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Shedding problem

R

Robert

New member
I know this isn't the right place for this but I need a little advice I have a baby ball python it's going through it's first shed since I have had him problem is he is shedding in small pieces I have misted his cage, I have an under the tank heater on one side with a basking lamp on top hoping this will increase the humidity.

There is a brance for him to rub on to get the dead skin off but he just stays in his hide box on the warm side sinthis natural for ball pythons or am I doing something wrong?

I also have a lavender motley corn snake his first shed went beautiful all in one piece. Please any help you may be able to give me would be greatly appreciated
 
You can

soak him in a container of tepid water for a short bit to soften the shed then let him slide through a warm damp cloth which should 'wipe' off the shed.
To help in the future, when your snakes are going into blue stage and the humidity is low, put a humid hide in with the snake. Take a plastic container like a butter or cool whip container or something like that and put damp spungham moss or damp paper towels in it and cut a hole for the snake to go in and out of and put the cover on it. This will create a warm humid place the snake can lay in to help it shed. My snakes love the humid hides when they are in shed phase and even when the aren't. Just make sure to check it daily or so to make sure that it doesn't dry out before the snake sheds. You usually will have to add a little more warm water to it.
Good luck.
 
I have had my hatchling ball python for 5 months now. His first shed took 2 weeks and came of in tiny piece (just like yours).
And when that was happaning, I put im in a bowl with warm water in it for 20min and put a book onto of the bowl so she couldn't get out. the aerws about 1inch deep and after thse 20min I took her out nd got an old rough towel and softly rubbed with is nd all the skin came off.

Now EVERY time her eyes go blue I put a second water bowl over the heatmat in her viv untill she sheds (normal 3days later) and she always has a perfect shed now.

Cheers

Alex
 
thanks alot for your help I will give it a try and let you know how it went I will post back in a couple of days thanks again.
 
Feed and water him for a while. You'll see. Don't mist him unless this condition occurs again. Misting a small cage area causes more problems than its worth. I personally would give it at least 2 cycles before I reacted. A snake's slow metabolism takes some time for proper treatment and diet to show. Crappy sheds in captive snakes are due to neglect.
 
Well I have finaly got the old skin off what I did was I put him in some warm water for about 30 to 45 minutes then took him out and pulled the the skin off it came off real easy he seems much happier now :) thanks for all the advice. Also fed him tonight and he ate without any problems.
 
palmerdoom said:
Misting a small cage area causes more problems than its worth.
Crappy sheds in captive snakes are due to neglect.
Click to expand...

I don't see how occasional misting would cause any problems providing you follow good husbandry practices.

As for bad shed being caused due to neglect, what do you base that on? One of my snakes occasionally has problems shedding, it all comes off eventually but not always in one piece. My other snakes shed fine. The temps are fine, they all get fed mice from same dealer and I follow strict husbandry regimes. How is this neglect :confused:

I think you will find that some snakes are just bad 'shedders' and that's that.
 
I agree with rachel.

I have one snake which is always having bad sheds and al my other snakes have great sheds al the time. And I dont think I neglect my snakes, well I hope I dont.

Alex
 
A snake's "normal" shedding cycle consists of the entire skin being shed at one time. If this does not happen then the snake is lacking something. Whether it is diet,nutrition or hydration needs to be determined. If this is a re-accuring problem and viewed as normal then further snake research is needed.
 
Yes it is a re-occuring problem but not one that happens with each shed. I have researched this and have come up with 'it just happens with some snakes'.
 
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