My corn shed yesterday and as I was helping him with the last little piece of his tail I noticed that a little piece on his head didn't come off. He HATES having his head touched so as soon as my finger goes near his head he runs away. I can't figure out what to do. Would it lead to any problems if I just left it alone? Would it come off in the next shed? The picture is huge, I know but otherwise you can't see the little piece on the head. I circled it so you know where to look. Any suggestions?
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Incomplete shed--> problems?
- Thread starter Iris
- Start date
My corn didn't get it all off her tail before and I used a wet towel and just let her crawl through while I was holding it and that helped to get it off. It may work if you just let him crawl through a wet towel or I notice some people use a box with some damp moss in it. hope it helps
Simon
Corn Manic
soaking it in luke warm water for at least 15 min and then use a wet paper towel and let it crawl in and it should help to take the old skin off.
Leaving old skin on can cause a problem. The area with the old skin could die and eventually the whole part could fall off. Some of the people on this forum has a problem like that already. But then it doesn't cause them to death.....but still it doesn't look as good.
Good luck and Happy Herping!
Leaving old skin on can cause a problem. The area with the old skin could die and eventually the whole part could fall off. Some of the people on this forum has a problem like that already. But then it doesn't cause them to death.....but still it doesn't look as good.
Good luck and Happy Herping!
yeah like Lynn said...
well something you could consider is giving him a warm bath and hope he'll submerg and then let him shed it on his own. Since that won't alway's work sometimes if it's olny a small patch I'll leave it be and next shed it'll be gone. i don't know if it'll work if it dosen't it probably happens in the wild and I don't think it'll make a huge deal?
I dunno just try and give it abath and see wht happens good luck!
well something you could consider is giving him a warm bath and hope he'll submerg and then let him shed it on his own. Since that won't alway's work sometimes if it's olny a small patch I'll leave it be and next shed it'll be gone. i don't know if it'll work if it dosen't it probably happens in the wild and I don't think it'll make a huge deal?
I dunno just try and give it abath and see wht happens good luck!
No no, thanks for all the ideas! I'm just so worried about anything and everything that has to do with this snake..my one and only (so far..) I tend to make a big deal out of minor things..
If it was part of the tail then I'd be worried about the tail falling off or whatever but I don't think his head will fall off! I'll just raise the humidity in the tank a bit and see if he'll get it off on his own.
If it was part of the tail then I'd be worried about the tail falling off or whatever but I don't think his head will fall off! I'll just raise the humidity in the tank a bit and see if he'll get it off on his own.
Simon
Corn Manic
well the head wont fall off.....hahah but then the scale on that part would. I have had experience with that. One of my amels shed and had a bit of old skin stuck on his head. (I didn't notice until it was too late....) The lost scale is still there right at this moment. It kinda looks like a scar on the head....which isn't a nice scene.....But then I do hope that the scale would regrow.....I don't know about this cause I have never been that careless to leave unshed skin on......until the amel.....
so if I was you I would soak it in a container with lid and air holes in and make it soak in there for 15 min and then try and help it peel the old skin off.
Good luck and Happy Herping!
so if I was you I would soak it in a container with lid and air holes in and make it soak in there for 15 min and then try and help it peel the old skin off.
Good luck and Happy Herping!
hm...well i guess I could make the tank kind of moist for a while and then I'll use a pair of tweezers to peel it off..
once he got his head stuck to a piece of scotch tape and the scales peeled off..for some reason I was just reminded of that!
Well here I go to put a pan of water over the heat pad in Xavier's tank now..I'll report back later about my success/failure and maybe another picture.
once he got his head stuck to a piece of scotch tape and the scales peeled off..for some reason I was just reminded of that!
Well here I go to put a pan of water over the heat pad in Xavier's tank now..I'll report back later about my success/failure and maybe another picture.
Actually, I ended up just putting him in a container with a bunch of wet paper towels. He hates it and is shoving his face into the corners trying to get out. I can even see him trembling with the effort to shove his face through...
Anyway, before that I tried to peel the scale off using tweezers to catch an edge and pull the whole thing off. It didn't work. First, he wouldn't stop moving his darn head and if I gently tried to restrain him, of course he pulled away and tried to escape from my grasp. He officially hates me.
I got this clear plastic box and shredded some paper towels and wet them with warm water (even though they'll eventually cool down anyway..) and filled 3/4 of the box with them. Then I poked some holes in the lid. (four very small ones so no moisture nor Xavier can get out) Then I put Xavier in the box and shut the lid really quickly. I'll wait about 30 minutes I guess and check up on him to see if he's worked it off yet. If not, I'll try the tweezers again.
