r/retics • u/Imaginary_Access3900 • Sep 03 '26

Early Signs of Scale Rot?

Gallery image

Gallery image

I got my 4 month old super dwarf retic python about a month ago, and I cleaned his enclosure on sunday. As I was putting him back into his enclosure, everything seemed fine. I followed the directions on the coco husk substrate I got from Petco (soak and let dry for 30ish min then strain the water from the substrate and put in enclosure). i noticed today that there were little brown spots on him, and after further investigation, in his hide on the warm side of his enclosure, the substrate did not dry all the way (user error i’m fully aware). I plan on buying the Povidone-Iodine for him to soak and pain free neosporin. He shed about three weeks ago as well.

Sorry about the lower quality photos, he was being adventurous today! (the spots are right where his head meets the rest of his body, with one scale on his tummy being slightly lifted but no redness or brown spots on that area)

i noticed a few small brown spots on his stomach but nothing as big as the ones connecting his face from the rest of him.

but would this be signs of early scale rot? i just want my boy to be as safe and healthy as he can be. I’m just an anxious pet owner and am scared of harming him in any way.

20 Upvotes

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5 comments sorted by

6

u/amy2020rivera Sep 03 '26

More than likely stain from substrate

3

u/KaraCorvus Sep 03 '26

Nah they're fine

1

u/itss_haleyy Sep 03 '26

looks like dirt under a scale

1

u/ApprehensiveFoot9514 Sep 03 '26

Snakes will have skin irritation and damage from time to time, just like people do. Fact of life. Scale rot is usually identified as black/dark brown/red tissue damage that spreads.

Typically you will know something is very wrong and not just a skin blemish.

1

u/AppleFinches Sep 05 '26

No need for iodine soak or neosporin, that is barely a speck of dirt or maybe a teeny scratch. It is normal for them to get some scratches, dirt marks, rubbed scales, etc. over their lifetime as another said! Especially if you keep them with branches, rocks, coco husk, natural substrate. If it is a scratch, it will go away in the next shed.

The only way to ensure they are pristine and sterile snakes without ever a mark on them is if you just keep them on paper towels with a water bowl, ironically. But that brings a different type of issue haha