somethings wrong with my snake

[slowhite03]

so this hasnt been the best winter for my mexican black kingsnake, awhile back i posted about how it was dull in color and not eating. now he has eaten every now and agin but as i was playing with him today he seemed really slow and when i put him away i noticed his head looked rusty. i dont know what it could be, if anything, can any of you figure out if it is anything?

mexican black kingsnake
about a year old
40 gallon long
40-60% humidity
86-90 degrees hot spot
room temp cool side
aspen shavings

[poison123]

Are you sure on that humidity? What are you reading it with?

[Calihusker]

Have you considered that he's shedding?

[dinosaurdammit]

that looks like stuck shed on his face, almost like a mask and if you look further on his neck it seems like there is more on the side of his neck

[poison123]

Looks like dried scales to me.

[slowhite03]

He's not shedding, he's eaten once in the last month and it was 2 pinkies.

[dinosaurdammit]

he may not BE shedding but it may be shed that didnt come off in the last cycle, or just dried out skin like poison said. Why not give your snake a soak in some warm water and see if it helps, if its stuck shed it should either come off or soften and come off later if its dry skin then your humidity is too low. Unless you are using a digital hydromomitor (spelling is waaay off i know) then those petco/petsmart analog gauges can be royally wrong.

[slowhite03]

I've soaked him before, this is just recent. He hasn't shed since November.

[EmbraceCalamity]

Just a quick question for clarification: How are you measuring humidity? Analog or digital?

~Maggot

[slowhite03]

Sorry analog, it's about an inch of the substrate. My other kingsnake ( Thayer) is right next to him and his humidity is fine. I've often wondered if putting him in a 40 gallon long and not keeping him in a 20 was a bad idea because he doesn't try to escape anymore. He just goes side to side.

[Calihusker]

If he hasn't shed since November he may be due.

You said his colors look dull.

Consider the possibility.

[EmbraceCalamity]

Sorry analog, it's about an inch of the substrate. My other kingsnake ( Thayer) is right next to him and his humidity is fine. I've often wondered if putting him in a 40 gallon long and not keeping him in a 20 was a bad idea because he doesn't try to escape anymore. He just goes side to side.Analogs are crap. Don't trust them. Get a digital one.

~Maggot

[slowhite03]

I have but they have been dull since early December, late November.

[Calihusker]

I have but they have been dull since early December, late November.

If your humidity isn't high enough then it can take awhile.

[slowhite03]

It's not the humidity, my other snake is shedding and he is a foot from him. Unless humidity can change dramatically with a foot radius, it can't be

[poison123]

It's not the humidity, my other snake is shedding and he is a foot from him. Unless humidity can change dramatically with a foot radius, it can't be

Please answer the question. What are you reading humidity with? And yes humidity can change in a foot. It all depends on how there set up and is your other snake a mexican black as well?

Edit: Sorry i just saw that you said they were analogs which have been known to be very off. Get a digital. And what kind of king snake is the other one?

[slowhite03]

He a Thayer (sc?) which has the same requirements as a mexican black

[Lankyrob]

THey are kept in two seperate enclosures, the humidity could be WAAAAAY off.

My vivs are all stacked together and some are at 50% and some are at 90%.

[jarich]

Anyway...

When he last shed, what was it like? Was it all one piece or did it come off in different pieces? You dont have to answer here if you dont want, but for yourself, know that if its more than one piece its a good sign that the humidity is probably low. Be sure to always check your snakes shed to make sure it is complete, especially around the head. If you are able to get to the shed skin right after it happens, it should be nice and moist and pliable too. I would agree that it looks like there might possibly be some stuck shed in this instance.

As its wintertime and most people's houses drop in humidity over the winter, it can be a particularly drying time for our reptiles. If you havent already, its a good idea to cover most of your snake tank's top to keep the humidity higher.

In regards to everyone's harping on about analog vs digital hygrometers, I would say lighten up a bit. 'Digital' isnt some universal guarantee of accuracy. How many of you have had an properly used analog hygrometer be grossly inaccurate personally? Ive had them for decades, and while they can sometimes be a little off, the only hygrometers Ive ever had that were off by more than a few degrees were actually digital ones. The tool is only as good as the user. Without knowing how to calibrate a digital hygrometer, they are just as likely, if not more likely, to be off than an analog hygrometer, which requires no calibration. While I also generally recommend a good digital one, there is no reason to assume that all analog hygrometers are inaccurate and worthless.

[poison123]

In regards to everyone's harping on about analog vs digital hygrometers, I would say lighten up a bit. 'Digital' isnt some universal guarantee of accuracy. How many of you have had an properly used analog hygrometer be grossly inaccurate personally? Ive had them for decades, and while they can sometimes be a little off, the only hygrometers Ive ever had that were off by more than a few degrees were actually digital ones. The tool is only as good as the user. Without knowing how to calibrate a digital hygrometer, they are just as likely, if not more likely, to be off than an analog hygrometer, which requires no calibration. While I also generally recommend a good digital one, there is no reason to assume that all analog hygrometers are inaccurate and worthless.

Im talking from experience of EVERY analog ive ever had will become very in inaccurate over time ive had some go 20 degrees off. Your saying his humidity is low right? He said hes analog hydrometers are reading 60% That doesn't seem low to me but obviously hes having problems so that should prove something.

[dinosaurdammit]

i have had an analog be in 90% humidity and it show its only 30%, ive had another one UNDERWATER and it only have me 40%

[jarich]

Im talking from experience of EVERY analog ive ever had will become very in inaccurate over time ive had some go 20 degrees off. Your saying his humidity is low right? He said hes analog hydrometers are reading 60% That doesn't seem low to me but obviously hes having problems so that should prove something.

That's some singularly impressive bad luck. ;)

Anyway, wasnt meaning to hijack the OPs thread, that was sort of a rhetorical question. Back to the snake...

[EmbraceCalamity]

That's some singularly impressive bad luck. ;)

Anyway, wasnt meaning to hijack the OPs thread, that was sort of a rhetorical question. Back to the snake...Not necessarily. Analogs need be constantly calibrated. I use analog thermometers at work, and they need to be calibrated weekly or they're considered useless because you have no idea whether the reading it'll give you is accurate.

~Maggot

[CanadianEryx]

My sister-in-law has the same snake as you and it really looks like yours may be "blue"--i.e. going into shed. It may also be going into brumation if it's getting slow. Let us know if it is something different!

[slowhite03]

So he's not going into shed, his eyes are normal. I highly doubt he's going into brumation because his tounge flickers normal and he always his on the warm side and cold side. I bought the zoo med hydro therm because that seems to be what people like. Ill see how that works out. As for his last shed, as far as I could remember, it was solid and I know his eyes were there.

[CanadianEryx]

I really hope you get this figured out! How's he doing today--any better? If you think it's a humidity issue, there is no reason not to place a humid hide in his tank for a day or so. Good luck and let us know how it goes!