shedding question.

SlimeyLimey805 · 05-12-10, 11:28 AM

so i recently moved my self and my snakes into the valley of the mountain i use to live on (only about 1000 feet difference in elevation) and Kali, my BP just had her first shed in the new home, and some of it has not come off her back on the bottom 1/4 or so of her. i checked her vent and it shed there cleanly so thats ok, and i misted her during shed and i have tried soaking her to get the shed off and it doesnt seem to be doing a huge amount. so i would like some advice on how to help raise the humidty and help her shed? any help is appreciated.
thanks, kyle

infernalis · 05-12-10, 12:59 PM

What substrate are you using??

Some substrates are much better at holding humidity than others.

Coconut hair mixed with bark chips works well at keeping humidity in and it's attractive.

Nafun · 05-12-10, 02:29 PM

I recommend a shed box for that time of the month. Take a tupperware or rubbermaid container, cut two holes in it, line it with wet paper towels. Replace the paper towels when they get soiled, and check them every day to make sure they stay wet.

For raising humidity in general, what kind of enclosure is she in?

I had my bp in a standard aquarium. I had a hell of a time keeping the humidity up. Warm air holds more moisture, and warm air rises. All the humidity was just going right out the screen lid. Now I keep him in a custom enclosure I built with vents 2" above the substrate. I have no trouble keeping his humidity at 60% now.
If you've got a screen lid, you can cover part of it with a sheet of plexi to help keep some moisture in. Just don't cover the whole thing.

Other ways to raise the humidity is using a larger water dish, or using a waterfall. More surface area means more evaporation.

You can also move the water closer to the heat.

There are also commercially available reptile foggers. They're not a perfect solution, but they can keep the humidity up without leaving you with soggy substrate and all the problems that can come from wet substrate (like mold).

SlimeyLimey805 · 05-12-10, 10:46 PM

i currently have her on repti-bark in a 50 gallon aquarium, i have increased the surface area of the water dish. thanks for the advice guys i think im gonna start working on a shed box tomorrow. i've heard people saying you can also use moss in a shed box and it doesnt dry out as fast as paper towels is this true?

Nafun · 05-13-10, 07:02 AM

Yeah, moss works well in shed boxes too, but it's a lot harder to clean.

marvelfreak · 05-13-10, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlimeyLimey805

i currently have her on repti-bark in a 50 gallon aquarium, i have increased the surface area of the water dish. thanks for the advice guys i think im gonna start working on a shed box tomorrow. i've heard people saying you can also use moss in a shed box and it doesnt dry out as fast as paper towels is this true?

With aquarium you can cover part of the top with a towel. This will help keep humidity in.

SlimeyLimey805 · 05-13-10, 10:36 AM

Nafun: ok cool thanks for the info, i think ill stick with the paper towels being that its cheaper anyway. so i just line the box with damp ones and then replace them when they dry out?
MarvelFreak: that sounds like a good idea. does the towel have to be damp or anything or just a plain towel.

oh and ONE more thing (sorry mates haha) i was reading that misting BPs to much can lead to scale rot and/or RI so i'm now paranoid about misting her haha. so is this true? and if so how often is it safe to spray her enclosure down?