Is something wrong??

Conan is having a hard time shedding. So I just went in to get him out of his tank so I could soak him and he is acting all weird. When I touch him he acts like it hurts when my skin touches his. He is hissing and curling back like he is going to strike. Is this normal behavior?


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Try putting him in a warm wet pillow case for about an hour. As he slithers around in it the dampness will help loosen the rest of the skin and moving through the pillow case will help him slough off alot of the remaining unshed skin.

He keeps hissing and biting me. He pretty much won't let me pick him up. He is acting weird. Not sure how to explain it. When he is up in striking position he is all shaky.


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It could be normal behavior if he is as uncomfortable as he looks right now. Unlike lizards, ball pythons should shed all of their skin at one time. Click on the link in my signature below related to bad sheds to read a ton of good information on solutions for you. Happy reading!

In regards to the shaking, it could be related to the bad shed, or it could be something else.

• What are you using as a heat source for him?
• What are you using to measure the temperature?
• What is that temperature?

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UTH with dimmer running it and probe for temp. (First pic)
Thermometer inside tank (second pic)
Ceramic heat bulb (third pic)


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Ha ha! Dang - it looks like someone is as detail focused as me! I love the paper with husbandry notes - I did the same thing when I was making sure I had everything dialed in for my first BP a couple years ago. Nice.

Since he was a rescue, it's possible he was exposed to high temps before coming into your care, which could have led to some neurological issues. Other than that, some just shake a bit when they get excited. I tend to notice it when they're in feeding mode right before they strike. Like I said earlier, I'd probably chalk it up to being extra sensitive while in shed (and even more so since he's having a rough go of it).

Edit: Since you're using a ceramic bulb, I'm assuming you're setting it (or hanging it) on top of his enclosure. Any chance temps up near the top of his enclosure are significantly higher than the temp your probe is reading? Just another thought I had after I made the original reply...

Yes,setting it on top of the tank. I will move the thermometer up higher and see what kind of readings I get.


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Temps are just a bit higher at top of tank. Nothing major though. He seems to be a little better today. Still won't let me touch him though. Still worried.


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I would still suggest you pick him up with a towel if need be to prevent him biting you and try using the pillow case method. Once he has removed much of his shed he may calm back down. He is probably just really miserable with all of the stuck skin pulling on his body. Good luck