Missing scale??

[Saml8]

My snow just shed and I noticed a spot on her. When I enlarge the picture it looks like a missing scale..?? Any ideas on how this can happen? Usually she sheds in one full piece, however this time it was in 2 pieces.

[Twolunger]

Nobody will be able to definitively tell you how that happened. I can tell you that right after a shed the new skin layer is quite tender, and my snakes usually hide for a day or two, sometimes right in their water bowl. Hopefully this little ding was caused when she attempted to shed the old skin layer. I would put triple-antibiotic on the spot, just to make sure bacteria doesn't enter the skin. She will probably shed again later and be back to normal.

[Saml8]

Thanks Twolunger! Maybe in an attempt to get the second half of her shed off the scale was damaged. I will put a antibiotic ointment on her.

[Twolunger]

Some of my corns shed so silently that you don't even notice it. They rub on the substrate, water bowl, or side of their container to get the shed started and slither out of the old skin layer. I have others that thrash around, piling up the substrate, including filling up their water bowls with it, and it appears that they are going bonkers. It's easy for the latter to damage a scale or two.