Shed and Excess skin

[eyeownvango]

I've had my ball python for about 4 months now, and she was born in June. I have been feeding her hoppers and currently she is in shed. She has not been very active but as I see her moving, it looks like she has a lot of excess skin, which I'm not sure if that due to shedding, or if she needs to eat me. I want to try to feed her. Is it okay that they eat during shed?

[Nate]

your snake isn't going to starve if you don't feed it. it'll be fine till it's done shedding.

Is this "excess skin" one big solid piece of shed skin? or is it a very broken up and scattered shed? If it's broken up and scattered, then you need to raise your humidity. It's too low.

[eyeownvango]

How do I raise the humidty? I gave her a humid hide, but she didn't want to use it...

[Nate]

the method i used when i used a tank was to keep a damp towel over the screen top. I wet it down every day. You can also mist the cage on a daily basis. You need something to measure the humidity, such as an accurite. Those stick on analog gauges are worthless.

[eyeownvango]

Are there any adverse effects to misting down the cage?

[Nate]

yes if you mist it too much. mold, scale rot, respiratory infection and a list of things. you're not looking to soak his environment, just dampen it to get some humidity in there.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

I've had my ball python for about 4 months now, and she was born in June. I have been feeding her hoppers and currently she is in shed. She has not been very active but as I see her moving, it looks like she has a lot of excess skin, which I'm not sure if that due to shedding, or if she needs to eat me. I want to try to feed her. Is it okay that they eat during shed?

Yes you can feed during shed, I offer food to mine on the usual schedule regardless of shed and I rarely have a refusal.

To raise humidity you can

Have another water dish above the UTH

Partially cover the top of the enclosure

Mist the enclosure

Switch to a substrate the hold humidity better (Cypress mulch, Repti-bark)

[eyeownvango]

I didn't soak the viv, I just sprayed around the top edges, and I didn't leaving it dripping down, I just left a few water marks.

[Nate]

I didn't soak the viv, I just sprayed around the top edges, and I didn't leaving it dripping down, I just left a few water marks.

now, how are you keeping track of your humidity?

[eyeownvango]

I have a humidity gauge device with a probe.