# Are my boas scales alright? Please help! I am freaking out



## 1boassnakesss (Nov 24, 2020)

I just noticed that peppers scales are like this. Under the clear film they are discolored and missing peoces and just look dried out. What is wrong with them? Her eco earth hasnt been wet but she has been soaking in her bowl sometimes. What do i do? Is this scale rot or what?


----------



## 1boassnakesss (Nov 24, 2020)

1boassnakesss said:


> I just noticed that peppers scales are like this. Under the clear film they are discolored and missing peoces and just look dried out. What is wrong with them? Her eco earth hasnt been wet but she has been soaking in her bowl sometimes. What do i do? Is this scale rot or what?
> View attachment 365198
> 
> View attachment 365197
> ...


I havent had her water fogger on because i needed some new distilled water so is this because there wasnt enough humidity?


----------



## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

You do not need a fogger for a boa. They are not tropical per se. The fogger, combined with a coir substrate, suggests that the snake is constantly in contact with damp substrate and this will lead to scale rot. The snake needs to have access to dry substrate. From the photos, it does look to be scale rot.
It's easy to treat. 
First off, take out the substrate and use something dry. By all means provide a humid hide box filled with moss for example, but the substrate needs to be dry.
You then need to get some povidine-based iodine paint. Every day the damaged scales need to be painted. At the next shed, the damaged scales will be gone.


----------



## jeremy68 (Dec 2, 2013)

As Ian says. I kept my adult boas as follows and always had perfect sheds and no other skin issues.

Substrate - 3 layers of dry, absorbent kitchen roll paper, changed immediately when wet or soiled
Water bowl - large surface area, big enough for the snake to fully submerge and placed at the hot end but not under the heat source; a shallow plastic garden trug does well for large boas
When snake in shed - spray mist the snake itself twice daily with still bottled spring water, keeping the mister in the viv to maintain warm water temp; don't spray at any other times


----------

