new bp owner- question about shedding

[Ryu]

this is my first post here and it took me like 10 min to figure out how even tho the button says post new thread (shut up everyone has their blonde moments lol) but anyway, i've had tom (my bp) for about 3 months now. he shed a few days before i got him according to the previous owner, and again about a month and a half ago so i figure its about time for him to go into shed mode again and i thought he did cause his eyes fogged up, slightly cleared, skin got dull, then somewhat cleared over the past week and 4 days and his belly turned pink during all this too. but when i looked at him the other day, his eyes and skin were completely clear like he already shed but i didnt find his shed anywhere in the tank. from what i've read, ball pythons dont eat their shed like many other reptiles do which confused me even more cause that can only mean that he never shed even tho he showed every sign i know of it. is this normal? i've looked at just about everything google and bing has to offer, i have the newer version of the ball python manual by vosjoli, and i've looked through several threads on here but i havent seen a single thing about this.. idk exactly how old he is but hes about 26" so my guess is about a year if that helps at all

[stevepoppers]

They clear up almost completely right before they actually shed. It's still in the works. You probably just missed it last time or something.

As you're new, I have to recommend you take a look at the caresheet by clicking the link in the bottom of my post, read the whole thing, take it to heart, and make adjustments accordingly.

Welcome.

[DrEwTiMe]

This is nothing to be worried about. From personal experience your snake will show signs of shed wit the clouding of the eyes and skin. After this the eyes somewhat clear up and almost look normal. This is the point where the shed is very very close to occurring.

I know with my snake she has about 2 days of clouding up, then she appears to look normal, after she looks normal i can almost guarantee to find a full shed in the tank either that next day or the one after it like clockwork.

I will put money on you finding a shed in the tank within the next 2 days . But if your concerned at all about this don't be, everything is totally fine.

[Ryu]

o and his last shed took about a week and his skin came off perfectly, no pieces at all.
and something else unrelated: why does this site keep making me log in when i try to do anything? its not that big of a deal but its gettin old pretty quick and i just joined yesterday.

[JenEric Reptiles]

I usually check the remember me box and that works if not it might be some setting on your comp like firewall.. Hope that helps

[stevepoppers]

It seemed to take like a week before it started to remember me. Like it gets longer the longer you're a member or the more often you log in or something. Never signs me out now.

[Ryu]

o ok thanks, thats good to know.. i guess i shouldnt be jumping to conclusions with animals that dont even eat on a daily lol
well now that im talkin to someone i wanna know if this setup needs any change: i got him in a 10 gallon but i got him a 20L, aspen shaving substrate, a heating pad (leaving it off for the summer cause my room is never below 80* thx to my busted a/c), 60 watt white uva basking light, 40 watt moonlight light for nightime (i alternate the 2), 2 dial thermometers and 1 hygrometer (best i can do for now) a little log hide that he slightly outgrew but can still fit in as long as the bedding is patted down on the warm side that im thinking about taking out cause he hasnt touched it since i got him another log hide that i thought was wayy too big when i brought it home but he seems to like it just fine(it sits in the middle against the back of the tank cause its big enough for him to sit in the hot or cold side under that same hide at his current size), a humidity hide on the cool corner (clay pot with sphagnum moss), water bowl on the opposite corner, a rock on both sides, and fake plants on the cool side to take up space and help him feel more secure in there. hot side stays between 90 and 95 (if it gets higher i turn the light off cause i know dials arent the most accurate), 80- 85 on cool side, and humidity is a steady 48 but i mist the plants to make it about 53-56 and the clay pots there in case thats not enough cause theres not much more i can do about humidity except open the window while it rains and i try to keep the moss in it damp at all times.
this came up longer than i thought lol i need to figure out how to post pics

[Ryu]

ok cool it just annoyed the hell out of me cause i never logged out but if im not the only one then ill get over it

[stevepoppers]

I'll name things as I see them.

-Your ball python needs a hotspot in the low 90s controlled by a thermostat. This isn't optional. Those pads can get up to 140 degrees which is way more than enough to kill your snake. The Reptitemp 500R will work if you're on a budget.
-Ball pythons don't need light. At all. Diurnal animals need it to produce vitamin D, but most if not all snakes get it from their prey.
-Dial any-meters aren't trusted more than a piece of poo. There's a $12 AccuRite at WalMart with a probe and a built-in hydrometer. Very recommended.
-Ball pythons will prefer something much more secure and cavelike than a half log. Luckily you can just cut a hole in a plastic bowl and flip it over. Make sure your snake can barely fit. They like it snug. Put one on the hot side and one on the cool.
-If your humidity is typically around 50%, you really don't need a humid hide unless you can't raise it when he's shedding. If it's in there all the time, you need to watch for mole and scale rot.
-If your heating pad is off, how is there a heat gradient?
-You can cover the screen top with something like a wet towel. Foil tape is more permanent.

You seem like you've got a pretty good handle on things. Trust the caresheet, forum members, and professionals, ignore pet store advice, and you should do just fine.

[Ryu]

i've seen caresheets that say that even though they dont need the lights but they can still benefit from it. like u said they get most of their vitamin d from the prey, so that tells me they get the rest from uv. hes skinny right now so i need him to absorb as much nutrients as he can from his meals. and i use them to keep the hot side hot (i made sure the wattage isnt too high) cause i dont have a thermostat (im lookin for a job right now, so money is my biggest enemy. i can mow a lawn or something for the accurite tho) but according to my piece of crap dials there is a 10* difference between each side of the tank and even tho they may not be accurate, there is a definite hot and cool side. but if u insist that i use the heat pad and not the lights, i will. theres plenty of substrate for him to not push it aside while moving around and touch the heat pad. hes never seen the bottom of his tank as far as i know. theres also not enough for him to burrow so im pretty sure hed be safe
as for the hide, not tryna disagree with u here but he can still fit snugly in the little one with the substrate patted down (which is why i still have it in there but he hasnt touched it in so long its actually collecting dust) but he prefers the big one so i dont wanna take it away from him. have there been any balls that u know of that are just different like that?
and about the humidity, i have most of the lid covered but it never reaches over 50% unless its raining so the clay pot and moss are necessary for a good shed.
o and i just wanted to state: in his old tank and the new one before all his furnishings, he tried to escape every night but as soon as i completed his tank 2 weeks ago he stopped and hasnt tried a single time since then that i've seen. i hope thats not a problem in itself.. i also hope im not startin to sound like the girl from that one thread that was goin off on everyone lol i just wanna make sure im right or wrong before changing anything