Rescued young BP

[Saber402]

Hi everyone. This past weekend myself and my kids rescued a young BP I am guessing to be about 5 months old. It is maybe 14 inches long or so and about 1 1/4 inch wide at its widest. The guy we got it from only had it a month and realized he couldn't properly take care of it. He had it in a 10 gallon glass tank with a screen top, wood shavings for substrate, a piece of wood that must weigh 10 pounds, and seriously a 100 watt red bulb. Pretty much everything was not in the snakes best interest. He gave us the tank and equipment as well. His parting comment was that he was really a fish guy.

The poor thing was obviously dehydrated as his skin felt loose and the top of his head looked very dry. We brought it home and re-did its tank and got the humidity up to 80+%. Within a few hours the snake was out checking it's new home which was a good sign.

Since then we have been giving it lukewarm bath for 30 minutes every other day and providing plenty of water to drink, although we have not seen it drink yet. As it has only been 5 days since we got him i am not expecting miraculous changes, although he does seem to have perked up quite a bit.

Checking him last night it looks as though he may be shedding soon. The head scales looked different (dryer around the edges) and his belly is a slight pink color. Haven't seen any change in the eyes yet.

My question is - should I be doing anything else to increase his hydration in preparation for a successful shed? I am concerned that he will have trouble getting the shed off easily due to the loose skin. Is there any topical stuff (mineral oil, etc) I could put on him? We are suspending the baths until he does shed so as not to wash away the natural oils.

I am hoping this rescue will be a positive experience for my kids (9 & 11) and show them the importance of taking proper care of your animals as well as being willing to put in some hard work to help those in need.

Thanks!

[kat_black181]

Should go into blue in a few days.

Keep the humidity up as you are already doing. 65-70% should be fine. And, you are providing fresh water, so you're good there. I think it sounds about right!

Good on you for rescuing him. You seem to really be trying to do everything correctly! He's in good hands.

[Tribal]

Just keep the humidity levels in his cage right and he will shed fine. If they get lower than wanted just mist the cage once or twice a day. Snakes get most of their water intake from their food so having water in the cage is a luxury for them. Do you know when the last time it was fed ?

[Himitsu]

If the humidity alone ends up not being enough for this first shed and some does stick, there are plenty of threads on here for how to remove a stuck shed. If it is eye caps I'd just leave until next shed personally, for if done incorrectly trying to remove a retained eye cap can damage the eye.

[Kaorte]

High humidity is all you need for a successful shed. No need to any extra oils or anything like that. You are correct for suspending the soaks. Honestly I don't think the soaks are needed. He is probably drinking when you aren't looking

Thanks for rescuing the little one! I'm sure your kids will love having him in the family!

[Saber402]

Glad to know I am going in the right direction with it. The guy told me it was fed a live hopper last Thursday, but can't be sure. I feed my other snakes on Sundays and was planning on trying him then. But with the upcoming shed and him probably still being stressed I may offer food but not expect much.

Thanks!

[NH93]

Good for you!

Sounds like you've got it under control.
I recently posted a question about feeding and shedding, and was told to wait and feed one day after the shed, as to not cause a potential regurge during shedding process. I don't know how old your BP is, mine is just two months old, and so a regure could be more likely for him.
I hope that helps a bit!

[Crazymonkee]

Sounds like he's in good hands!!! I'm sure your kids will enjoy him, and you!!!

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[S.I.R.]

Sounds like you are spot on and doing well. Watch the humidity levels and should be fine. Soaking it still wouldnt hurt if you think it needs it. Good luck with your new little rescue!

[Neal]

Thanks for saving a BP, and just keep the humidity high during the shedding process.