Help! BTS with discoloration on nose scales?

[CGrowmez]

Hi I recently acquired/rescued a BTS from a pretty bad situation. There were multiple baby/juvenile bts housed in a 20gal tank without proper heat and humidity. My question and concern is this patch of white/discolored scales on his nose. The person I got him from said that it was just excess she’d and it’s nothing to worry about. I would like some other opinions please. I’ve attached pictures. The skink is eating and at a great weight and is very healthy otherwise. I’ve kept Beardies and uromastyx for over 10 years but this is my first BTS. Any advice/opinions would be highly appreciated

[splashy07]

He looks a bit dark, I'm thinking he is beginning a shed and possibly rubbed his nose on something and the shed skin there has already come off. I'd suggest a lot of humidity for this little guy so he can shed properly, a humid hide would do nicely. Please keep us posted, thanks for saving him from his previous awful conditions. Keep an eye out for mites, and a fecal couldn't hurt at your vet. Recent imports are prone to parasites and whatnot. Good luck with the cute little guy!

[CGrowmez]

He looks a bit dark, I'm thinking he is beginning a shed and possibly rubbed his nose on something and the shed skin there has already come off. I'd suggest a lot of humidity for this little guy so he can shed properly, a humid hide would do nicely. Please keep us posted, thanks for saving him from his previous awful conditions. Keep an eye out for mites, and a fecal couldn't hurt at your vet. Recent imports are prone to parasites and whatnot. Good luck with the cute little guy!

Thank you so much! My intentions are on keeping this little guy as healthy as possible so I am very happy to have stumbled across this community as I am very new to the species. I have him on reprobate substrate which seems to be pretty humid although I assume I should attain something to measure humidity? Would you have a recommendation on that? Do you think I should give a spray of water into the enclosure for some extra humidity? I live in Las Vegas so it is very dry climate here. Thanks for the help.

[CGrowmez]

He looks a bit dark, I'm thinking he is beginning a shed and possibly rubbed his nose on something and the shed skin there has already come off. I'd suggest a lot of humidity for this little guy so he can shed properly, a humid hide would do nicely. Please keep us posted, thanks for saving him from his previous awful conditions. Keep an eye out for mites, and a fecal couldn't hurt at your vet. Recent imports are prone to parasites and whatnot. Good luck with the cute little guy!

Thank you so much! My intentions are on keeping this little guy as healthy as possible so I am very happy to have stumbled across this community as I am very new to the species. I have him on reprobate substrate which seems to be pretty humid although I assume I should attain something to measure humidity? Would you have a recommendation on that? Do you think I should give a spray of water into the enclosure for some extra humidity? I live in Las Vegas so it is very dry climate here. Thanks for the help.

“Reptobark”****

[kayla990]

I'll chip in a little with the humidity question:

It looks like you've got an Indonesian type; which require a higher humidity vs. the Australian types. The Reptibark should hold humidity pretty well (and I'd say since you're not sure what your humidity level is, a good spray down in the morning/evening could be an idea since you live in a dry environment). A hygrometer is often used to measure the humidity levels, with some reptile specific hygrometers also measuring temperature at the same time.

A relatively large waterdish is known to help with humidity; or suggested additional items such as sphagnum moss or creating a humid hide can help out. I'm not great at ID'ing (I've got better chance from the belly scale pattern, but not an expert!), but just to make you aware that the Halmahera types need higher humidity (~80-90%) vs. other indonesian types (generally 60-80%, some aim for consistent 80%), so you may want to get an ID.

And seconding splashy07's comments it's great you've been able to rescue the little guy! Goodluck and don't hesitate to ask more

[CGrowmez]

I'll chip in a little with the humidity question:

It looks like you've got an Indonesian type; which require a higher humidity vs. the Australian types. The Reptibark should hold humidity pretty well (and I'd say since you're not sure what your humidity level is, a good spray down in the morning/evening could be an idea since you live in a dry environment). A hygrometer is often used to measure the humidity levels, with some reptile specific hygrometers also measuring temperature at the same time.

A relatively large waterdish is known to help with humidity; or suggested additional items such as sphagnum moss or creating a humid hide can help out. I'm not great at ID'ing (I've got better chance from the belly scale pattern, but not an expert!), but just to make you aware that the Halmahera types need higher humidity (~80-90%) vs. other indonesian types (generally 60-80%, some aim for consistent 80%), so you may want to get an ID.

