Help with shedding

My ball python is having trouble shedding.. instead of coming off in one piece, his skin is coming off in flakes. I've only had him for three weeks, so I don't know if this is normal for him or if it's related to something I'm doing wrong.

(The temperature is 75 and the humidity is 70, if that helps)

Can anyone help me?

Your temperature is extremely low - that's the first thing.

Even with proper humidity levels, stress will result in retained sheds. You need to provide the correct temperature gradient on the hot (90 to 93 degrees) and cool (80 to 83 degrees) ends of his enclosure.

Secondly, any other stressors need to be addressed. Make sure he has tight fitting hides and that his encloure is in a quiet, vibration free area of the house.

As to the retained shed - I would recommend getting it off of him as quickly as possible. The best method to remove tattered skin is to soak the snake in lukewarm water in a container deep enough to cover the snake's body )but not so deep that the animal drowns). Do not leave him unattended during this process.

In the past with retained sheds, I have kept the animal in the container for about 2 hours and then have assisted the process by gently rolling the retained pieces back by hand.

Use this tutorial:
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=43403

Humidity is good, but as Skiploder said, temps WAY too low.


We have had our BP 3 months - two sheds w/ us needed help. It's all a learning process.

Good luck!