I posted a couple of days ago that I thought my snake had shed. I was wrong. I have gone in this morning to find that he's attempted to shed, but its come of in bits, and has only had a partial shed. I put him in a small container with damp kitchen role in it and put the container on the heated pad end of the tank. Is that the right thing to do? How can I help him shed the rest of the skin?
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Help.....Really bad shed
- Thread starter jakewc2
- Start date
dawnrenee2000
Contributing Member
It would be best to put the moist container in the middle of his enclosure not right over the heated end. Let him stay in there for a while and it will help moisten his skin so he can shed it himself. If it is too torn up you might have to assist with a wet wash rag but its better if they can do it on their own like nature intended.
This is a sign that your enclosure is too dry. Next time you see him getting blue and ready to shed, mist the enclosure several times a day to raise the humidity for him and/or give him a couple soaks like you are now prior to his actual shed.
Best wishes to you and your snake.
This is a sign that your enclosure is too dry. Next time you see him getting blue and ready to shed, mist the enclosure several times a day to raise the humidity for him and/or give him a couple soaks like you are now prior to his actual shed.
Best wishes to you and your snake.
Hiya, he's ok, thakn goodness. I went in to look at him. He'd been in the humid hide for about half an hour, and I could see him trying to get the skin off. So I lifted him out in the damp kitchen towel, and gently let him run through it. He did and the skin came off right down to the tail. I made sure it was down to the end of the tail too. I did wonder if the cage was too dry.
when you say mist, is that all over the cage? and do you use a plant sprayer bottle? I have kitchen towl in the tank, I don't like the aspen, its way too dusty, and has too many sharp bits. Last time I used it I got a splinter.
dawnrenee2000 said:
when you say mist, is that all over the cage? and do you use a plant sprayer bottle? I have kitchen towl in the tank, I don't like the aspen, its way too dusty, and has too many sharp bits. Last time I used it I got a splinter.
Its the forst forum I've ever been on that doesn't allow you to. I run a forum myself and I have the edit function allowed there. 
Plissken
Crazy Snail Lady
dawnrenee2000 said:
Not neccessarily. I've heard that stress can cause a bad shed. Connor's first shed with me was ATROCIOUS. Really, really awful. Next month, he shed absolutely perfectly, and I didn't raise the humidity in the slightest. He was just more settled in than before.
A humid hide isn't needed all the time. If for some reason your snake tended to favor it (spent all it's time in there), it could potentially get too much humidity and have respiratory problems. Best to just either wait until he goes into blue again and then put the humid hide in...OR...if you have trouble telling when he's in blue wait about 3-4 weeks (depending on how frequently he usually sheds) and then put the humid hide in until he sheds.
Regardless, if you leave it in there for any length of time (even just for a couple days) remember to check it to make sure it is still moist and hasn't dried out.
Regardless, if you leave it in there for any length of time (even just for a couple days) remember to check it to make sure it is still moist and hasn't dried out.
slim08
New member
The advice in this thread has been really useful. My 8 week old corn just went through a partial shed yesterday leaving about 1/3 of the skin on his tail.
I used a warm, damp cloth and while holding him allowed him to 'slither' through the cloth while I held it around him. I actually think he enjoyed it, both the warmth and the rubbing.
Anyhow, the remaining 1/3 came off promptly with no problems.
I think next time I will try to humidify the tank somewhat when it comes time to shed, although humidity here in England is rarely a problem (never drops below 60%).
I used a warm, damp cloth and while holding him allowed him to 'slither' through the cloth while I held it around him. I actually think he enjoyed it, both the warmth and the rubbing.
Anyhow, the remaining 1/3 came off promptly with no problems.
I think next time I will try to humidify the tank somewhat when it comes time to shed, although humidity here in England is rarely a problem (never drops below 60%).
dawnrenee2000
Contributing Member
johnny said:
Sorry Johnny, but you can not predict exactly what day a snake is scheduled to shed. It's an act that nature is in control and the individual snake. It is simply an AVERAGE of about every 30 days. Some times it does take longer though between sheds. When you see the eyes getting bluish, and body getting dim in color, you will know the shed is coming within a week or so.
Best wishes to you