Arroyo Ball Python is SUPER BAD SHAPE!! HELP ME SAVE HIM PLEASE </3

Hi guys, it's my first post here and my snake is in major danger here, please help me :( i dont wanna lose him. he is my first snake.

I just got him this morning as a rescue off craigslist. The owner says he is an Arroyo Ball Python. Honestly i don't even know if he really is. All i know is that he is in really bad shape. I know most of you guys here are experts and have been handling snakes since before i was even born. (I'm 19) Please help me save Rex, he is my first snake and I really wanna save him. I don't think the previous owners really took care of him at all. Rex is 8 months now, according to the owner.

So this is how he looks like now.
http://s1028.photobucket.com/user/Dy...tml?sort=3&o=0 http://s1028.photobucket.com/user/Dy...tml?sort=3&o=1

His skin is shedding horribly, his right eye is dented and probably still has the shedding left over on it (not sure of the left eye, i can't tell), i think he is pretty dehydrated.

I couldn't keep the humidity up maybe because it was winter here in Seattle, it was around 40-45% in his tank. So i tried putting to small pieces of damp paper towel on top of his hiding spot (both on cold and hot side) and cover the top (i'm using a glass tank that has the wire screen on top, as it came with it when i got the snake) with aluminium foil (few holes poked in it for better ventilation?) and managed to make it rise to about 60-65%. is that okay temporarily or should i not do that?
here is how his entire set up looks like.

http://s1028.photobucket.com/user/Dy...tml?sort=3&o=1

The temperature is about 80-87f+ on his hot side and i have no idea what the cold side is probably 70-80f? I am gonna get an extra thermometer for him and a better hygrometer tomorrow and a thermostat for the heatpad. The hygrometer is a pretty useless one from petco and the thermometer is from zoomed (the little yellow one with a probe). I've done so many research but all the info after a little different and it probably doesn't make much difference but i am kinda paranoid. I just wanna provide the very best living experience for him :/

All i need is:
Can some one give me just a specific set of rules that i should follow for his entire life.
What humidity i should have during the day/night and shedding period?
What temperature during day/night and shedding period?
What can i do to help with his current condition?

Also the previous owner said he hasn't eaten for more than a week already. Apparently they said that snakes go on a fast when they are shedding.
Its likemidnight now and i'm so paranoid that if i go to sleep, i might wake up to find him dead.. I'm probably crazy and should go to bed.

I really hope you guys could help me out.
p/s if you guys need any more info on his condition or about anything just let me know, i'll be more than happy to provide it to you guys.

Thanks guys!!

just in case if you guys cant see the photos.

http://s1028.photobucket.com/user/Dy...a13f.jpeg.html Snake's condition 1
http://s1028.photobucket.com/user/Dy...f6ff.jpeg.html Snake's condition 2
http://s1028.photobucket.com/user/Dy...adca2.jpg.html Snake's Setup

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...s%29-Caresheet

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...p-w-pics-*DUW*

ill try to fix the image links for you. you need to get a link that goes directly to the image file.

http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/...sfdfda13f.jpeg

http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/...s28a8f6ff.jpeg

http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/...ps307adca2.jpg


it looks pretty bad, but once you get rid of the stuck shed and manage to get a few meals into him, a full recovery is definitively possible. i see that its underweight, and there is stuck shed everywhere, but both of these issues can be resolved. young hatchlings are more vulnerable, but they can still survive without food for many months, so if he ate something within the last two weeks (or even within the last month), i would call that good news, not bad news.

a nice warm soak would help the shed... and needs some food once he settles

Definitely not an "arroyo". Good luck getting him back to health. A good soak looks needed, and hopefully he takes some small meals and build up from there.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by majorleaguereptiles

Definitely not an "arroyo".

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BUT ARE YOU SURE?! HAVE YOU SEEN ONE OF THESE 'ARROYO' SNAKES BEFORE? :)

The care sheets linked will get you to where you need. As stated, just raise the humidity and offer small meals first.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MrLang

BUT ARE YOU SURE?! HAVE YOU SEEN ONE OF THESE 'ARROYO' SNAKES BEFORE? :)

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Not sure if that was sarcastic, but yes I'm sure. I've seen every arroyo made so far. That isn't one of them.

Me and Dan Wolfe are the only two breeders to produce any arroyos until Paul Miles recently hatched a clutch of arroyos late last season. That's been it. So I know with 100% certainty, that it is not an arroyo. We were selling males for $7000-$5000.. I could more than likely tell you everyone who owns an arroyo at this point.

Anyways, keep us posted on this snakes condition.

I think he was playing major .. u r one of the founders of the gene I think he knows that

Wow...get that excess shed off before you feed it.

The previous owner probably toyed around with the idea of breeding, burned out and decided to slap a morph to it for a quick sale. Awful.

Good luck!

So does anyone know what morph it is? or is it just a normal ball? thanks for the help guys, i'll give him a warm bath later in the afternoon!