Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is about my suri from Barry Miller. Right after I got her I noticed that she had a tiny flake of excess skin right around the corner of her lip. So I very gently pulled it off. Today when I had her out I checked out the spot and noticed it had a slight hint of a yellowish color. It is right below the mouth line. If you look really close you can see its a tiny bit rough where the flake was.

I checked out the other side and it did not have that yellow tint. Also I think that on the side with the yellow her mouth is slightly opened a bit more than the other (but it still looks normal). That I think my be my imagination because you have to stare very hard to see a difference. You can only see the very small spot of yellow in direct sunlight. If it is dim, or you use an ordinary light you can't see it. Did taking that tiny bit of skin off trigger something? There is no possible way this can be early signs of mouth rot, can it? Or am I overreacting.

To answer your question. I don't know. But anytime you buy a boa from someone and you think there is something wrong you should notify the breeder/seller a.s.a.p.
Next let me say pulling off dry skin is never a good idea. Keep an eye on the spot and see if it goes away after your boa sheds the next time.
Chuck

The above is good advice.
In addition, if somthing is so small that it can't be seen half the time it is probably negligeable. Depending on your experience, open the mouth and look for abnormalities. It is a good idea to bring any new pet in for a vet checkup and this may be the best course of action for you. We can't examine an animal over the internet.

Have fun with your new boa

Yeah it's probably nothing to worry about. If you didn't know it was there, it's very hard to find it. She cost me close to $500 so I am definitly being cautious.

You can check for mouth rot just open the mouth and look for anything that looks red, pussy, ozzing.. you will be able to tell. other than than i would say that are just examining the new animal and looking at every little scale (like we all do) i would contact the seller (Barry always stands behind his animals)and wait with some time to see what it heals like... I dont think you have a problem just looking to close at something normal...LOL... it happens to all of us.

Sincerely,
Rose Hipskind

PS. Vet check is always a good idea!
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www.srsnakes.com

I contacted Barry and he was VERY helpfull. Said there was nothing to worry about, that the yellowish tint was just a little retained skin and should come off next shed. I fell a lot better now.