I have had this four-year-old ball python since May 30, so three weeks. He ate a mouse two Thursdays in a row. On the next Sunday (June 12) his skin looked loose. His eyes looked a little cloudy. I took him in to the pet store and the gal there told me it could be a little dehydrated. I asked if he could be getting ready to shed? She looked him all over and said, no.

By the following Thursday (June 16) his eyes were opaque blue. I went to get his mouse, but the guy working said to skip the feeding since he was in his shed. Ever since then, Slithers has been in his hide. He prefers the cool side, which can be as low as 78°. The warm side can go into the high 90°s. If I put his water dish on the cool side, he burrows under it. If I put his cave/hide on the cool side, he stays in there. The humidity has been hard to maintain and goes up to 50-55% when I mist, but a few hours later, is back to 40%.

It's been six days since his eyes were opaque; ten days since I think he started to shed. His eyes are now cleared up quite a bit. He hasn't eaten in 13 days. The pet store guy said snakes can go a long time without eating. See the picture for how loose his skin is. Every bend has multiple wrinkles. So here's my question. When should I worry?

I hope I'm being a first-time-snake-owner and worrying for nothing. How long should I wait for the shed before worrying?