Sick Childrens Python?

[Khel]

i recently bought a approximately 2yr old Children's python. When i purchased the snake i knew it had some sort of shedding issue in earlier years as he was missing the end of his tail and the previous owner explained it was due to an improper shed. anyway i brought him home and he ate quite well at first. about 3 weeks into owing him though he went very pale for a few days but his eyes never really clouded over, i thought he was gonna shed so got everything nice and humid etc to help but he has yet to shed. his color has returned but he won't eat, hasn't shed and is acting very...placid...normally he is very curious and checking everything out now he jus tries to hide up a sleeve or wherever he can stick his head. i am starting to worry some about him and wonder if anyone could possibly help me out here. i am a new snake owner and i am not sure what is goin on with my python. i am in the calgary area and would appreciate any advice my number is (403)202-7469 or just email me at khel1973@yahoo.com. thank you all very much in advance for any help you might give.


jayson

[Khel]

please help =) thanks

[Chu'Wuti]

I know you're trying to do the best you can--you already knew to raise the humidity for a shed. We need more info so we can help you better.

Give us all the details about your husbandry--all temps, hides, humidity, enclosure info, feeding, water . . . every detail.

[Aaron_S]

How long has this been going on? It does take a few days before the snake sheds.

[Khel]

"I know you're trying to do the best you can--you already knew to raise the
humidity for a shed. We need more info so we can help you better.

Give us all the details about your husbandry--all temps, hides, humidity,
enclosure info, feeding, water . . . every detail."


Hello and thank you for the reply my name is Jayson...and here
i go i hope i give you all you need to know but i am new to
snakes so if not jus tell me what more u want in next email...
the normal ambient temp in his tank has been around 78f-80f he,
has 1 large rock like cave for a hide normally but has a smaller
rock that i keep full of nice damp moss. it is partially over a
heat pad with a lamp over the top of it where the temp reaches
85f or so. the far end of his cage is much cooler around 72-75f normally.
since we got him a little over a month ago he ate very well right
away eating a couple medium sized mice. and again he ate a 2nd
time but only a small amount(like a fuzzy's or 2 was all i believe)
i keep him in a 3 foot long by 18 inch wide by 20inch or so tall tank
so it is sufficiently large. i try to feed him once per week even
if it is only a hopper or a fuzzy or 2 though he can easily eat
2 full adult mice if he is up for it. the humidity in his tank
unfortunately is quite low around 50-60% tops, i live in Calgary and
it is generally a very dry place. we try and remember to mist his
cage twice a day but don't have to many ways to keep the humidity
in his tank. We always keep a shallow but large dish of water in his
tank, i try to not leave water in it for more than 3 days without
dumping it and giving him cool fresh water. i use an aspen shaving
for the substrafe. i normally give him 12 hour of light 12 hours of
lights off with his tank being partially covered at during lights
off to help give him some extra privacy. I try to handle him semi-
frequently like once a day to once every other day. i do not want to
stress him out with over handling either. normally he is very curious
crawling and exploring everything. since his day or 2 of pale coloring
and such he has curled up inside a smaller rock hide i normally use for
cornie and has stayed in it for about 3-4 days now without coming out
and goesa str8 back in if you remove him. once out he doesn't start slithering
around like normal trying to explore everything. he jus tucks his
head into my arm or up under my collar and doesn't move. he is
just so placid. it is really bothering me. i am wondering if i bought
a sick snake from this guy i got him from.
i hope that helps some it is about all i can think of to tell you about how we handle him...oHHHH
1 other thing i tried to let him soak in the bath tub after his eyes and coloring cleared up for about
15 minutes like we do with our corn he didn't seem to like the h20
much at all and it didn't seem to help him shed any better or anything.
anyway now i hope that helps you help me. i am worried about my lil guy as this is going on
the 2nd week since he ate last and his color went pale and changed back to normal.
. his name is actually stumpy because of the missing tip of his tail. thanks again everyone your all great =)

jayson

[Chu'Wuti]

Children's pythons are a desert species, so high humidity is not a requirement. What you can do is provide a hide with damp sphagnum moss in it for a more humid place so he can go there if he feels the need.

