Ball Python Shed - help!

[fluteplanx]

Within the last month or so I have acquired a baby ball python, who is about 5 months old. He has been eating well and seems quite healthy. Immediately before I got him he shed, and the girl who had him before me showed me his shed, which was very nice. In the past week or so, he went through his shed cycle (pink belly, eyes got milky, cleared up), and then I was lucky enough to come in here to see him in the process of shedding yesterday evening. He had his entire head done (eye caps and all), but his lower jaw appeared to still be intact. In trying to pull the skin farther back down his body, he ripped off "the head" part. After about 15 hours, he's proceeded no further. The skin needing to be shed under his jaw appears to be wedged in the slit between his jaw bones. So this morning he had peed in his tank, so when I removed him to clean it, I put him in a rubbermaid box (shoebox sized) with about 80 degree water for about 45 minutes. When I took him out, the little edges of skin on the top of his body, just behind his head were definitely easier to move around, but as I used a wet towel to try to slide them back, they still seemed to be stuck, and I've made no progress with the lower jaw area. To me it appears that if he can get the lower jaw part started, he will shed in all one piece. But as it is now, we're sort of stuck with the lower jaw part staying in place and behind his neck sort of waiting for that piece to catch up.

Any advice on what I should do? Should I wait a day and soak him again? To make the situation harder, he is a little head shy so trying to move around up there isn't easy. The humidity in his tank is always between 50 and 60%, and for the last few days it's been at least 65% My humidity gauge is a dial one, but when I first got it I calibrated it and it was only about 2% points off. Also, can I feed him? It's been almost two weeks since he ate (as I didn't feed him before when his eyes were milky) and I'm sure he's getting hungry.

He does appear to still be "trying" to rub the skin off. Since he's been back in the tank after the soak he's been rubbing around. I do have a rough rock in there for him to use, but he seems to ignore it and try to use his own body instead.

Thoughts? Thanks much!!!

[DutchHerp]

Is it possible to grab the snake behind the head and get the lower law part separated yourself?

[fluteplanx]

No, I don't think so. He got the lower jaw part started such that about a quarter of an inch had been pulled back, but there it was "stuck." I tried to grab the little skin tag that was there and pull it, but it just ripped off the part that was sticking up, so now there's almost nothing to grab ahold of

[DutchHerp]

Hmm.. when my corn was shedding she ripped part of her skin already before she even started shedding.

You could try to get the old skin separated just past the head area, and see if it'll shed from there.

[Fallguy]

I have always found it to be good to put the snake in a damp pillowcase for about 15-20 minutes. After that you know the skin is soft enough for it to be pulled off. Most of the time they get it themselves. As it is on the lower jaw that you are having issues with, it should come of itself. Just make sure that the ambient temp stays up, or they will get cold and not want to move around to shed themselves.

[llovelace]

Bump up the humidity with dampened spagnum moss or natural sea sponges, he should be able to do the rest, go ahead and feed.

[fluteplanx]

I have put a small tupperware container into his tank with a snake-sized hole cut into the lid. I put some damp/wet paper towels in there and put it on the hot side of his tank. He's in there now; hopefully this will help him

[llovelace]

I have put a small tupperware container into his tank with a snake-sized hole cut into the lid. I put some damp/wet paper towels in there and put it on the hot side of his tank. He's in there now; hopefully this will help him

It should, good luck

[fluteplanx]

The humid hidebox was an enormous success. When I put the box into his tank and introduced his head to the hole, he was quick to go in there and he didn't leave for about 4 or 5 hours. When I came in here to check on him, he was all shed in 3 nice, big pieces. Thanks so much for everyone's help!!!!