Snake shedding

[Rarist]

So my snake is in shed. He already shed part of his not all of it. How can I tell if he didn't shed off his eye caps? Also how he just shed part of head?

[kc261]

You can tell if the eyecaps were shed by looking at the shed skin and seeing if the eyecaps are there. If not, they are probably still on the snake.

If your snake has shed only its head, it might be because it is just starting and you need to give it time. Or it might be a stuck shed.

How long since the shed started? As in the skin started coming off?

Check out these 2 great stickies:
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=28794
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=43403

[Rarist]

I think may be 4 or 5 days. And how can i tell if the eye caps are still on?

[kc261]

If it has been 4 or 5 days since the skin started coming off, and only the head has shed, then the snake definitely needs help. Probably your humidity is too low. Read the second sticky to find out how to get this stuck shed off.

Let me try to explain the eyecaps again. If you get a piece of shed skin from a snake, you can clearly see each scale. The eyecap is really just a special clear scale that goes over the eye. When you look at a piece of shed skin from the head of the snake, you can tell where the eyecaps should be. If the skin is one solid piece, that is good. If there are holes where the eyecaps should be, that is bad.

Either way, the soaking and such to get the rest of the skin off might get off the eyecap if it is still stuck. Also, I've read that lots of times a single layer of stuck eyecap isn't much of a problem and will come off with the next shed, as long as humidity and such is good for the snake to get a good shed next time.

[Rarist]

So should I soak him? I just sprayed his tank.

[kc261]

Yes, I would soak him.

Really, read that second link I posted. It tells you all about how to do it and when to do it. You only need to read the first post, not all the pages of comments people have made (although it might be good reading at a later date, but not necessary to learn how to do it).