Unusually long time in cave?

[RossiButtersnowCorn]

Hey,

My corn hasn't eaten in 3 weeks now, it has started since I last cleaned out the tank, put in a new moist cave and since then she hasn't come out! Not even to warm up, I checked her last Wednesday and she was cloudly as I thought she might just be shedding, but she's been in the cave almost 2 weeks prior to going cloudy and now nearly a week after which is never normal for her.

She responded as normal when I opened the cave but she still hasn't come out :S

Any idea's why and should I take her out myself or is that a very bad idea?

Thanks guys n girls.

Ross

[Nanci]

Did she shed?

[RossiButtersnowCorn]

Hi Nanci,

No she hasn't as far as I'm aware, I just opened the cave to check her and there is no skin in the cave, she isn't cloudy but she took a hell of a long time to react, and I'm not surprised I don't think she has been over on the heat mat in 3 weeks! :(

[Nanci]

But on Wednesday she was blue for sure? How warm is your cool side? You know they "clear" before shedding, right, for 12- maybe 48 hours?

[RossiButtersnowCorn]

She was yes, I could tell for sure by her eyes. My cool side is just 19. I know they go clear yes...she has shed quite a few times, she's almost 2yrs old.

[airenlow]

If given the choice, mine would use a moist hide over a normal hide 99.9% of the time...and then would never leave it. So, I only put moist hides in when the snakes are about to clear up before shedding.

[Nanci]

Well, that's cool, but my temps drop down that much at night, in the winter. I guess I wouldn't worry. A two year old can go a long time without eating, and she isn't moving because she hasn't shed yet. If it was my snake, I'd just leave her till she sheds, and feed then. It should be any day now. Very soon.

[RossiButtersnowCorn]

Ok thanks Nanci, I'll see how it goes over the next few days. It is 0c outside at the moment, in warmer times the cool side is about 23.

Cheers,

Ross

[MinLynn]

If given the choice, mine would use a moist hide over a normal hide 99.9% of the time...and then would never leave it. So, I only put moist hides in when the snakes are about to clear up before shedding.

All three of mine are the same way! However, I found that they will also stay in the moist hide if I just leave dry moss in there as well(so I guess it isn't really a moist hide anymore is it?). Maybe they just like the spagnum moss?

[nrfitchett4]

Hey,

My corn hasn't eaten in 3 weeks now, it has started since I last cleaned out the tank, put in a new moist cave and since then she hasn't come out! Not even to warm up, I checked her last Wednesday and she was cloudly as I thought she might just be shedding, but she's been in the cave almost 2 weeks prior to going cloudy and now nearly a week after which is never normal for her.

She responded as normal when I opened the cave but she still hasn't come out :S

Any idea's why and should I take her out myself or is that a very bad idea?

Thanks guys n girls.

Ross

mine did the same thing when we bought a moist hide. curls up in it and won't come out. I think it feels safest for it. But I noticed after the last feed that she would stay on the cool side no matter what in the cave. so I moved it to the warm side and same thing, she just stayed in there. So, I took the hide out and am only going to use it for shedding.
I enjoy having to "hunt" for her in the morning, she is quite the hider in just a 10 gallon tank.

[RossiButtersnowCorn]

Ok thanks! Did your corn not even go to the warm side to regulate body temp?

[nrfitchett4]

Ok thanks! Did your corn not even go to the warm side to regulate body temp?

she didn't seem to, and her normal meal was still visible after 48 hours. that is when I moved her hide to the warm side and the bump disappeared within 24 hours after that. I'm just glad she didn't regurge staying on the cooler side.
When that hide isn't in the viv, she could be anywhere and one morning I had to take everything out and thought she had escaped, but she was hiding very well under the substrate.
Good luck on yours. I would probably take the moist hide out unless its shedding time and if so, then move it to the warm side (make sure it is around 85 degrees) and keep misting the hide.

[RossiButtersnowCorn]

Cheers, I will try and move the cave over to the warmer side and see what happens. After she sheds I may move it back and see what happens. This isn't the first moist cave I've had that's why it's strange, she had a near identicle one but she was getting too big for it.

She would go in it before shed and then come out to shed and then move between the hot and cool like normal.

I bought her a bigger moist cave and now she hasn't left! (sorry I didn't explain she had a moist cave before) so it is new behavior. I will try what you suggested.

Thanks,
Ross

[Nanci]

I wouldn't move the cave, I'd provide a second one. The snake chose the temp she likes, and now that she is blue, she may be reluctant to move out of a too-warm hide.

[RossiButtersnowCorn]

Oh ok yes your right. She does have quite a big rock cave on the hot side and also a big log between the hot and cold which she can just about fit under. She's not a really shy snake as lately she has even gone to sleep out in the open.

I will leave her for a couple of days more and see what happens.

Thanks guys,

Ross

[RossiButtersnowCorn]

Well just to update, Wednesday I noticed she had finally moved to the hot cave, but stilll no shed. So yesterday I fed her and she took it, when I woke up this morning she had shed cleanly :)

Thanks,
Ross