Boa Scales

[BoxerBlaze]

Well my boa managed to escaped through a small opening through the glass doors of its cage. Now its scales are all sticking out and messed up. Will this go away after a shed?
[addsig]

[GldDrgn]

are the scales missing or just bent back like someone stroked the cat backwards? if the scales are just pulled back like he went in reverse then he will be just fine. check for any rips in the skin tho.

[addsig]

[lazarus]

on a similar note, i was wondering if someone could tell me why my boa gets raised scales in the sides of his body. is it from sitting still and not moving? he is a very active boa, but it can only come to the conclusion that it is from sitting curled up... does it have anything to do with a lack of vitamins or something of that nature?

[LdyDrgn]

Originally Posted by lazarus

but it can only come to the conclusion that it is from sitting curled up...

That is exactly correct! It isn't a health problem and usually disappears after a shed... but will come back after he coils up a few times Nothing to woory about.

[eddie]

Yeah, unless there are tears etc under the scales, or missing scales.. not too much to worry about.

Lazarus,
One of the reasons your snake is getting the folded scales, is lack of floor space -

I own a beautiful 6 and a half foot red tailed boa that is currently in my dorm room closet hiding from my RA's he is in a tall enclosure that takes up most of the closet.

What are the dimensions of the cage in the closet?
Lack of floor space can lead to several issues, some minor, some major.
Stress from lack of relaxing stretched out is one problem, not being able to breath easy most of the time etc..
Big boas stay on the ground quite a bit more than smaller ones. If yours does stay in the climbing spots often, it isn't due to their natural tendencies.
Same if it stays curled up a lot on the floor..
Simply put, the snake needs more floor space than height.

[thomasito]

Well there is the answer 2 my Question i had for a long time hehe thnx Ldy~!lol

[lazarus]

hey eddie, lazarus definatley has no tears or missing scales, just some folded ones, which do go away for a period of time after he sheds. as for the enclosure, the dimens. are 2.5' X 2' X 5'tall. I used to have this enclosure lengthwise with a low laying branch across it and noticed how ofter lazarus would be on the branch. i thought he might like a more vertical style enclosure. At night hes always climbing and has the opportunity to stretch out but only when he is quite vertical or hangin. the bottom offers the most floor space but he never goes down there, hes always on one of the three shelves. hopefully soon ill post a pic of the whole setup so you could critique it. i always leave the closet door open at least 8 inches, is this enough for proper ventilation? should i put a small fan in there? lazarus is gettin kinda big, i wish i could ask him what he likes... i hope hes not stressing, cause now i am about this. i do like to take him out alot at night. any feedback welcome

[kid]

as far as ground space is concerned its a little too small. It would be best to have a square foot of ground space for every foot long the snake is.
Kid