new bp owner- question about shedding

Lights are unnecessary. Breeders keep theirs in racks with no lights and they grow up to be AWESOME! Belly heat is recommended. Helps with digestion. Don't switch to it if you don't have a thermostat, though. I wasn't thinking about the light as a heat source. Don't count on him not making his way down to the UTH. They excel at defying expectations. If he likes the hides he has, great, but it's probably a good idea to offer something more secure. If he never uses them after a few weeks, then I guess he just won't. They're all different, and some are just plain weird. It's a good thing that he's not trying to escape. That's supposed to be a sign of stress. That and daytime roaming. But if they eat, poop, and shed, they're probably doing alright. Oh, and the light is probably drying out the air in the enclosure. That's another reason not to use it. Stick with things as they are until you can afford the thermostat and I think you'll be good. It's around $30-$40 shipped. The AccuRite is probably a good first step, though.

You sound like you're willing to listen to advice to make changes for the better of your snake. Nothing wrong with that.

You also sound like you're in high school. That's not wrong either, but a concern is if your snake gets a respiratory infection or something, you've got to get him to a vet. They don't just fix themselves. I hope you've got a parent or something willing to pay for a visit to a herp specialist.

Read the stickies. There's one on almost every subject of concern. "The Shedding Process" at the top of this forum addresses your first question directly.

Disagree with me if you do. Ask other people. I'm just a novice, but I'm relaying the information I've gained from more experienced keepers around here to anyone with a question I've seen answered or a concern I've seen addressed. I hope I get corrected whenever I flub something up. And I hope they back me up if I've got it right.

im waiting on a lost green card replacement (long story). how much do vet visits generally cost?
i can make $50 within a couple weeks with a little small time entrepeneur work, i thought those things were like $100, thats a relief..
i am willing to listen to anyone more knowledgeable than myself, its just that my (extremely) tight budget forces me to ask further questions.
but yea he doesnt move around during the day other than to adjust himself, unless i decide to handle him for a little bit but i usually do that at night.
he actually started shedding while i was on here early this morning but this time it was coming off in shreds. his eyecaps came off fine which is good but, i think its a combination of the light depleting the humidity outside the moss hide and that i fed him the other night thinking he wasnt gonna shed after all :hmm: i gave him a warm bath and the rest came off like knee socks though. i guess i do need to hurry up and get that thermostat cause last time he shed he was still in the 10 gallon

o and about the hide: its not like the ones in pet stores that are all smooth inside. its an old naturally hollowed out driftwood looking log from my friends backyard. his dad baked it and used it for his red tail boa but he outgrew it over a year ago and its just been sittin in his office room so he gave it to me. theres no bugs in it (he has other pets too and hes had a bp die from mites so he takes bugs and mites and such very seriously)
i will invest in smaller hides when i can tho. two identical ones right? and should the humidity hide stay in the cool side once i get the thermostat?

I totally understand the budget thing, but if your dad's into snakes he'd probably be willing to help out. It's just something to be concerned about if an emergency were to arise.

Feeding during shed has no real consequences. Some will eat, some won't. Low humidity should be what caused the piecy shed. Make sure the bath isn't too warm. Luke warm or room temperature is better.

Hides can be cheap plastic water bowls. Yes, identical, so he doesn't pick the one he likes more and sacrifice thermoregulation. You can probably get two at the Dollar Store or someplace for two bucks. Cut an entrance and soften the edges with a lighter. You might already have something you could use.

The driftwood thing sounds cool. No bugs is good.

Only use the humid hide if none of this fixes the humidity, and then, only during a shed. There are some who don't trust their snakes with anything that humid.

only problem is, hes my friends dad, not mine. hell give me free mice but thats about it. ill just have to do some borrowing if something happens before i can do something about it on my own.
he doesnt touch the humid hide unless hes going into shed but i guess ill take it out if it increases his probability of becoming ill.
do the hides have to be identical on the inside and out or just inside, cause i'd like for the plants to just be on the cool side. ill get over it if thats not ok though

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Originally Posted by Ryu

friends backyard. his dad

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Right. Well, you seem resourceful. I'm sure you'll figure something out.

I think if the hides themselves are the same, it's fine. It's about how secure he feels inside of them.

alright. i think that about sums it up. i really appreciate your help steve. thank you:salute: