ETB shed schedule?

continuum13 · 06-25-13, 07:14 AM

My ETB is right around 6 months old now and seems healthy and eats regularly on a 10 day schedule. I got it in the beginning of May and still haven't seen it shed. I am not sure how often they are supposed to shed but a month and a half seems too long. I see it's skin is getting very wrinkly and just feel like it should have happened by now. Temps are between 82-84 during the day and drop between 75-79 at night with the humidity rarely dipping below 80%. I have bowl full of moss and water along with newspapaer substrate and a large suspended water dish. I noticed some loose skin about a week ago by it's mouth so a placed a rock in there. It's coloration got dull last week and returned to normal but still nothing. Based on the 6 week time period, is it time for me to take more steps to aid the shed, or do I just need to be patient? Any help would be fantastic!

Chu'Wuti · 06-25-13, 07:30 AM

Now that it has "returned to normal," it should go ahead and shed. That is the normal process--milky, dull, then clearing, then shed. However, you can help it by misting more often--bring the humidity up to 100% until your snake has actually shed. After the shed is complete, check to see that the old skin has come off the eyes and the tip of the tail; retained eyecaps can lead to blindness, and retained shed on the tail can lead to progressive necrosis that can eventually kill the snake. Then you can bring the humidity levels back to the norm appropriate for ETBs--until the next time it begins the shed process. When you see it going into the shed cycle, raise the humidity, and it will help the entire process.

Good luck!

**Aaron_S** · 06-25-13, 09:19 AM

There's no real set schedule for any snake to shed. Just keep up the husbandry.

continuum13 · 06-25-13, 12:50 PM

Cool, thanks for the help folks. One more quick question, it's scheduled feeding is tonight. Is it better to feed right before the shed or should I wait to feed until after the shed?

**Aaron_S** · 06-25-13, 01:34 PM

Some won't eat during any part of a shed cycle, some will.

You can offer or wait.

continuum13 · 06-26-13, 08:17 AM

No shed yet, but here are some pics from feeding time!

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Lankyrob · 06-26-13, 12:57 PM

Very pretty snake

Concept9 · 06-26-13, 01:02 PM

I love that phase we they are changing from red to green.

Chu'Wuti · 06-27-13, 11:47 AM

So I'm guessing it was perfectly happy to eat! Usually my BPs and other snakes will eat during the clear phase of the shed cycle but not during the fully blue phase. And of course, they are always happy to eat after the shed cycle is complete, and in between sheds!

smy_749 · 06-27-13, 11:49 AM

I love the ETBs. The only reason I like GTP's better is because Adult ETBs have 'fat heads' as like to put it. However, the ETB neonates take the cake. Hes beautiful.