shedding advice please

Carrie · 02-03-03, 08:28 AM

I have only had my corn for 2 weeks he is just about 6mnths old I have just been to get him out and I can see that his eyes are blue so I know that he is about to shed, he is kept in a shoe box size container (clear plastic with a lid and air holes in each side) size is 12"x6"x4"high, I keep it inside a larger viv it is half on a heat mat with a thermostat probe inside to keep hid temp at 82%-85%, he has a piece of kitchen towel on the floor, with a small bowl of water and a toilet roll centre for him to go in if he wants, the thing I would like to be advised on is, should I do anything to help his shed like damp the container or anything, I am a bit nervous as this is my first ever snake and I have never seen a snake shed before as his eyes are blue and his skin is kind of silvery how long will it be before he starts? Hope this isn't a silly question..

Weather1 · 02-03-03, 08:41 AM

I would just leave the enclosure the way it is. Then in a few days when he sheds you will know if the humidity is OK. If it comes off in one nice piece then it is good, if it is in pieces then you can raise the humidity. You cabn try soaking him if he sheds in pieces.

I have 2 corns in the same enclosure and when they shed one of them sheds in one piece and the other always sheds in many pieces.

BoidKeeper · 02-03-03, 08:43 AM

As long as the overall humidity in the room is not low you should be ok. However I personally give mine a light daily misting leading up to the shed when I see the eyes turn blue. You may also want to add a larger diameter water bowl to help add humidity if you think it may be low. Some other things to remember about snakes shedding are; do not handle them while they are in the blue stage as it can cause stress. Also many people do not handle after the eyes clear because there is a chance of accidentally removing skin before it is ready to come off. Some people don't handle the day the skin comes off either because they feel that the new skin is sensitive and can be damaged. Finally, make sure you check the shed skin to make sure that the tip of the tail has come off with the rest of the skin and is not still attached to the snake. Also make sure both eye caps have come off. If there is any retained skin I have found the best way to get it off it to wrap the snake in a wet terry cloth towel and let it sit in it over night. This give the snake plenty of humidity and some thing to rub on that are soft but capable of removing any retained skin. I never try and pull off an eye cap since I was told you could damage the eye muscles.
Good luck,
Trevor

LisaT · 02-03-03, 11:00 AM

I usualy mist the encloscure as soon as the eyes pas from blue to clear colour again. From this moment onwards it's usualy a question of a couple of days before mi corns shed.
It is good to have something with a rough surfise that is a little heavy for them to use to aid in sheding (a peace of bark or a stone with no cutting edges)
Let us know

Carrie · 02-03-03, 11:11 AM

Thanks thats great I will put a larger bowl of water in and will lightly spray him, can you help me with another question, my other corn who I have just had for 3 days and is only 6 weeks old (and he's beautiful) well today about 2 hours ago he pooed it was quite watery with just a bit of black in it, anyway since then he is holding the last couple of inches of his tail in the air very stiffly is he OK or is there anything wrong? He looks a bit odd with it stuck up in the air. Thanks again for all advice..