crinkly skin?

[lilyskip]

I noticed that Huxley's skin crinkles sometimes when he curves his body. Is this a sign that he's not eating enough (his spine isn't emaciated or anything) or is it dehydration or an upcoming shed? He eats an adult mouse once a week, and I'm going to try to find small rats this week, although all the ones I've found so far are really big. Humidity's at about 48%, and his last shed was anywhere from 3-5 weeks ago (while he was being boarded). He last ate on Saturday. Temps are 83 and 89.

[Jazz6279]

Hi there,
I could be wrong but I thought the normal everyday humidity level should be approx 60% and when in shed should be increased to 70%+
It sounds like he's eating enough so I wouldn't have thought it would be caused by under feeding, but i'm sure one of the experts will be able to enlighten a bit more.....
Fiona.

[elevation24]

I don't know if this is what is causing it but I agree, your humidity seems low.

[Andy_G]

Anywhere between 40%-60% is a good humidity for a ball python, and 70+ while in shed for successful sheds. If you use a lamp, it could be drying the snake out no matter what the humidity in the tank is. A picture is needed to know whether there is a problem or not. It is normal for a ball python to have very small folds in the skin when coiled very tightly, but if these folds stay when the snake straightens out, dehydration is usually the case. In other words, post some pics and don't sweat it because it sort of sounds normal! :)

[Invictus]

Many boids have crinkly skin. It's what gives them the flexibility to eat prey that is double their own girth. Our BCIs have what seems to be loose, wrinkled skin, but that's just the way they are built.

[lilyskip]

yeah...his skin isn't crinkly whne he's not curled up, so i guess that makes sense. also, the humidity's been really high here because of all this rain...it was about 78% in his tank yesterday, so I got rid of some of his water in the bowl to balance it out.

thanks for your help guys!

[Jeff_Favelle]

Many boids have crinkly skin. It's what gives them the flexibility to eat prey that is double their own girth. Our BCIs have what seems to be loose, wrinkled skin, but that's just the way they are built.

Really? That's news to me. Maybe I have magically plump Boids? Or maybe all those dang lights are drying out your animals and you have a beef jerky farm going on over there?


:D

[HetForHuman]

Originally posted by Jeff_Favelle
Really? That's news to me. Maybe I have magically plump Boids? Or maybe all those dang lights are drying out your animals and you have a beef jerky farm going on over there?


:D


LMAO Jeff

I do have to say that none of my BCI's have crinkly skin.

[Invictus]

I'd like to see what you guys define as not having crinkly skin. If you're telling me that their skin doesn't have folds or crevasses when they bend their bodies, especially up near the neck, I'm going to call bullsh*t.

[sapphire_moon]

Both my snakes skin crinkles when they curve close to their bodies. They have fine humidity, eat plenty, have access to water....I think it's normal....You might want to increase a basking spot to about 92-93 degree's. I try and keep my cool side and hot side about 10 degree's apart (hot side-90 cold side 80) You get the point.........Doesn't your belly crinkle the slightest when you bend over?? I'm sure it does....

[Jeff_Favelle]

Ok then.....here's a few snakes in various positions and ages. Please show me the crinkles and/or folds. I don't see any, not even in the curves where they are folded. Ditch the lights man. They must be affecting your eyes! :D



http://members.shaw.ca/Uploaded_pics2/JCF2%20007.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/Uploaded_pics2/JCF1%20008.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/Uploaded_pics2/RF9a.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/Uploaded_pics2/Ball3.jpg

[emroul]

Good one ;)

Hard to see any "crinkles" there.... GREAT pics BTW =)

[Jeff_Favelle]

Why thank you! :)

[Andy_G]

On your BRB, there are small visible folds at the lower coil of the two on the left side of the pic, barely noticable, I THINK this is what they mean??

[Jo060]

see, the thing is thoes snakes you have are pretty big. Now when you have a fairly young BP like Lilyskip, then there will be folds as does mine. So, its normal....All snakes the ages of yours lilyskip have them...No worries perfectly normal. As he gets bigger/wider they will get smaller and less visable. Its just like when you twist the loose skin on your arm it crkinles...right? Ok, well same thing with the snakes.
Hope this helps!!!

[Invictus]

Also, you showed pics of JCPs and a BRB... not a common boa. You showed 1 pic of a BP, and it wasn't even folded up much. And yes, I do see a skin crevasse on the BRB... so nice try, Jeff. You still don't have the ability to override science. And lights still don't dry snakes out. :P

[Jeff_Favelle]

There's a science to snake skin folds now? Ha ha, ok then....

And Invictus, lights dry out snake cages. I already told youz why. Quit being Einstein for a second and you'll see.

