[Skin] Need Help with a Rescue

[NargleBeliever]

Hi everyone! I joined about a year ago when I adopted Rue, who is now 3 yrs old, over 6ft and doing fabulously well. In fact, he's doing so well that I agreed to adopt his albino brother, Riddle, last weekend. The previous owner is moving and has a young child, etc. I wasn't concerned because Rue was in great health when I picked him up from them last year. Apparently, it's been a rough year. Riddle is not in great shape. He's skinny and much smaller than Rue is, although they were about the same size last year. More concerning is that he seems to have se scale damage. Some of it is obvious bent scales, but today I noticed this weird thing and I don't know what to make of it

What is that?? I don't have Internet access at my house right now so I'm doing this all on my phone. I hope it's working. I will try to take some more comprehensive pictures of him and post them while at work tomorrow.

The poor guy has potential to be really beautiful, and he's super sweet and willing to be handled even though it was fairly obvious that he had not been handled regularly in quite some time...

Thanks!!

[NargleBeliever]

Re: Need Help with a Rescue

So it looks like my picture didn't load. I added it to my gallery. Sorry this is such a mess, as I said I'm trying to do this all from my phone.

EDIT: Here is a link - Picture posted in gallery.

[zamora]

Re: Need Help with a Rescue

It looks to me like he's been sitting for a while on something that isn't flat, sort of like when you get pillowcase wrinkles on your face (but it's really hard to tell from that picture). What's in his enclosure?

[NargleBeliever]

Re: Need Help with a Rescue

He's mostly been hanging out in/around a straw hut hide. It's woven, so it has ridges that could account for that, I guess. His substrate is reptibark.

I'll re-check him tonight. If it's gone and that's all it was, I will laugh really hard at myself for over-reacting.

[Noelle7206]

Re: Need Help with a Rescue

I've seen a few snakes before with scale damage (bent etc) and I think it may have something to do with being underfed-malnourished for a time. Think about it, you said he is skinny?...what happens when we
don't eat? Our hair & nails get weak...and ultimately our skin suffers too. Give him time to gain back his health...it won't happen quickly so be patient. He may have also been without proper humidity or drinking
water at times...neglect in feeding is often not the only thing that happens...give him lots of "TLC".

[NargleBeliever]

Re: Need Help with a Rescue

Thanks for the feedback! It looks like that odd mark was indeed just an indentation from what he had been pressed up against. He had a successful feeding last night so I'm feeling less worried about him. He really is very skinny and his skin is doing that baggy thing that I have heard people reference when discussing an underfed/hungry snake. I will be offering him a rat a week until he starts refusing them.