Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My male MBK has a peculiar off-white color/blister looking thing on each scale in front of his eyes. (pre-ocular?)

Wanted to get others thoughts- they appeared several weeks ago, so I quarantined him from the rest of my collection, and they disappeared.

They just showed up again a couple days ago again...

Thanks,
//Todd

Those look like rubs to me. If I had to take a guess I would say that there is a spot in his tank or drawer that he really wants to get into or out of (the lip between the rack and the drawer maybe?). Those scales mark just how far he can stick his nose out.

If you moved him to another cage and they went away, then put him back in the old one and they reappeared, I would be almost certain that is what is happening.

yep. i agree w/ Zach, my splendidas did the same thing when they were younger, not to that extent but they still did it on the hole that were drilled in the tubs.

Adam

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4.5 THAYERI
1.2 SPLENDIDA
1.3 ALTERNA
0.0.1 HOLD BACK RUNT ALBINO CORN
0.1.1 PYXIE FROG
0.0.1 MEXICAN RED KNEE
1.0 CHILEAN ROSE HAIR

Its definately the holes. I was trying to figure out how it would only be on the sides but not acros the middle as well, but that explains it. When it has happened in my collection it has happened from rubbing on a front opning cage so they get a line acros the face not just the two little spots.

I would drill smaller holes in a new tub and I would bet money that the problem goes away.

I also assumed this from the begining, which maybe I shouldn't have, but you should recheck your husbandry and find out why your snake wants out sooo bad. Not trying to accuse you of anything, I have had snakes in as close to perfect set ups as I know how to create still do that, but just covering all the bases.

I've got a sibling of his and 2 other splendida in the exact same setup, and he's the only one with the 'problem'.

However, he is growing MUCH faster and eating more than the others, and appears to always be on the move. I'm not talking a little bigger- he's HUGE compared to the other kings I have that hatched right around the same time, and earlier.

I'm heading to target for a new sterilite and will try much smaller holes...

Thanks guys,
//Todd

take his face and stick it in one of the holes in the tub. I'd bet it lines up to those spots.

If you don't already do it this way, is to "melt" the air holes instead of drilling with a small soldering iron with a small pointed tip(1/8"- 3/16", as this will make the edges nice and smooth, instead of rough and sharp when drilled(also leaves no mess to cleanup)..........this should take care of your problem...............................................Doug
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Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh- great idea, Doug!

THAT'S what I'm going to do with the new sterilite I pick up today... thanks!

//Todd

I don't have a soldering iron but something else that works is to just grab a nail with a pliers and hold it over the stove. Pokes holes no problem.

Good call- thanks.

That'll keep my soldering iron free of stinky-a$$ burning plastic every subsequent time I fire it up...

//Todd

HAHAHA, I use the meat fork over the stove method, makes square holes!
Todd Hughes

I'd bet your wife just LOVES it when you do that....

FEED ME SEYMOUR!!! Sounds like he just wants thirds...or fourths! Maybe ready for an upgrade in food size? Just a thought.
Todd Hughes

My male MBK recently did that to his rostral scale. I had to completely re-vamp his set-up and now he's not trying to get out.
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Diego

Diego & Tiffany's Zoo:
SNAKES
2.4.0 Corn Snakes (Different morphs)
1.1.0 Hypo Everglades Rat Snakes
2.1.0 Baird's Rat Snakes
1.2.0 Trans-Pecos Rat Snakes
1.1.0 Trinket Rat Snake
1.0.0 Japanese Rat Snake
1.1.0 Salt and Pepper Bull Snakes
0.1.0 Amel Pacific Gopher Snake
1.0.0 Het Amel San Diego Gopher Snake
0.1.0 San Diego Gopher Snake
3.2.0 Sonoran Gopher Snakes
0.1.0 Amel Sonoran Gopher Snakes
1.1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake
2.1.0 Gray Banded Kingsnakes (1.1 River Road, 1.0 Non-Locale Specific)
1.0.0 Hypermelanistic California Kingsnake
0.1.0 Albino High White California Kingsnake
0.2.0 California Kingsnakes
0.1.0 Thayeri Kingsnake
0.1.0 Florida Kingsnake
1.1.0 Boa Constrictors
0.1.0 Dumeril's Boa
2.0.0 Rosy Boas (Mexican & Mid Baja)
1.1.0 Kenyan Sand Boas
0.1.0 Indonesian Dwarf Pacific Boa
1.1.0 Ball Pythons
1.0.0 Woma Python
1.1.0 Cape York Spotted Pythons
1.1.0 Macklot's Pythons
1.1.0 Western Hognoses
1.1.0 Malagasy Giant Hognoses
1.0.0 Blacktail Cribo

LIZARDS
1.0.0 Frilled Dragon
3.1.0 Bearded Dragons (2 Normal, 1 RedXGold, 1 Citrus)
0.1.0 Eastern Collared Lizard
1.0.0 African Fat-Tail Gecko
0.1.0 Merauke Blue Tongue Skink
1.4.0 Leopard Geckos
1.0.1 Yellow Niger Uromastyx
1.1.0 Chuckwalla
0.1.0 Banded Gecko

FROGS
2.2.0 Southern Bell Frogs
1.0.1 Green Tree Frogs
1.0.0 Bubbling Kassina
1.1.1 White's Tree Frogs
0.0.2 Gold Frogs

The thing is, the last time he had those things, I never moved him into another enclosure.

He's in a shoebox-sized sterilite, so I just moved that into the other room and slapped some heat tape down.

I'll go pickup a new one tomorrow (15 qt), and do some tweaking to make sure nothing to rub on...

Thanks guys!
//Todd

I used to have a Cal King that showed the same thing occasionally. It appeared to me that some of the head scales didn't form properly during a shed cycle or they were removed with the previous shed. I suspect it was the former. I never found the cure or the cause, but I had a suspicion being a little too dry during shed time might be related to this.

Sorry I don't have an answer, but I have seen a similar situation in another kingsnake. In my snake, it was usually the frontal scale or one of the internasal scales. They grew back after a few normal sheds, and were then lost again. It drove me nuts.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Yeah- that sucks.

The good news is that he's eating like a champ, very active and otherwise very healthy looking.

My real concern was that it was something that could potentially spread to others in my collection.

I'm going to experiment with his enclosure, and I'll try bumping up the humidity during his shed cycle and see if it improves...

Thanks again guys,
//Todd

Well,....it does look to be newly formed scar tissue. I also think it might possibly be that the snake was forcing his head into holes/gaps, compromising the integrity of the scales. Then the scales would come off in successive shed. As Chris also said, if conditions were later a little too dry, the newly formed(fresh/weakened) scales would then come off again with next shed. I agree with what you said before, and would make sure after the eyes cloud,and then clear, it is given a few mists of water from a spray bottle couple times a day to help ensure the newly formed scales don't come off again.......I'm assuming it has a nice place to hide, and all other husbandry needs are met, as this will certainly make the snake more restless and want to find a way out........hope you see good results,............Doug
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Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!