[BoidKeeper]

Jeff man he's going to put a curse on you go easy.lol Post some pics of your Hog Islands and lets see if they are rinkle free.
Cheers,
Trevor

[elevation24]

I have two babies (March and April) and I haven't noticed any crinkles in their skin. But I am not certain what you mean by "crinkly" unless you could post a picture. There are small folds sometimes but I didn't think that was what she meant.

I dunno. I'm not an expert and I never claimed to be.

http://www.haptesthai.com/snake/

[TheRedDragon]

Originally posted by BoidKeeper
Jeff man he's going to put a curse one you go easy.

*LMAO*

Well, here's the wrinkling that Invictus is talking about, you see folds where his body is curved.

http://www.angelfire.com/myband/slaughter/snakes/Anubis_Hand_4.jpg

[lilyskip]

thanks for the reassurance, guys. huxley's skin looks just like the boas in RedDragon's picture, so I guess all is well? great snakes, tho, jeff...

[daver676]

My bp also has skin crinkles when she is curled up. And I believe my bp is about the same age as lilyskip's.

Dave

[Invictus]

Originally posted by Jeff_Favelle
There's a science to snake skin folds now? Ha ha, ok then....

And Invictus, lights dry out snake cages. I already told youz why. Quit being Einstein for a second and you'll see.

LOL.. the Science I was referring to was evaporation, not skin folds.

Quit being Einstein? So you want me to quit being intelligent? But then I'd be communicating at your level, Jeff! hehehehe

And you're wrong. Lights do not have the ability to dry out snake cages, and I've already proven that. You have yet to prove me wrong with anything more than bogus theories. You have no proof. I do have proof. That's what makes science what it is. PROOF. Mind you, I'm still open to any scientific proof you have to the contrary. Unless, of course, you have none... :P

[TheRedDragon]

Boys boys boys. Shall I get the cattle prods out to cool off the testosterone flying around in here? *LOL* :D

[BoidKeeper]

Invictus,

If lights are so great why aren't all the biggest breeders using them? Why do they recomend UTH? Do you use them out of preference over UTH or do you have no choice to use them because of low ambiants? I phrase the question that way because I do know some one who is forced to use them because the air temp in their home is too low to go with just UTH so they use a lamp on each end of the cage.
I also think that UTH is so populare because so many of us use racks, kinda hard to heat with lamps.
Cheers,
Trevor

[Invictus]

You hit the nail right on the head here, Trevor:

I also think that UTH is so populare because so many of us use racks, kinda hard to heat with lamps.

Bingo. I don't use a rack. If I did, I wouldn't use a lamp. However, I have 3 terrariums whereby a UTH simply would not cut it. And by the way, a 40 watt bulb gets these enclosures into the 80s ambiently, 90s under the bulb (heavily screened off of course). And, I know several breeders who use custom built enclosures that are heated AND humidified with, yes, LIGHT BULBS. Light bulb over water source = instant 80-100% humidity. Even around the bulb. I guarantee it.

Maybe another reason why people who have hundreds of snakes don't use lamps is because a light bulb is 40 watts - a UTH is 8-25 watts depending on size. Believe me, as I get more snakes, my heating choices may change. For some of the larger enclosures that need higher ambient, I may stick with the bulbs. We'll see.

[BoidKeeper]

Well fine then...I know you are but what am I?:p
Cheers,
Trevor

[Jeff_Favelle]

LOL!

[Jeff_Favelle]

YES lights dry out reptile cages. I already ssplained it to you Lucy. Want me to splain it again? Ok, here goes. Keep in mind that every breeder this side of MARS agrees with this ok?

I'll nerd-it-up for you a little bit ok?

There are 3 types of heat transfer and we are talking about 2 in our little discussion. You, my friend, are advocating "radiant" heat. That is, heat transfered by objects that are NOT touching. A light bulb, in this case, heats EVERYTHING in the cage, including the ambient air. I am talking about "conductive" heat transfer. That is, heat transfered by objects that are touching. Like my heat pad. It sits under the wood, heats the wood, the snake sits on the wood and heats itself up to a desired temperature, and then moves. That's how its supposed to work. What's more effective/efficient? A wood stove to heat up a room, or a reclining chair with heat cables that you can sit in and warm up? Answer: too obvious to mention. Not what would dry out the room faster? Still obvious, but for those who don't know, I've never seen a heated chair dry out a room! RADIANT HEAT WILL DRY OUT AIR FASTER THAN CONDUCTIVE HEAT!!!! Why is that? Because radiant heat travels through the air! Conductive doesn't.

[HetForHuman]

Well put Jeff, i do have to agree with this 100%