My first thought was obesity as well. But, besides the scale separation, the animal really doesn't look overweight. It looks like the snake has access to water, so dehydration wouldn't be my guess either.



It's hard to tell from the picture but are the scales discolored or are they actually separated? Is the same condition seen on the ventral surface?



How old is the animal? At what age did you notice this starting to occur?



Was the animal bred in captivity? Do you have access to the breeder or any of the animal's siblings? I would want to know if any of them are experienceing the same symptoms.



How is the animal doing otherwise? Is it eating, shedding, defecating normally/regularly?



In looking through both Fry and Mader's books, the closest I can get is a condition called scale agenesis. Apparently, in some extreme cases, snakes will not develop any scales at all (except for around the eye and mouth). It may be that your animal has a mild form of this condition where the scales have developed but their growth has stopped. The rest of the body is continuing to grow. Genetic mutation as well as higher than normal incubation temperatures are suspected to cause this condition. This is why I'd be curious about the animal's siblings.
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Mike Lockwood

www.tooscaley.com

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