Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My savannah seems to have a patch on his back that is a little darker than skin and feels like a hard plate between his shoulder blades. Any ideas of what it could be. I would of taken a picture but my camera decided not to work. Any ideas?
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Tom
1.2.0 Leopard Gecko (dot, spot, leo)
0.0.1 California King Snake (booboo)
0.1.0 Sulcata Tortoise (tank)
0.0.2 Russian Tortoise (tito and lulu)
0.0.2 Red Ear Sliders (bernie and ernie)
0.0.3 Painted Turtles (larry, curly and moe)
1.0.0 Bearded Dragon (marshmellow)
0.0.1 Savannah Monitor (beef)
1.0.0 Peachfront Conure (kermit)
0.1.0 Australian Shepheard (layla)
2.1.0 Crazy Cats (babe, sabastian, tinkerbell)
0.1.0 Lion Head Rabbit (daisy)
0.1.0 Ferret (jordan)
0.2.0 Guinea Pigs (lilly and petunia)
0.0.1 White Tree Frog (dumpy jr.)
0.0.2 Fire Belly Newts (spork and blaze)
0.0.1 Fire Belly Toad (ferdinan)
0.0.1 Red Spotted Newt ( red)
0.0.2 Bull Frogs (goliath and tubby)
0.0.1 Rainbow Ameive (jack)
0.0.1 Spectacled caiman (wilbert)
0.0.3 Green Anoles
1.0.0 Bahama Anole
0.0.1 Long Tail Grass Lizard
Lots Of Fish

I have seen this a few times and the cuse was mostly due to using the wrong lights.
Either too high wattage and/or the type with the clear center.

Scott
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Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

I have 50watt floods it sorta looks clear but it is hard like a rock and its like 1x1 in right between front legs on back. Should I panic or maybe just has to shed it?
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Tom
1.2.0 Leopard Gecko (dot, spot, leo)
0.0.1 California King Snake (booboo)
0.1.0 Sulcata Tortoise (tank)
0.0.2 Russian Tortoise (tito and lulu)
0.0.2 Red Ear Sliders (bernie and ernie)
0.0.3 Painted Turtles (larry, curly and moe)
1.0.0 Bearded Dragon (marshmellow)
0.0.1 Savannah Monitor (beef)
1.0.0 Peachfront Conure (kermit)
0.1.0 Australian Shepheard (layla)
2.1.0 Crazy Cats (babe, sabastian, tinkerbell)
0.1.0 Lion Head Rabbit (daisy)
0.1.0 Ferret (jordan)
0.2.0 Guinea Pigs (lilly and petunia)
0.0.1 White Tree Frog (dumpy jr.)
0.0.2 Fire Belly Newts (spork and blaze)
0.0.1 Fire Belly Toad (ferdinan)
0.0.1 Red Spotted Newt ( red)
0.0.2 Bull Frogs (goliath and tubby)
0.0.1 Rainbow Ameive (jack)
0.0.1 Spectacled caiman (wilbert)
0.0.3 Green Anoles
1.0.0 Bahama Anole
0.0.1 Long Tail Grass Lizard
Lots Of Fish

If the lights have a clear center, ditch them.
They give a direct light which makes a small yet very, very hot spot.
Get your temp gun out and check the temps.
I don't have my pictures of lights anymore, but the best way I can describe them is they have a cloudy look.
Maybe someone else has a good picture.

Scott
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Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

I dont think they have clear centers they are just 50 watt halogen flood lamps from like home depot?
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Tom
1.2.0 Leopard Gecko (dot, spot, leo)
0.0.1 California King Snake (booboo)
0.1.0 Sulcata Tortoise (tank)
0.0.2 Russian Tortoise (tito and lulu)
0.0.2 Red Ear Sliders (bernie and ernie)
0.0.3 Painted Turtles (larry, curly and moe)
1.0.0 Bearded Dragon (marshmellow)
0.0.1 Savannah Monitor (beef)
1.0.0 Peachfront Conure (kermit)
0.1.0 Australian Shepheard (layla)
2.1.0 Crazy Cats (babe, sabastian, tinkerbell)
0.1.0 Lion Head Rabbit (daisy)
0.1.0 Ferret (jordan)
0.2.0 Guinea Pigs (lilly and petunia)
0.0.1 White Tree Frog (dumpy jr.)
0.0.2 Fire Belly Newts (spork and blaze)
0.0.1 Fire Belly Toad (ferdinan)
0.0.1 Red Spotted Newt ( red)
0.0.2 Bull Frogs (goliath and tubby)
0.0.1 Rainbow Ameive (jack)
0.0.1 Spectacled caiman (wilbert)
0.0.3 Green Anoles
1.0.0 Bahama Anole
0.0.1 Long Tail Grass Lizard
Lots Of Fish

I aint seen the critter but it sounds like it might be a healed burn.
A temp gun is your friend, use it.

Scott
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Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

Hello,

Beware of the halogen floods that have the clear hexagon in the middle of the bulb. This lens structure focuses the light and HEAT into one small area. FR mentioned this in previous posts and prior to this I found a dry branch smoking in one of my Uro cages, below this kind of light. These lights are dangerous when used in the manner that we do. Your lizards might have a burn but more importantly you should try to judge if is causing the lizard discomfort- it may require vet attention... Best to you- Mike

Im not going to guess at what the skin problem is without seeing it.
The bulbs as mentioned are not always the problem, its in the details and the basking spot.
See most of those bulbs with what appears to be a clear center simply have a octagon with smaller bubbles than the rest of the bulb, these dont focus the light as a spot bulb does, but those with a real clear center are a flood/spot bulb.
Commonly the problem falls in a bulb thats hot, air temps in the cage are too low, the lizard spends too much time under a single bulb trying to evenly heat up its entire body, and gets a burn in the upper back, or middle of the back. The lizard knows its body hasnt made it to the right temps yet, so it sticks around too long and burns.
Another cause is a basking spot with multiple lights on something such as an angled rock, or an angled branch, the upper area of the branch is closer to the bulbs, so therefore hotter, the lizard hasnt heated up completely and burns in one area trying to.
Rubbing against a rock climbing under it can cause a wear mark that gets hard sometimes, but this goes away by the next shed.
Post some pictures of the injury, and the cage, how the light is positioned, and the basking spot.