Temperatures are more important for this species, and your snake is probably too cold which can lead to improper digestion and to respiratory infections. You need to bring your temperature gradient up quite a bit: the hot end should be about 90 deg F, with the cool end about 80. It might also be a good idea to provide a basking area that's a little warmer in the hot end that he can go in and out of as he needs to regulate his body temps; this is especially important right after feeding.

After you increase the temps, watch him for a few days--just let him be without handling him, as that could be increasing his stress right now--and see if he doesn't improve.

Keep us posted. Good luck!

[C#@$e]

from your first post he/she probable fine, pythons sometimes dont eat for weeks, and most of the time when a snake is about to shed he it want look like his in blue any more and whele shed 3-5 days later. just keep a close eye on him and if anything is really weird like its regeratating, id sugeest go tot the vet

[Chu'Wuti]

Chase, here's what I'm responding to in Jayson's description of his husbandry:

the normal ambient temp in his tank has been around 78f-80f he,
has 1 large rock like cave for a hide normally but has a smaller
rock that i keep full of nice damp moss. it is partially over a
heat pad with a lamp over the top of it where the temp reaches
85f or so. the far end of his cage is much cooler around 72-75f

That's about 15-20 deg too cold for a Children's Python.

What you are describing regarding the shed cycle is true, and it may be that Jayson's snake will go ahead and shed in a couple more days. Even so, he needs higher temps.

[gonesnakee]

Well they are not a desert species, but they do not require high humidty either. I NEVER mist or bathe mine & they have complete sheds everytime. Don't worry about bathing it. I also live in Calgary & keep/breed them for years now. Temps are a little cool but nothing too serious for this time of year. A coolside of room temp isn't too bad as long as the hotside is 85-90F. So overall it is being kept of the cooler side of things. I'd recommend 75-80F coolside & 85-90F hotside as being more ideal though.
So looking at the big picture, the snake is being kept slightly cooler than it likely should be, it is full blown winter right now here in Calgary & the snake was in a shed cycle. All that along with the fact its a subadult/adult snake & it is breeding season. All likely to slow down feeding.
The snake likely is due to shed right away thus it lack of activity etc. & the snuggling when handling is due to it trying to warm up more. I don't think you have too much to really worry about. Snake should shed out soon. Oh also my 3 CPs here have not eaten in MONTHS BTW ;) I'm not worried at all, Mark

[Khel]

thank you everyone and i am making adjustments to his living enviroment as far as humidity and temperature. He did finally shed, after a couple days of letting him hide in a rock we filled with damp moss he finally got it off in 1 nice piece yesterday evening. We actually got the chance to watch him shed as we jus happened to catch him starting. i was happy...he still won't eat but has been stressed for a few days i will try feeding again within a couple days. someone else stated though it is breeding season so that might be slowing his feeding down too.....thank you all i honestly thought other than temperatures that we had done everything right and jus thought it took a long time for him to go through this shed cycle. the advice i have gotten though is great and appreciate it and makes me and my wife feel far more comfortable in the fact we r doing things right or very close to them for our new pets.

[Chu'Wuti]

Hey, Mark, sorry my info was somewhat off. My understanding is that, though their natural habitat varies from lush to arid, Children's pythons seem to prefer arid, and one care guide I've read labels them a "desert species." Hence, my statement. Even if not a truly desert species, their preference for an arid climate indicates they don't need high humidity, which you confirm.

Jayson, glad your snake shed. I know the first few times I had a snake go into the shed cycle I also worried, and in those days there was no Internet for easy access to info and support. The snake always looked and acted really sick to me then, but I finally learned that I was basing my feelings on mammalian behavior, not on reptile behavior. When in shed, they hide because they can't see very well; for the same reason, they won't eat.

Once you bring up your temps some and he's had a chance to relax, you'll probably see him out hunting--then will be the time to offer food. Good luck!

[gonesnakee]

Its all good. Their husbandry & your info was all pretty close. Like I said I keep them here in Calgary as well & humidity is never an issue, well unless they spill their water LOL Cheers Mark

[Chu'Wuti]

So glad I wasn't too far off! :)