ball shedding problem????

[ccarr1]

I'ved had my ball python for about 5 months.He's shedded once since i've gotten him.He's had mites before and he shedded right after we got rid of them.His size has increasd in 4 months.He seems to be alert and fine.He eats about once a week.Do i have a problem or is this typical???:confused:

[BoidKeeper]

Is your question, Is my ball not shedding often enough?
Cheers,
Trevor

[ccarr1]

Yeah, thats my question??

[wizbit13]

How old and big is the snake? Young snakes will shed often, where older snakes who dont grow so quick will not shed so often.

Adam

[ccarr1]

he is only about 7 months old!!

[ccarr1]

what % of humidity should the cage be set at?

[VI Reptiles]

60%


VI Reptiles

[TheMan]

50-60% and around 80% during shed.

[mykee]

If you've had the ball for 5 months and he's only 7 months old and only shed for you once in that time, the only thing that I can think that would cause that is you're not feeding him enough. Ball pythons shed once they outgrow their old skin. If your ball python isn't eating enough to outgrow his old skin, there's no need for him to shed. A typical ball at that age (fed well) would probably shed every 3-5 weeks.
What does he weigh?
What do you feed your snake?
How often do you feed him?
What do you feed him?

[BoidKeeper]

To add to mykee's comment about feeding enough, he won't grow if he's not kept at the right temps either.
Cheers,
Trevor

[mykee]

Yeah, forgot. Thanks Trevor.

[ccarr1]

He eats an adult mouse once a week.I have the temp at 86 degrees on the high end and at night its about 78-80.I can tell the difference in size from when i first got him.

[mykee]

Firstly, I would recommend you buying a book on the husbandry requirements for ball pythons and read it under it is comitted to memory. Secondly, Trevor was dead on. Your ball's warm side is too cold, try to up that temp to between 90-93 and you should notice a difference. Also, unless you are breeding your ball, (which you clearly are not doing at 7 months), there's no need to turn the temps down at night, keep them at 90-93 forever, until you decide to cool him for breeding. You should also, at the ripe old age of 7 months SERIOUSLY consider getting him on rats. Mice just suck for so many reasons. One adult mouse for a 7 month old ball is underfeeding. At 7 months, your ball should weigh between 350-600g, and could easily take a 70-90g rat. That's a far cry from your (maybe) 35g adult mouse. Good luck.

[VI Reptiles]

Ya, that is tooooo little. When I bought mine from a petstore they said 1 hopper mouse when he was 4 months old, now, he was small when I got him. I feed him the hopper mouse 1 time and then I started him on an adult and still noticed he was small after a meal so I decided to feed him 2. Now, My Bp is 9 months old. He took one rat that im guessing was 120 grams which was HUGE for him and I didnt think he'd take it but he did. He regurged it about 4 days later and he didnt eat again till last week which was nearly a month. I am going to keep feeding him mice but im going to feed him 3 instead of 2. Until he can eat that sized rat.


Thanks

[BoidKeeper]

Mice and 86, there's your answer right there.
Rats and 95 is what you want.
Cheers,
Trevor

[ccarr1]

How do i up the temperature?Can i use heat tape on wood?

[mykee]

Yes, you can use heat tape on wood, as long as you use a dimmer, etc. to regulate the heat.