Signs he's going to shed?

I'm wondering what the signs are of a ball python going into shed? I just got my python about 5 weeks ago, but he is a year old. He's been doing real well, eating every wednesday with no problems, his temps are between 82-84 on his cold side and right around 92 on his warm side with humidity between 47-52 (I know it should be between 50-60 but the reading is right below the heat lamp I have to keep the cool side warm enough in my apartment), aspen bedding... basically I've spent enough time on this site to have the husbandry down pact (just ask my girlfriend whom I've been driving nuts)

Anyways, he didn't eat for me last night and he's been spending all of his time in his hide whereas he usually comes out around 10:30-11:00 to explore and then when I picked him up today he was real squirmy. I also thought his skin looked a little dull but I'm not sure if I'm just wanting his skin to look dull so that is what I am seeing or what. I always heard their eyes will get a dull look to them when they are going into shed, but it looked like his eyes are normal.



Anyway, I guess I went the long way around asking what the signs of a ball python going into shed are...so what are they?

ball pythons spend a majority of there time in hide so no need to worry about that lol and his skin will turn dull to a kind of bluish look as for the same with his eyes they will turn like a milky bluish also. thats about the same for all snakes. i do not own a ball but i have several carpet pythons and as far as i know and what i have read there shedding is about the same as most pythons. dull to bluish skin with a bluish milky haze to the eyes. i myself am not an expert and there is alot more people on here with alot more knowledge of them then i have so id say give them a lil to respond. im sure im not to far off base about the way it will look but liek i said i dont own one so i would get other opinions also lol.

also by looking at the pictures in your images if it isnt your cameras color messed up id say perhaps shes about ready to lol.

The signs of a shed can differ with each snake but as a general rule you'll see a decrease in their activity level. (Mine would stay in their hides for a couple days prior to a shed), you may notice a bit of pinkness on the belly, and they will have a dullness to their scales.

It sounds like you will notice the eyes going opaque in the next day or so.

actually he does have a pink stomach... and definitely less active. I think my little guys going to have his first shed for me. Time to bump up the humidity now I suppose.

And I think the color on my pictures are just from the camera because those are from when I first got him

Thanks for the quick replies ;)

yeah pink belly, eyes cloud up or blue feeling vulnerable ,i keep track of all sheds so i can kinda know when there getting close to one its not an exact ,but helps when there acting strange

Smith, you and I have a lot in common now. I'm a new owner of a ball now and have been on this site too and driving my girlfriend nuts! oh what a life we lead. My ball is also going into his first shed with me. His eyes have been opaque for about two days now and his skin definately feels different. I didn't feed him on his scheduled day (today) because of the shed. The sheds usually last 7-10 days to complete the cycle, so be patient....hopefully we can share this awesome moment around the same time.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Basketball303

Smith, you and I have a lot in common now. I'm a new owner of a ball now and have been on this site too and driving my girlfriend nuts! oh what a life we lead. My ball is also going into his first shed with me. His eyes have been opaque for about two days now and his skin definately feels different. I didn't feed him on his scheduled day (today) because of the shed. The sheds usually last 7-10 days to complete the cycle, so be patient....hopefully we can share this awesome moment around the same time.

---

haha that's pretty funny. good luck!

Just an update for those who care, his eyes are definitely a bluish color today, so I rigged a humid hide out of a cool whip container and some damp paper towels and put it in his cage. This is pretty exciting haha

The usual progression:

First stage:
An overall darkening in color
Pinkish belly--an even color, not in patches.

Second stage:
Extremely dark color
Very noticeable pink coloration over the belly
Cloudy bluish-grey steely look to the eyes
Reduced activity/possible increased irritability
Often food is refused.

Third stage:
Eyes clear.
Color lightens, but not completely
It is most important to raise the humidity at this point, as shedding should occur within a day.

So after he sheds how quick should I feed him? I'm pretty sure he's right after the second stage today, so I think I have about two more days before he's done.

As soon as the old skin is off, they can eat.

Thanks....so I'm sort of freaking out now...he's gone through the signs, opaque eyes, pink belly, wierd feeling skin and that was about two days ago, his eyes have cleared up and it appears as if he's' back to his normal color. He hasn't gone through the light skin part yet, so I'm wondering is it possible for a ball to skip a shed? I'm just getting worried I'm doing something wrong. Any thoughts?

I've never seen a snake skip a shed after going through all the other stages. Just wait, and you'll have a shed probably by tonight or tomorrow.

