Really worried now...

[Trollbie]

Came home between classes real quick and found this...

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll256/Czechish/1d744ab3.jpg

He's alive although he definitely didn't look like he is. I let him slither through a warm wet paper towel and then let him soak in some warm water, so hopefully all the shed is off now. He became active as soon as I picked him up, so that gave me some relief, but I'm still freaked out...

I don't even want to go to my next class and work because I'm going to be worrying all day :(

[Trollbie]

PS. The hygro reads 83% humidity, but I calibrated it, so the humidity is actually 88%.

[youngster]

What exactly is wrong? I may have 40/80 vision but I can't see anything.

[CK SandBoas]

Was he pinched between the hide and the water dish? Because that's the only thing i can see that could possibly be what you were seeing. :sorry:

[alessia55]

I don't see anything obviously wrong in the photo... sometimes they just get into funny positions. What's worrying you?

[dshin963]

Yeaa... I am not seeing what is worrying you... :S

[Lankyrob]

Looks like he is just resting during his shed (the shed is rolled back to the gap between the waterbowl and the log). Dont really see what the concern is tho?

He may have just stopped moving seeing you come in :)

[Rainbowsrus]

I too am not seeing anything remotely bad with the pic. being between the water bowl and log looks like a normal shedding process to me.

[mykee]

Trollbie is a worrywart.

[Trollbie]

Trollbie is a worrywart.

Yeah I am :sorry:

Well lesson learned, but he still had stuck shed on his head and tail that were not coming off with the rest. He seems fine now.

But yea I freaked out because at first he wasn't responding to my hand being there. And his head was in a really weird position. You can't see it in the picture because I took it after I made sure he's alive.

Anyway, something is still wrong because he didn't shed in one piece. I might just move him to a tub until I at least get the everything figured out in the tank :( But the humidity is 91% now. It never fell below 80%.

[Snakesitter]

Looks normal to me, too. I think Lankyrob nailed it. Where the stuck shed on his head? The tail bit could be because he was interrupted.

[Trollbie]

Looks normal to me, too. I think Lankyrob nailed it. Where the stuck shed on his head? The tail bit could be because he was interrupted.

Both head and tail. The tail part was detached from the rest of the shed. He just had a rolled up band of shed in the middle but it was detached from the head and tall. It was weird.

[Strutter769]

Does he have a moist hide?

[Trollbie]

Does he have a moist hide?
Yeah. A repti shelter with moss. But he either hasn't found it yet or he doesn't wanna go in. But I put some moss in his other hide and all over his tank.

[Gungirl]

Stress can also make a snake have a poor shed.

[Trollbie]

Stress can also make a snake have a poor shed.

What could be causing stress aside from poor husbandry? Could it be that he looked like he was going into a shed almost 3 weeks ago when he was still at the pet store but never did?

I want to get it right next time :( I'm pretty sure I'll be fine on humidity now. It should be stable around 90% now. And temperatures are fine too. He has 2 hides, ecoearth and repti bark for substrate with moss layered on top, and a big enough water dish. How else can I improve?

Thanks for dealing with me guys, I know I freaked, but I'm still learning. This was only my second shed, but first with the baby and a first problem one.

[millertime89]

any number of things, recent handling, him not feeling secure in his enclosure, I really don't think your husbandry is the problem.

[jaleely]

Oh Trollbie i don't think it was you or your husbandry! sometimes it just is what it is. looks like the humidity was fine, could have been just that he was not drinking enough water.

[Trollbie]

any number of things, recent handling, him not feeling secure in his enclosure, I really don't think your husbandry is the problem.

Oh Trollbie i don't think it was you or your husbandry! sometimes it just is what it is. looks like the humidity was fine, could have been just that he was not drinking enough water.

Thank you! You guys made me feel significantly better :)

[Trollbie]

The good thing is that I don't hear anymore clicking!

[red ink]

Sometimes sheds get stuck plain and simply beacuse they did'nt rub hard enough against something... The skin was softer at parts tore and shed gets stuck, could be the simplest of reasons really, would'nt stress about it.

If you want to get any of the stuck shed off... wet pillow case (warm water) and place him in there to slither around for 10 minutes or so... a couple of day and it will come off if not immediately. I've even gotten stuck eyecaps off using this method.

[Trollbie]

Sometimes sheds get stuck plain and simply beacuse they did'nt rub hard enough against something... The sin was softer at parts tore and shed gets stuck, could be the simplest of reasons really, would'nt stress about it.

If you want to get any of the stuck shed off... wet pillow case (warm water) and place him in there to slither around for 10 minutes or so... a couple of day and it will come off if not immediately. I've even gotten stuck eyecaps off using this method.

I did a wet paper towel and then soaked him for like 10 min and then the paper towel again. Got it off, but it was traumatizing... Next time I'll take a chill pill first lol

[Lankyrob]

I have had a couple of snakes that have had very poor first sheds with me, their next sheds were fine and all ongoing ones too. I think if they are moved at the wrong point in the process then it affects them.

Just keep the husbandry right and see what the next one is like.

[jaleely]

Another thing is dehydration of any kind before you got the snake, could have an effect on it's first shed with you (this was a first, right? or was that another post? i read too many all at once to remember properly! lol)

My experience with two rescue snakes that had been severely dehydrated and malnourished, was that it took about 4 sheds to recover. The first was in pieces, then individual scales, then pieces, and now they both shed in whole rolls. It just may have had nothing to do with you. I bet the next one will be perfect!
Even my pastel ball python i got from a show who looked fantastic and healthy, had a first bad shed...and came to me with an impaction of a urine rock because of dehydration. It doesn't take them long to get an issue when they run out of water. He's good now too though and i bet your little thing will be too!

[Trollbie]

Another thing is dehydration of any kind before you got the snake, could have an effect on it's first shed with you (this was a first, right? or was that another post? i read too many all at once to remember properly! lol)

My experience with two rescue snakes that had been severely dehydrated and malnourished, was that it took about 4 sheds to recover. The first was in pieces, then individual scales, then pieces, and now they both shed in whole rolls. It just may have had nothing to do with you. I bet the next one will be perfect!
Even my pastel ball python i got from a show who looked fantastic and healthy, had a first bad shed...and came to me with an impaction of a urine rock because of dehydration. It doesn't take them long to get an issue when they run out of water. He's good now too though and i bet your little thing will be too!

They definitely looked like they weren't fed enough. (him and his 2 siblings)

But yeah this was my first shed with him, and second shed over all. My other snake just shed 2 weeks ago for the first time since I've had her. And she shed fine so Zeus' shed scared me lol.

I hope he'll be fine next time. He's active and curious again and the clicking is gone. I'm gonna start upsizing his meal, so he should only get better if he wasn't fine already. :)