And seconding splashy07's comments it's great you've been able to rescue the little guy! Goodluck and don't hesitate to ask more

Thank you so much for the input! I will definitely get a hydrometer and when I get home I will post some more detailed pictures of the little guy specifically his belly. My next question was gonna be his type because I read that certain types are more humidity specific haha! You guys are life savers. None of the vets or pet store people in my area seem to know much about BTS so it has been a struggle for me to get the proper info I need to take care of him thus far

[CGrowmez]

Here are some more pics of the little guy specifically tried to get his belly but he was being a wiggler!

[kayla990]

No problem - Glad we're able to help out!

Haha awww so cute! You did well getting those pictures! I can say it's not a Halmahera (as they have a very dark belly with large black spots) - so you're in the clear for needing to extreme humidity. I'd be tempted to say it's a Meruake - though hopefully another person can confirm this.

How is his shed coming along? If it seems to be sticking, we've found that placing in a shallow luke-warm 'bath' works really well to loosen up the scales (for a few minutes, doesn't need to be too long). A kitchen dish or bathroom sink would likely work since he's still little. It can be easier to keep them on your hand and dip them gently into the water (so that the feet and up to half the body is covered) or can let them rest themselves if it's shallow enough.

Hope the nose shed will look normal soon!

And.. just in case you've not seen it already - there's a great diet sheet on here. As he's so little, grain free cat food is a good protein source (which is changed to grain-free dog food when adults). It's good to mix in vegetables, leafy greens and occasional fruit from the list - which can be mixed directly into the cat food as a staple.

[splashy07]

Yes, he's having a difficult shed all right. It's all about humidity with these guys. As previously mentioned, large water bowl, cypress mulch, repti-bark or similar, and a hygrometer to measure levels is recommended. If you are using a glass cage with a screen cover I'd suggest covering the top opposite the light fixture with foil to help seal in the humidity as much as possible. Glass/screen enclosures have a hard time holding humidity otherwise. Twice daily misting will help also, just make sure cage temps are at optimum warmth when doing so. Let him stand in lukewarm water for a bit to make sure those little toes get it all off too. This is a known problem area, and many lose their toes as a result! Then a wipe down with a warm damp towel should help loosen the old skin. Best of luck to you and the little one, he is adorable and deserves the best of care. Looks like he is going to get it now!!

[CGrowmez]

Thank you much! I’ve got his humidity levels in between 40-70% (depending on when I mist) and I foiled in half of the screen top as well to trap the humidity. I also soaked him today for about 10 min a rubbed off most of his shed. His toes actually look good with all the shed gone. The only place I’m still very concerned about is his nose. How long do I wait and see if there are any changes? I will post more pics. Otherwise he is doing extremely well! He is eating and pooping well. I’m feeding him grain free cat food mixed with mustard and dandelion greens and an occasional blueberry

[splashy07]

If you can get the humidity to 70+ at all times this would be optimum, and he could probably finish shedding himself. Those leftover pieces can be stubborn, you may try a warm damp towel to gentle rub them off. You can also make a humid hide for him. I'm sure he will be ok!

[CGrowmez]

Update on my little guy: he shed everything off real nice. Seems to be settling really well. Still has the discoloration on his nose scales but it is looking better everyday. To clarify, do you guys think the nose scale needs to shed or it was an early shed? We named him Tater. He’s eating great. Mix of premium grain free cat food and greens with an occasional snail or two. Hey m gonna make another thread to get the most positive species identification I can. Thank you guys so much!

[kayla990]

He's looking in such better condition! Nicely done ^__^ I can't say much with what should be expected of the nose scales.. overall still looks quite dark scales compared to the nose, I would suspect after a few more sheds things should equal colour-wise (as a guess - maybe the darkness is still from previous bad sheds before you got him). All the best!

[Tokkay]

I have a Kei Island skink with a pink nose like that! I think perhaps some skinks just have different colored noses? I've had my boy for over 2 years and his nose has always been that way.

I don't have a lot of great pictures showing it but it's pretty easy to see in the one I attached

[CGrowmez]

Oh wow! Yeah my guys nose looks almost identical to yours! Well that’s good to know that it’s not something serious and could possibly be genetic. Your skink is too cute!! Thank you

[Y33T]

mine sorta has the same white nose scales but it doesn't stand out as much.

[3Blue]

Mine has a weird pinkish looking nose, different from any other color on her. Never thought to much about it.