Also as far a feeding, I always feed on a specific night. If a snake is in shed I will attempt to feed or not depending on the individual snake. If they eat or not, they are not offered food again until the following week. The point I'm trying to make is that it's okay to feed after the shed, but it's also perfectly fine to just wait until the next feeding day. :)

The color lightens, but not completely--IE, almost back to normal coloration, which is what you're seeing. He should shed anytime now. ;)

thanks actually I woke up this morning and he had shed. However it wasn't in one piece so I guess I need to work on humidity further

Did all the shed come off? It's not all that important that it all came off in one piece, just that it all came off.

there was just a small piece about an inch long left on his tail so I just did the warm water bath with a warm towel trick and it came off fairly easy with that

Our girl has shed 2 times since we got her and both times has been one complete piece. (our 8 y/o likes to keep it and take it to school if its not all covered w/ substrate)
We have 2 corns that shed in the same manner - complete)

Hi there.

I have a 3 month old (at the most) ball. She is a normal female, but i dont think that matters much.

Anyways she is usualy VERY active and always trying to climp up her tank and alot of the time "follows me around" inside the tank where ever i go in my room. But in the last few days she is not active at all, and doest come out of the warm side hide much, if not ever since i dont know what she does while i sleep, but she didnt come out her hide last nite and i went to sleep at 5am.

Her eyes are a metallic blue color now and i dont think she cant see much, i flash my hands in front of her face and she doesnt do anything. The thing is her belly is NOT pink at all. I dont think her skin is dull, but I cant realy tell. So i dont know what to think...

This is my first python and first shed of any snake of that matter, so i dont know much. The pet store employee where i got her from said she shed once in the store already. So i would guess this is the 3rd shed (1st with breeder) if thats what it is. But again i dont know =/.

Any thoughs? Thanx.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Danounet

Hi there.

I have a 3 month old (at the most) ball. She is a normal female, but i dont think that matters much.

Anyways she is usualy VERY active and always trying to climp up her tank and alot of the time "follows me around" inside the tank where ever i go in my room. But in the last few days she is not active at all, and doest come out of the warm side hide much, if not ever since i dont know what she does while i sleep, but she didnt come out her hide last nite and i went to sleep at 5am.

Her eyes are a metallic blue color now and i dont think she cant see much, i flash my hands in front of her face and she doesnt do anything. The thing is her belly is NOT pink at all. I dont think her skin is dull, but I cant realy tell. So i dont know what to think...

This is my first python and first shed of any snake of that matter, so i dont know much. The pet store employee where i got her from said she shed once in the store already. So i would guess this is the 3rd shed (1st with breeder) if thats what it is. But again i dont know =/.

Any thoughs? Thanx.

---

Sometimes their bellies don't turn pink. It is just a sign that you can look for. I would expect a shed within the next week.

Also, keep in mind ball pythons are secretive snakes and enjoy spending most of their time hiding. An overly active snake is usually an indication that they are stressed out (trying to escape constantly) or not being fed enough.

If you need help in the future, start a new thread :) You will get much more help that way!

I'm actually in the same situation. I've just got my first ball python and I've researched the signs of shedding to no end, but I'm a little confused. I keep finding small pieces of shed skin around her enclosure, but she doesn't seem to be showing any of the typical signs of the shed cycle. (I'm wondering if maybe because I haven't washed her enclosure since I got her, maybe the pieces of skin are from a previous shed?) Her eyes seem normal and her belly isn't pink. Her belly is more of a bluish color and her scales feel kind of rough or sticky. She's very young, only about 3 months old, and she apparently had a bad shed before with her previous owners. I want to make sure I amp up the humidity for her if she's going into a shed, but I'm not %100 sure that's what's happening. Maybe she's dehydrated? If that's the case, how do I re-hydrate her? There are pictures of her on my profile. Thanks!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by AaronAshley

I'm actually in the same situation. I've just got my first ball python and I've researched the signs of shedding to no end, but I'm a little confused. I keep finding small pieces of shed skin around her enclosure, but she doesn't seem to be showing any of the typical signs of the shed cycle. (I'm wondering if maybe because I haven't washed her enclosure since I got her, maybe the pieces of skin are from a previous shed?) Her eyes seem normal and her belly isn't pink. Her belly is more of a bluish color and her scales feel kind of rough or sticky. She's very young, only about 3 months old, and she apparently had a bad shed before with her previous owners. I want to make sure I amp up the humidity for her if she's going into a shed, but I'm not %100 sure that's what's happening. Maybe she's dehydrated? If that's the case, how do I re-hydrate her? There are pictures of her on my profile. Thanks!

---

I sent you a private message :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Basketball303

Smith, you and I have a lot in common now. I'm a new owner of a ball now and have been on this site too and driving my girlfriend nuts! oh what a life we lead. My ball is also going into his first shed with me. His eyes have been opaque for about two days now and his skin definately feels different. I didn't feed him on his scheduled day (today) because of the shed. The sheds usually last 7-10 days to complete the cycle, so be patient....hopefully we can share this awesome moment around the same time.

---

you should offer anyways.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by decensored

you should offer anyways.

---

Old thread is old :D

My ball squeeze is going thru his first shed with me to.
IM also a new ball python own.

Did ur bp she's yet