Ball acting very weird...

[Hunkycorn]

My python has always been very mellow and open to being handled. I've never even seen her ball-up defensively. But today she's coming out of her first shed cycle and I came home from work and misted her and picked her up to get some love and she was acting terrified. Balling, and hiding her head. But, most concerning of all, she was acting confused and possibly a bit uncoordinated. I am worried to death. What's going on with my snake????

[The Serpent Merchant]

• Has she actually shed yet?
• If so how long ago?
• Did she have a good shed?
• Does she have proper temperatures/humidity?

[Wes]

shedding can be stressful, she is probably just a little worked up. Give her a day or two and she will probably be back to her old self.

[Slim]

Your BP doesn't have any Spider genetics, does it?

You say this is your BP's first shed cycle? You mean the first shed with you, right? If She's still a young BP, the type of behavior you describe isn't really very far out of the norm.

Keep an eye on her for a couple of days and monitor her for signs of stress. You might want to give her some time to settle down after her next shed.

Good luck.

[Hunkycorn]

• Has she actually shed yet?
• If so how long ago?
• Did she have a good shed?
• Does she have proper temperatures/humidity?

She's, 1.5ft long, in a 10G tank w/ heat pad under cool side and 75w night bulb on the basking side providing roughly 80f on cool side to 84f on warm side. Aspen bedding, She's shed in thirds her tail is all that is left, I mist many times throughout the day but humidity still won't exceed 40-50%, and it drops very quickly.

[WingedWolfPsion]

I advise not handling them when they are opaque--they cannot see well, they obviously don't feel well, and their new skin, forming beneath the old, is fragile. It's just kinder to let them be until they shed.

[Hunkycorn]

Your BP doesn't have any Spider genetics, does it?

You say this is your BP's first shed cycle? You mean the first shed with you, right? If She's still a young BP, the type of behavior you describe isn't really very far out of the norm.

Keep an eye on her for a couple of days and monitor her for signs of stress. You might want to give her some time to settle down after her next shed.

Good luck.

It's definately her first shed with me, but I don't think she was much older than a hatchlig when I got her, so it could be her first.

[The Serpent Merchant]

She's, 1.5ft long, in a 10G tank w/ heat pad under cool side and 75w night bulb on the basking side providing roughly 80f on cool side to 84f on warm side. Aspen bedding, She's shed in thirds her tail is all that is left, I mist many times throughout the day but humidity still won't exceed 40-50%, and it drops very quickly.

does the heat pad have a thermostat and how are you measuring temps?

as others have said Shedding is very stressful so that could be why but your hot side temperature is too low

[The Serpent Merchant]

It's definately her first shed with me, but I don't think she was much older than a hatchlig when I got her, so it could be her first.

they should shed in the first week or so after hatching so this probably isn't her first.

[Hunkycorn]

I advise not handling them when they are opaque--they cannot see well, they obviously don't feel well, and their new skin, forming beneath the old, is fragile. It's just kinder to let them be until they shed.

This is my first snake, so there's a lot I need to learn. Didn't realize it was such a fragile ordeal. I just thought if she didn't act like she cared it was cool. But I'll leave her be next time around. Thx for the advice.