Can't you just hear him saying,"Let me out!"??
Anyway, before that I tried to peel the scale off using tweezers to catch an edge and pull the whole thing off. It didn't work. First, he wouldn't stop moving his darn head and if I gently tried to restrain him, of course he pulled away and tried to escape from my grasp. He officially hates me.
I got this clear plastic box and shredded some paper towels and wet them with warm water (even though they'll eventually cool down anyway..) and filled 3/4 of the box with them. Then I poked some holes in the lid. (four very small ones so no moisture nor Xavier can get out) Then I put Xavier in the box and shut the lid really quickly. I'll wait about 30 minutes I guess and check up on him to see if he's worked it off yet. If not, I'll try the tweezers again.
Can't you just hear him saying,"Let me out!"??
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It didn't work..
Didn't work so I put a whole bunch of shredded paper towels in the tank itself and left his water bowl and 2 hides in the tank. Maybe after one (or more) night it will come off..I don't know what else to do.
What a terrible picture! but you can see basically everything (including the mess on the shelf above..) He's in the picture too, on the very left if you look hard enough.
Didn't work so I put a whole bunch of shredded paper towels in the tank itself and left his water bowl and 2 hides in the tank. Maybe after one (or more) night it will come off..I don't know what else to do.
What a terrible picture! but you can see basically everything (including the mess on the shelf above..) He's in the picture too, on the very left if you look hard enough.
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It still didn't come off...
He hates the moisture and stays in the little rim of the tank on the top, and as soon as i reach my hand in he comes toward me and onto my hand begging to let him into a drier area. (which is SO cute!)
I don't know what else to try...I can't use the tweezers and he isn't gonna get it off by himself. I think I'm just gonna leave it alone and hopefully he will get it off in the next shed. If not...well I don't really mind if he ends up with a little ugly spot on his head...hopefully he won't either
He hates the moisture and stays in the little rim of the tank on the top, and as soon as i reach my hand in he comes toward me and onto my hand begging to let him into a drier area. (which is SO cute!)
I don't know what else to try...I can't use the tweezers and he isn't gonna get it off by himself. I think I'm just gonna leave it alone and hopefully he will get it off in the next shed. If not...well I don't really mind if he ends up with a little ugly spot on his head...hopefully he won't either
Gregg
Ancient Elder
Won't Shed the last bit?
Hi Iris,
Why not let it be? A piece that small is not worth the stress you might put your snake through trying to get it off. It won't hurt the snake to leave it. It may eventually come off on its own before the next shed, or it may come off at the next shed, but either way, the snake will be just fine in the meantime. Corn snakes are quite hardy. Shedding is also something snakes have been doing for a few million years. It is new only for us humans.
I don't mean to express a lack of concern. I just don't want to see your snake, or you, get too stressed out over a non-life threatening situation. Everything will be ok, okay?
Hi Iris,
Why not let it be? A piece that small is not worth the stress you might put your snake through trying to get it off. It won't hurt the snake to leave it. It may eventually come off on its own before the next shed, or it may come off at the next shed, but either way, the snake will be just fine in the meantime. Corn snakes are quite hardy. Shedding is also something snakes have been doing for a few million years. It is new only for us humans.
I don't mean to express a lack of concern. I just don't want to see your snake, or you, get too stressed out over a non-life threatening situation. Everything will be ok, okay?
JakeTheSnake
New member
I remember on the old board that DrMike suggest bathing or allowing the to be put into a container of warm(not hot or cold) water. Thus keeping the skin hydrated, and when time comes for a shed no problems occur. I have been doing this for the past year and it seems my snake shed fully and all intact. Just my two cents.
Thanks for the reassurance, Gregg. I tend to freak out about every single little thing when it comes around to my little friend. I figured I'll just leave it alone especially since I can't figure out what to do about it.
I always raise the humidity to about 60%-70% whenever his eyes get cloudy so he'll have an easier time but I guess he didn't get that piece of this time for whatever reason.
And Wendy, thanks for the concern. I took out all the wet paper towels and everything is back to normal now. Scale rot certainly sounds like a possibility but I only had the extra damp paper towels in for a few hours. He's all happy now especially with a mouse in his stomach.
I figured I'll just leave it alone especially since I can't figure out what to do about it. I always raise the humidity to about 60%-70% whenever his eyes get cloudy so he'll have an easier time but I guess he didn't get that piece of this time for whatever reason.
And Wendy, thanks for the concern. I took out all the wet paper towels and everything is back to normal now. Scale rot certainly sounds like a possibility but I only had the extra damp paper towels in for a few hours. He's all happy now especially with a mouse in his stomach.
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