to be more diligent with keeping the humidity higher, so I hope the next shed will result in a better overall scale condition. *fingers crossed*

~Paul

[Adam_Wysocki]

I am trying to be more diligent with keeping the humidity higher, so I hope the next shed will result in a better overall scale condition. *fingers crossed*

It's really no big deal if it doesn't happen. Novice keepers always seem to feel that they are doing something "wrong" if a shed doesn't go "perfectly" and that simply isn't the case ... I've been keeping these animals for 25 years and in large numbers for the last 10 and I rarely go a week without someone havnig a bad shed ... it's just the nature of the beast .. electric heating devices = dry air = stuck sheds .... as long as you make sure all of the remaining shed is removed (usually via soaking) before the next shed, you and you're snake will be fine.

-adam

[nightserpent]

I've kept other snakes before, boas and burms, and I don't recall this happening before, which is why I was more concerned.

But, come to think of it, perhaps the darker areas of a Ball Python make it appear more prevalent. My boas and burm didn't have such areas of bold black and dark brown, so perhaps I just wasn't noticing.

Regardless, thank you again for the input!

~Paul

[mr~python]

thank you guys both, lol. every once and awhile one of my snakes do that too. ive been wondering what it could be and now i know. thanks for asking this question nightserpant, and thanks for answering it adam.

[nightserpent]

Update:

I really kept an eye on the humidity since that bad shed, espcially when he started to "milk up". Humidity hide and heavy misting. Yesterday moring he had a perfect shed, dry patches gone.