should i be worried??

[antek55]

i was doing research and i read that the snakes shed should come off in once peice. when i got my snake, it shedded like the second week and it was all in in peice, then the second shed period came along and it was in three peices, all full and intact but in three peices.. is that bad or its ok??

[AliCat37]

That is fine. As long as it all comes off "at once" meaning that the snake isn't covered with dead skin for several days or weeks.

[antek55]

oooohh, ok good info. thanks! what would i do if the skin doess stay on for days and or weeks? just pull it off??

[Caryl]

Hopefully that won't happen! If after a shed there are pieces remaining on the snake, the best thing to do is address it right away. Put the snake in a moist hide, meaning a box with something moist (damp sphagnum moss is best) and he'll probably take care of it himself. If not, there are other ways you can help. The Husbandry section has lots of advice for dealing with bad sheds. Don't borrow trouble, though. As long as your humidity is good and your snake is healthy, chances are he won't have such troubles. :-)

[MikeSaw23]

When your snake goes into "blue" (shed time), spray moisture (warm water) in his cage. This should aid in the humidity levels for your snake to shed successfully.

[Alicia P]

Don't just pull it off! It is attached pretty good and you could damage the new layer underneath.

You could do like Chip said and put in a humid hide or you could put a towel in the bottom of a plastic tote and put in 1/4 to 1/2 inch of 82-86 degree water, which will not feel warm to you, but will be just right for your snake. Add your snake and let him have a good (supervised) soak. You can use your bathtub, but be warned most snakes will poop in the water. The water will help soften the remaining shed and the towel will give him something to rub on to help get it off.

If you add a humid hide when you notice your snake is blue the shed will most likely come off all in one piece. Any small plastic container with a hole cut in the side or top will work for a humid hide. It doesn't have to be fancy. You can use damp paper towels, but they can get moldy so you'll need to change them out every day or so. You can get sphagnum moss at Lowes (http://www.lowes.com/pd_302806-1300-5040_0__?productId=3083357), it holds humidity really well and doesn't get moldy like paper towels can.