first bp shedding

Raan · 04-22-12, 08:17 PM

So I finally got my first ball python today, and it is has really grey coloured eyes and the rest of its body has a tint of the same colour so I asume its getting ready to shed. So I have bumped the humidity in its tank to 70% give or take. Im just wondering if there is anything else i need to do to prepare for this since its my first time dealing with a snake shedding

USMCgunner11 · 04-22-12, 08:30 PM

If his eyes are grey, underside is kinda pinkish and color is slightly faded then he should be close. Raising the humidity should be enough for now.

If he still hasn't shed in a few days, you can try soaking him or using a shed aid solution from a pet store to loosen it up more.

Terranaut · 04-22-12, 09:09 PM

You could even go a bit higher with the humidity.

Gungirl · 04-23-12, 05:01 AM

You want to get your humidity up around 90% or higher. When your snake is not in shed you can keep it at 60-70% but Royals need the higher humidity to shed well.

Lankyrob · 04-23-12, 06:42 AM

Hit 90% for the humidity and just leave it be, it can take a week or so between the "grey" eyes going back to normal and the actual shedding of the skin - if the enclosure is set up right then shedding aid and soaking is totally unnecessary and stressful to the snake.

mykee · 04-23-12, 08:23 AM

Get the humidity up, and theres no need to bathe him; ball pythons have this amazing ability to do things that they've been doing for millions of years way before we started messing with them.

Raan · 04-23-12, 08:39 AM

Alright the humidity is at 92% right now and i will just leave it at that. Thanks for the advice.

Raan · 04-23-12, 12:02 PM

I have a second question now, what size of food should I be feeding it sorry the pic is so big and crappy. Clearly a question I should have asked when I bought it, but was too excited

Fredricks · 04-23-12, 12:07 PM

Biggest mistake people make with snakes is over thinking/worrying.

You obviously care a lot about your new addition. Worst case scenario is he has a stuck shed and you need to help him along. And if/when you do that it will make you feel closer to the snake. My baby pastel had a stuck shed and spending 20 min helping he get it off made me love him even more

USMCgunner11 · 04-23-12, 12:15 PM

The general rule is a food item that is no larger than their thickest portion. I would recommend that you pick up a small care guide book as well. They are fairly cheap. You are asking good questions and I congratulate you on joining the reptile community. But a supplement like that would help you full in the gaps and bring up things that you may not even think to ask

mykee · 04-23-12, 12:27 PM

Excellent advice.

alessia55 · 04-23-12, 12:28 PM

Raan, if you're interested, I have a section on my website about feeding your ball python, including how to choose the right size: Click here.

Lankyrob · 04-23-12, 12:32 PM

Personally i feed my royal a rat that is slightly larger than his thickest part every 14-21 days, when he was younger i fed prey twice his girth but as a relatively heavy bodied snake keeping doing this would cause problems

mykee · 04-23-12, 12:54 PM

Alessia; great info on your link with only one exception; a ball pythons jaw doesn't "stretch" when eating, it unhinges.

Raan · 04-23-12, 03:47 PM

actually they have two seperate bottom jaw bones and they do stretch not unhinge, it was on i think the most recent episode of snakebytes lol