Hydration

My neonate gtp seems very healthy, except for the "loose" seeming skin, which looks wrinkled. I've had it since late September, and humidity has been kept between 70-85, temps from 82-90. I've seen it drink twice, and I spray it twice a day. It had a poor (very stuck) shed the week after I got it, and after trying half a dozen options, finally shed-ease worked well (that stuff is amazing!). STILL, it looks like it's skin is a bit too big for it. Should I try syringing some extra water into a pinkie? Or do I just need to wait for the next few sheds?

You could try soaking him for 15 minutes a couple times a week.

Lower your temps to start.....90 is way too hot for any chondro. Shoot for 85 at the hot spot and 78 or so at the cool end. You can inject water in the food and that should help with hydration. Also check your ventilation. If your cage is drying out in a few hours, try to reduce the airflow a bit. You want to spray and still see moisture 10-12 hours later, but beginning to become dry. I would not suggest soaking a neo or anything under a year old. They can and will drown. Wrinkly skin is often a sign of renal damage from dehydration. Just keep an eye on humidity levels and spray more often if you have to. Good luck.

How is the little guy eating? Well? Is it possible it is going to shed again soon? With neonates the inexperienced eye can miss it going in to opaque.
One of my Gtp gets a bit saggy before she shed. About a week later - a beautiful baby.

Just because u don’t see it drink -doesn’t mean it is not drinking. Many Gtp will drink right from them self’s as they are perched. Which brings me to another question has it been perched the entire time?

I totally agree lower temps to about 85 and I feel a neonate never needs a drying out period like an adult Gtp can have.
I recommend bumping up the humidity - put your neonate in a tub with a perch made of a plastic coat hanger. Make sure there’s nothing sharp a little sanding than a quick wash will do the trick. Tubs are really neonates best friend they hold the humidity high and are really the best for the little guys I wouldn’t dream of putting my neonate in anything else - not to say any other way is wrong -just what I feel is best for my babies . They thrive well never had a problem shed or ever a problem - all healthy and great!
As for ventilation - if u have too much passing air it will cause it to dry out to fast causing not enough humidity to build.
Humidity is finding the right amount of balance in air flow and heat with water.
U should provide filtered water for your neonate, both as drinking water as well as in the sprayer.

Also a great thing for neonate is a Dixie cup with lid. Put holes in lid and wet paper towel on bottom leave the neonate in there for some time and it will be great humidity.

Could your neonate be a wild caught? I know that kidney problems can cause dehydration which = the skin looking as u describe.
Hope some of this helps.
I really strongly feel u should bump the humidity up with a tub and your baby with thrive.
Good luck let us know how it goes!:)

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Originally Posted by Brandon Osborne

I would not suggest soaking a neo or anything under a year old. They can and will drown.

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I guess I should have been more descriptive when I said soak in my last post. I'm referring to 1/2" of water in a shoe box size tub with holes poked in it. Sort of like a humidity chamber. I have used this method numerous times before and never had a single snake drown.

Paul, I hate to say it, but I've lost plenty of baby chondros in only 1/4" of water.....that being their water bowls. I'm sure WELL established neos are less likely to drown, but it does happen easily to smaller animals. The best way to ease a shed on a young gtp is a deli-cup with a very moist paper towel.....wadded paper towel. If the skin doesn't come off in 24 hours or so, it's usually best to wait for the next shed cycle. They will often shed within a couple of weeks again, and as mentioned this is sometimes hard to notice.

Warocker's Wife, I couldn't agree with you more. Humidity is a fine balancing act and neos should never dry out. Even is babies look like they hate being sprayed, do it anyway. I have a few that will drink right from the nozzle.

Good luck.

I agree with the Warockers wife! A 6qt tub is the way to go with neo's! Also i think they enjoy the security of a confined space!!! Good luck.

I should also add, although neos do not need to 'dry out', they do not need constant wetness either. This can be as bad as being too dry. Any chondro breeder that says they have never had neos with water blisters will be lying. It is a balancing act with humidity and airflow. Wetness is not a good thing.

Juddb, gave me an excellent site for information. Links will not work in firefox, but did when I tried IE. http://www.finegtps.com/ This link on Maxwell's site should help you out http://www.finegtps.com/Care_sheets.html he wrote "The More Complete Chondro"

Thanks to juddb for these links.

Paul

Warlocker's Wife-

He's eating great. And I never said he doesn't drink...I said that I've seen him drink. The only time I have seen it off a perch is when exploring in the middle of the night. He's already in a tub, with plastic hangers for perches. Also, his humidity stays above 70, and it would take probably over 24 hours of no spraying for it to drop lower than that. Water is filtered. You can see why this was something worth asking others...the only thing I wasnt doing right was the temps.

I have also on at least 6 occassions put him in the tupperware cup he came in with a little water and a 3x3 inch piece of towel, and let him soak. He's not wild caught, this is my second snake I've gotten from this breeder, and I know its captive bred. Both snakes I've gotten feed rediculously well and have great personalities (ball python isn't head shy, gtp has never snapped at me), so I'm inclined to keep coming back to him.

So once again- in a tub, keeping the humidity where it needs to be. I don't want to bump the humidity up, because I'm sure 90% is not good for his resp system. He's been soaked many times. I don't know if he's going to shed soon- I couldn't tell last time that it was coming either. But, this has been like this since the last shed.