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BP has wrinkled, flaky scales? Advice needed

B

Black_Shark

New member
Hey all,

My 2.5 year old BP has some patches of wrinkled, flaky scales. Now, she has had this before during her last shed. She got it about a week or two before she went into shed but it was due to horrid humidity ( I went away for thanksgiving came back to a spilled water bowl and bone dry humidity. That was a bad shed.) Now shes showing the same symptoms again. Is this just a normal part of the shedding process for some snakes because she eats great, poos great, pees great, and in general is showing 0 signs for concern. What are your opinions/exp.?

Setup

41q tub with ambient temps of 80+degrees, hot side 91-92, humidity in the high 50's to low 60's constantly with Aspen bedding.
 
Dehydration? How? She has a pretty big water bowl, enough for a small dog, humidity is at a constant 50-60%. How is she dehydrated?
 
Also, her eyes are not dented whatsoever. They are perfectly normal, shiny looking eyes. She also just started feeling thsi way a couple of days ago, she is not normally like this which is why I ask. She has a constant supply of fresh water and humidity is kept at a constant level as measured by 2 hygrometers.
 
man, i need to donate so I can get an edit button.

Her scales are still shiny and lustrous with no dulling of color as of yet. Her belly feels rough though as it was previously when she went into shed.
 
5th edit: Nor does she have any loose skin, wrinkled skin, etc. Shes a completely healthy, normal ball python with some rough patches of scales and rough belly and some flaking. Her belly does look like it is starting to turn pinkish but that could very well be my imagniation.
 
If it has a bad shed or if it is wrinkled it's dehydration....

Without seeing the snake it's hard to tell from a description
THINK..... If my snake looks like a ball bag it had hydration issues...
 
It sounds like the beginning of dehydration, nothing extreme. Just soak her in water for 30 minutes a few times a week and it should clear up after the next shed.

The humidity is perfect in there so I wouldn't change anything else.
 
VickyChaiTea said:
It sounds like the beginning of dehydration, nothing extreme. Just soak her in water for 30 minutes a few times a week and it should clear up after the next shed.

The humidity is perfect in there so I wouldn't change anything else.
Click to expand...
Sorry, but either the humidity is wrong or it's not dehydration.... You don't get one without the other IMO...
When the snake is a week or so off shed, up the humidity by either moving the water bowl to the hot end or spilling a bit of water around.....
 
hmmm... but how is she dehydrated with the humidity where it should be, plenty of fresh water? and I'll start soaking her for 30 min a few times a week and see how that works. Should I keep soaking her after she sheds too?
 
snakewispera snr said:
Sorry, but either the humidity is wrong or it's not dehydration.... You don't get one without the other IMO...
When the snake is a week or so off shed, up the humidity by either moving the water bowl to the hot end or spilling a bit of water around.....
Click to expand...

Hmmm.. i'll try soaking her for 30 min a few times a week and see if I get a nice clean shed. But 2 accurites are off about the humidity? Granted, I never really bumped up humidity during shed, usually just kept it at 50-60. I'll bump it up to 80-90 this time around and see what happens.
 
Edit: My roommate who breeds balls and has 10+ just got home and I had him look at her. He said that she looks perfectly fine and healthy to him and that she is not dehydrated at all because she doesnt have the signs of dehydration besides the scales which can also be cause by the beginning of the shed process. He also said his burmese does this right before it goes into shed so its nothing to worry about. but said if im worried about a bad shed to soak her during her shedding process.
 
Edit: Her belly is also starting to turn pink. Its very light but its beginning to turn, along with the rough belly scales and rough pacthes of scales makes me believe shes starting her shed cycle. He did say that my humidity is way too low for a successful BP shed and that it should be 90+. He keeps his at 100 for the shed week.
 
Black_Shark said:
Edit: Her belly is also starting to turn pink. Its very light but its beginning to turn, along with the rough belly scales and rough pacthes of scales makes me believe shes starting her shed cycle. He did say that my humidity is way too low for a successful BP shed and that it should be 90+. He keeps his at 100 for the shed week.
Click to expand...
........... ;)
 
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