Missing scales?

[Hankj]

This snake I found/rescued has some scales missing on his head. Do they ever grow back when they shed their skin or anything?

Also I have noticed a lot of the time when I am sitting by the tank watching him he will come closest to me and open his mouth. It almost seems like he is struggling too or yawning. The left side of his mouth opens faster then the right. The right side is also the side with the damaged eye. I can not see any teeth either. I don't know much about garters but I thought I should be able to see some teeth?

[guidofatherof5]

The teeth are hidden by the gums for the most part.
Would the missing scales be the result of the injury to the head?
Yawning could be the result of an injury to the jaw.
Can you post a photo or two, that would be great.

[ConcinusMan]

Teeth aren't easy to see. Like Steve said, they are obscured by soft gums. They only protrude out when the gums are pushed down, like when gripping food. Besides that, even when you're looking right at the teeth, they are tiny and somewhat translucent like fish teeth, making them difficult to see.

I can't see teeth in the mouth of my biggest garter (about 3.5 feet) but when I was feeding her recently, she missed the food and bit my thumb. I could definitely feel her teeth, and they are so sharp, it drew blood.

Their lower jaw is two pieces, left bone and right bone, so they move independently. Not like our jaw which is one bone. It's perfectly normal for one side to open separately from the other. I think you're just seeing a normal yawn but it's possible he's doing this because of discomfort caused by the injury.

[guidofatherof5]

If you look closely at this photo you can just make out the tips of the teeth.
I call them needle teeth.

[ConcinusMan]

Great photo! Yes, they are like little needles. Very sharp. So sharp, you don't feel them penetrate your skin. You only feel it once they are in, and you try to pull back, or the snake pulls back.

[Hankj]

Okay. So it's not like a territorial thing? Like he's trying to intimidate me by opening his mouth? He's always pointing towards me when he does it.

But the scales will grow back right?

[ConcinusMan]

When it's a threat display, they will usually get in a strike pose, and lunge toward you with mouth open, as if they were going to bite you. Like here:



The scales will not grow back.

[EasternGirl]

Oh Richard....that is my favorite video on here...lol.

Hankj....My snake, Selena, often opens her mouth like that when she first wakes up (yawning) and other times when she comes up to me and does it...I feed her and she usually gobbles up her food. Maybe your snake is telling you he is hungry?

[EasternGirl]

Oh Steve, btw...awesome photo!

[Hankj]

Yeah he is not getting into strike mode. He is just opening his mouth lol. It did seem to me like a "help me i'm injured" thing or a "i'm hungry" thing, but we are new to each other I didn't think he could instinctively look to me for help, maybe they are smarter than I think =). I'll try to feed him again tomorrow, buy some fish and worms.

What negative consequences can come from his missing scales? He can live fine in captivity without them, right? : /