GTP Problem

caseyfinnigan · 02-12-09, 01:36 AM

My girlfriend's gtp won't shed on his own! It just flakes and sticks to him. She has to shed him herself. Will this pass? Any tips? He's under a year old I think.

-It's not stress because we barely open the cage except to mist and feed.
-It's not the humidity, we keep that pretty high.
-It's not the heat source, it keeps him warm but not hot (pad not light)
-He's not dehydrated, we see him drink and drown the mice ourselves so he gets extra water when he eats.
-The tank has airholes and he has dowels to climb on.
-He has surfaces to rub against.

I'm probably forgetting some of the other common "fixes" that get thrown out. HELP

siz · 02-13-09, 08:25 AM

There is a product called "Shed-ease", which I believe is by Zilla or ZooMed, I've personally never used it but I know a couple people who it has worked for..hope that helps a bit.

Faequine · 02-13-09, 03:23 PM

Ive had the same happen with greg. but hes a lizard so i think thats normal for him.

Smilts · 02-13-09, 03:51 PM

I know you said high but how high is the humidity and especially during shed?

siz · 02-13-09, 04:08 PM

Good point Coy. Casey, humidity should be raised during shed cycle.

citysnakes · 02-13-09, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caseyfinnigan

-He's not dehydrated, we see him drink and drown the mice ourselves so he gets extra water when he eats.

please dont tell me you actually drown live mice to feed to your snake...

and your low humidity level is the reason why your GTP has bad flakey sheds.

Chu'Wuti · 02-13-09, 06:23 PM

A couple of people have already mentioned that the humidity should be increased during the shed cycle. However, when you say he has dowels and has surfaces to rub against, are these rough surfaces?

You don't actually mention what humidity you maintain, but here's info from Green Tree Python Care Sheet

Quote:

Mist your animal every day to bring the humidity level to 100%, it should dry back out to about 40% before spraying the next day

and from Green Tree Python

Quote:

Enough water should be sprayed that the enclosure walls, substrate, perches, and the snake itself have droplets on them. The cage contents should never become soggy, and if that becomes the case, consider spraying less often. Optimally, the substrate should be nearly dry before it is sprayed again.

The skin shedding process is a simple and effective way to gauge whether you have the humidity levels properly adjusted. If your python sheds effortlessly, and the skin comes off in a single piece, then you are doing well. However, if the snake’s skin seems to be flaking off in tiny pieces over the course of several days, you will need to increase humidity levels with more frequent misting and/or a larger water dish.

(bold added for emphasis)

Inadequate humidity is almost always (I'm guessing 99.9%) the cause of improper shedding.

Kmef07 · 02-13-09, 10:35 PM

I mist my snake almost 3 times a day right now. I keep the cage at around 95% constant on one side and about 70-85% on the other. i have a Brazilian rainbow boa and that should have more humidity than your snake but defiantly keep that humidity up if i let mine drop the shed isn't good at all.

Brandon Osborne · 02-27-09, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kmef07

I mist my snake almost 3 times a day right now. I keep the cage at around 95% constant on one side and about 70-85% on the other. i have a Brazilian rainbow boa and that should have more humidity than your snake but defiantly keep that humidity up if i let mine drop the shed isn't good at all.

Constant 95% humidity is only going to cause problems. Chondros can develop RI, skin problems, among other things when exposed to constant high humidity. Humidity is a relative factor and the only accurate ways to measure it correctly are too expensive for the average keeper. If you are spraying 3 times per day, either you are using the wrong enclosure, or your animals are being kept too wet.

Good luck.

Kmef07 · 02-27-09, 04:29 PM

ok no......the breeders i know recommend at least above 90% humidity for them until they are 1.5-2 years old. they thrive in it in their own homes. and the reason in the humidity gradient is the fact that one end of the cage has more airflow and is more open on the top and is hotter than the other side. the cooler side makes the humidity higher and i have a water bowl with lots of surface area at one side. I assume you don't know much about Brazilain Rainbow Boas, because they are proven to be resistant......not immune but resistant.......to many of the problems associated with a very wet enviroment. don't get me wrong there is always a dry spot the my snake can go to in one hide, but my snake never goes there so it is probably happy in the moist conditions. and since that post i only mist a little at night and in the morning. Also the fact that im using an aquarium and a wood box over it to keep the humidity in means that i need to spray more. and humidity gauges don't need to be expensive to work it's not that hard to measure. and they will be within a percent or two most of the time. and i wasn't telling him to keep his gtp at the same humidity as me i was just explaining that sometimes getting the right humidty takes a lot of misting. in winter my house is at about 20%-25% humidity and sometimes even lower so that too drains the humidty out of the cage.

in conclusion, before you try and bash me on something you know nothing about or didn't read all the way into, try not posting it and making yourself look like an idiot.

Thanks,
kyle

citysnakes · 02-27-09, 05:45 PM

actually kmef07, Im going to have to agree with Brandon O and im pretty sure ive mentioned the same thing in a previous thread.

Kmef07 · 02-28-09, 12:11 AM

Well then i hate to break it to you guys. i've had my rainbow in the same conditions being over 90% for the whole time i've had it going on 3 months now. i would consider that more than enough time to have developed something. and there is a breeder in louisville, kentucky that his speciality is rainbows and he says to keep it above 90% until they are at least 2. im sorry but that is a deciding factor to me. also countless caresheets recommend it. and like i said previously they are a species that is proven to be resistant to problems brought on by wet/damp conditions. no one really know why but they can even survive on wet substrate 100% of the time. it's not even what i think it is a fact. when there is a dry spot in my tank my brb doesnt hang out there it hangs out where it is most humid. i mean i dont know how else to prove it or how else to tell you. look it up i guess and talk to some breeders that breed exclusivly brb's. now im not saying that the brb's can't survive in a lower humidity but they are better off in higher humidity.

chondroguy1998 · 04-04-09, 08:44 AM

It's a GTP with a shed problem right? Well then Kmef07, I hate to break it to you but you are wrong! Brandon happens to be one of the more knowledgeble chondro keepers and breeders. No matter what anyone says, a Chondro is not like any other snake, and Brandon is 100% right. A chondro kept at a constant high humidity will develope skin and or RI issues. If the skin is flaking off during shedding then it sounds like you need to up the mistings when the animal is opaque, but a constant high humidity level is not the answer. I allow my cages to dry at least once a day.
Scott

gonesnakee · 04-04-09, 11:51 AM

Poor sheds are typically related to low humidity but they can also b due to parasites as well (mites). Mark

Kmef07 · 04-04-09, 10:03 PM

Nope not a GTP I have a brazilian Rainbow Boa as stated clearly in my post. but anyways I am right Brazilians need a constant high humidity of at least 85-90% while they are young and My shed was not flaking it was breaking into 3-5 sections. since i've had my snake longer though i was creating a problem i was trying to keep my humidity high by misting all the time and keeping the substrate wet all the time. that was a problem i found that i could keep my humidity high but keeping one spot in the tank wet for part of the day and adding an additional water bowl and then i found that it solved my shed problem and my problem that i had for about two weeks where the skin was looking weird. the key to brazilians seems to be the higher the humidity the better but the actual substrate doesn't have to be wet all the time.

My poor shed was caused not by low humidity but too wet of an enviroment. the shed skin was actually always really soggy right after shed and this past shed since i realized my mistake was actually the right feel. not dry but not wet. and it was a perfect shed.

brazilian rainbow boas can withstand a lot of moisture for a long time i.e. me misting the cage and keeping it constantly wet for about 4-5 months but eventually it started to have skin problems but i caught it and now everything is ok.