Shedding...

thebolt · 03-26-12, 09:40 PM

So my ball is going through his usual shed. Most of the time he sheds in one piece and it's fine. I actually caught him peeling the skin off for the first time since I've gotten him, and he's seeming to have a hard time with it. There are bits of skin all over his tank and he seems to have gotten the head off. I'm actually watching him try and scrape his body around now with very mild success. I figured I'd wait till morning and see how he does on his own before I start to intervene (let nature take its course and whatnot) but i've never seen him struggle before and don't know what the repercussions of waiting could be.

This is a video of him so you can see where he's at in the process...

Poor Ball Python Shed - YouTube

I sent it to my girlfriend which is why it's a little more personal in the language haha...sorry about that.

alessia55 · 03-26-12, 09:51 PM

lol- your talking during the video made me giggle.

I have a few suggestions. I can't tell in the video what your humidity is because you have one of those analog hygrometers (switch to a digital one asap if you can please; usually much more accurate). Your humidity should be 70% or more during his shed cycle. You should give him a bigger bowl of water where he can soak his entire body in it. Switch to ReptiBark or CocoHusk as your substrate and mist it occasionally with water and you'll raise your humidity. Ideally, put him in a tub or a melamine or plastic enclosure. Glass tanks are awful for holding humidity. Equally as important, the screen top of your tank is adding to his problem with shedding. Screen tops release all the humidity out of the enclosure. If you adjust those, he should hopefully have no problems shedding from now on.

More generally, he needs a hide on his cool end too. I see you've got two on his warm end. On the cool end where the water dish is, I only see a yellow rock thing. Not sure if that's a hide or not. How are you heating his enclosure and how are you measuring the temperature?

The more information you give us the better we can help you

thebolt · 03-26-12, 09:59 PM

His humidity is at...65% right now on the side he's sitting on. There are two hides on hot and one on cool (yes the yellow rock). Usually I have towels all over the top of my screen to help keep humidity in and I do spray (twice a day if I can). It's just weird. I've had him for 16ish months now and he's never (fortunately) had a bad shed. I just don't know if I should put him in a warm bath right now or whatever.

I'm usually pretty good about keeping up humidity though.

alessia55 · 03-26-12, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebolt

His humidity is at...65% right now on the side he's sitting on. There are two hides on hot and one on cool (yes the yellow rock). Usually I have towels all over the top of my screen to help keep humidity in and I do spray (twice a day if I can). It's just weird. I've had him for 16ish months now and he's never (fortunately) had a bad shed. I just don't know if I should put him in a warm bath right now or whatever.

I'm usually pretty good about keeping up humidity though.

The analog hygrometers can be really inaccurate; it might read 65% and really be at 45%. If you can, get a digital one soon, since they're usually more accurate than the analog ones.

I'd say mist his cage right now and cover it with saran wrap or the towels and leave him overnight. Maybe you have a bigger bowl to offer him a bigger water dish? That way he can soak his whole body if he decides to do so. See what he's like in the morning and we'll take it from there. For now, mist the tank, cover the screen, a bigger water bowl, and leave him.

How are you heating the tank and how are you measuring temps?

thebolt · 03-26-12, 10:02 PM

Oh uhh...I do heating with four lights (2 for night and 2 for day) and I measure the temp with 2 thermometers and 2 humidity gauges. I also have a spot thermometer.

The towels aren't on the tank when I made the vid because I went inside to check under his hides to see if he had any sheddings underneath them.

He has stopped trying to rub the shed off. He has spent the last 20 minutes just kinda laying out.

thebolt · 03-26-12, 10:04 PM

Oh and temps...on the cool side it is currently...86 on the hot side and 78 on the cooler side of the tank.

alessia55 · 03-26-12, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebolt

Oh uhh...I do heating with four lights (2 for night and 2 for day) and I measure the temp with 2 thermometers and 2 humidity gauges. I also have a spot thermometer.

The towels aren't on the tank when I made the vid because I went inside to check under his hides to see if he had any sheddings underneath them.

He has stopped trying to rub the shed off. He has spent the last 20 minutes just kinda laying out.

It's fine that he's laying out right now. Just leave him tonight. Like I said... Mist the cage, give him a bigger water dish if you have one, cover the screen top, and leave him alone for the night.

Ikester1981 · 03-26-12, 10:08 PM

definitely let your snake shed on his own first. but that morning after hes done get any shed still attached off. try a piece of saran rap or plastic of some sort to cover the screen top. my carpets stay no less than 45-50% humidity and like 55 said bout 65-70% most of the day while they are in shed. I have to use a repti-fogger as i live in a high desert climate and have little to no humidity to speak of. make sure theres plenty of rough surfaces for him to slough off his shed. gotta keep that moisture high though.

alessia55 · 03-26-12, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ikester1981

definitely let your snake shed on his own first. but that morning after hes done get any shed still attached off. try a piece of saran rap or plastic of some sort to cover the screen top. my carpets stay no less than 45-50% humidity and like 55 said bout 65-70% most of the day while they are in shed. I have to use a repti-fogger as i live in a high desert climate and have little to no humidity to speak of. make sure theres plenty of rough surfaces for him to slough off his shed. gotta keep that moisture high though.

My name is in my username AND my signature, lol! No need to call me "55"

Ikester1981 · 03-26-12, 10:11 PM

as far as just laying there. Its very strenuous physically for a snake to shed. hes probably just resting to go at it again

Ikester1981 · 03-26-12, 10:17 PM

I just find it easier to call you 55 kinda a nick name if you will?? but if you prefer alesssia. I would have to oblige.

KORBIN5895 · 03-26-12, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ikester1981

I just find it easier to call you 55 kinda a nick name if you will?? but if you prefer alesssia. I would have to oblige.

She also likes monkeypits or stinky toes. They were close runners up for her member title.

alessia55 · 03-26-12, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KORBIN5895

She also likes monkeypits or stinky toes. They were close runners up for her member title.

You are sooo funny