Reptile & Amphibian Forums

A friend sent me a pic of the side of his boa. There was a heat rock in cage at one time, but it gone now, but besides the scales looking burned there are many that are turning white. Has anyone ever seen this or know what this could be? He lives quite a ways from me, so I blew this pic up to post it here...hopeing he could get some answers. Maybe it is a disease of some kind? Let me know what you all think. Andy

Andy,
boa scales are made of the same things as our finger nails.(keratin).I think when you damage, burn or bend the cutical they turn white.If a the area starts to get infected or moist than I would say it could be a fungus of some sort.
My boa also has WHITE DISCOLORED scales.I thought that it might be a scale rot of some sort and I remember pulling him out of the rack one night and he hooked around the lip of the tub.I only noticed a few days after the incident.It has been 2 weeks now and it hasn't grown or gotten moist and infected.Hope this helps. Just my humble oppinion. Ash Lopez

THIS IS THE BEST PICS THAT I COULD TAKE.IT LOOKS ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE WHITE PART IN YOUR PIC.

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No matter what color the scar or burn may start out to be, it will usually turn white as it no longers 'supports' that area. This is also in aid to healing and eventually those scales would probably shed off.

It should evenually heal, considering you keep it clean and dry, and it may regenerate the scales over the area, or may just be a scar.

I had a hypo boa left out in the sun, by the person I bought it from. It overheated the animal and it immediately went into shed and shed too soon... this seemingly ripped off many scales and lots of color!
At first, all the affected area was snow white. Then it all turned pitch black. Little by little, and I mean very slowly, over a 3 year period, it cleared up to the point where you would never know what happened.
When I received her, she almost looked anery!!!!!!
When I sold her she looked like a nice hypo!

If the burn went below the skin, I would seek Vet assistance.
If not, i would keep it clean and dry, and with a little patience, all should be well.

Take care, Joe
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Thanks and take care - Joe Rollo
'Tis not the stongest of the species that will eventually survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change' Charles Darwin

Thanks all for the advice...I forwarded the info to him, and I agree it does look like a burn. I invited him here to the forum, so he can get this host of great info! Thanks again, Andy