Baby WILL NOT shed!!!

Hey guys I have had my baby bp for like 1 month and a half now, The breeder said he should shed within a week of when I got him. His skin has been dull and he has a dry patch of skin on his head. his eyes havent turned milky but parts of his belly do seem pinkish though.

He hasnt shed yet but his skin is really loose, like when I am holding him his neck skin like flatens out.

What is going on here?

He is getting ready to shed. Sometimes the eyes turn cloudy, and you don't even catch it. Just make sure your humidity is good!

I swear to god it is impossible to keep the humidity above 30 in this tank. I got a towel on top abd i spray it all the time, It goes up to like 70 for a bit but then drops after like half hour

Are you using a heat lamp? They really suck out the humidity.

actually at the moment that is all I am using because my uvh doesnt have a dimmer switch yet and I dont want to risk hurting my snake without one as the substrate gets to about 95 with it on.

So I have been staying safe with the heat lamp for now

The wrinkling skin suggests possible dehydration--I would definitely work hard at getting and keeping the humidity up. Cover all but a thin line of the screen with saran wrap, and mist often.

I agree, but maybe not with saran wrap, because he is using a heat lamp only, and it might melt...

Ah, I misread that--I thought they said they were using a UTH. The heat lamp does make things very difficult.

Put the tank up on blocks, above the undertank heater. You can control the heat by increasing the distance between the pad and the tank bottom.

Try getting some Sphagnum Peat Moss put under is hide that should do the trick.

I have used heavy garbage bags to block off a majority of my glass tanks along with a lamp on them with pretty ggod success. The material holds up pretty well to the heat if it gets too close to the heat, and it does help hold the humidity in. Just cut it to fit on your screen top, inside the edging, and run some good clear tape down it to hold it in place. I put mine over the towel as well to help insulate and hold in heat as well, and you can still spray the towel as well as whats in the tank. Keep up your efforts, its worth it for healthy animals!

You can also soak your snake in a tub of water for about 20-30 minutes a day and you can make a humid hide box. Use a plastic container and make a hole in the lid and fill will moss and some water. The snake can go in and out as it needs humidity!

Here nis what I did to my screen tops to help with humidity and temp...


http://www.repticzone.com/forums/mes...hon/2/95/main/


Hope it helps... Rob

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

Ah, I misread that--I thought they said they were using a UTH. The heat lamp does make things very difficult.

Put the tank up on blocks, above the undertank heater. You can control the heat by increasing the distance between the pad and the tank bottom.

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mmmk so I should unattach the uth and keep it on the table and raise the tank above it?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by armbarvictim

actually at the moment that is all I am using because my uvh doesnt have a dimmer switch yet and I dont want to risk hurting my snake without one as the substrate gets to about 95 with it on.

So I have been staying safe with the heat lamp for now

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how are u measuring ur temps? the heat lamp really will suck out ur moisture..

as was already suggested, try a moss hide, and DEFINATELY mist often

yeah I mist it tonnes, I am using the repco digital thermometer/hygrometer, I put the temperature dongle under the hide and the hygrometer in the middle of the tank

The aluminum foil trick Vypyrz linked is a good trick. Before I switched to tubs it worked well for me :)

Your snake is preparing for a shed. Early signs of shedding are the dull coloration of the skin and eyes, eyes become a cloudy, milky, or faded blue or gray color, belly becomes slightly pink, and when the snake bends a part of the body you will notice the skin looks like it's crumbled or you will also notice the skin being loose.

It can take anywhere from 5 days to 2 weeks for a snake to shed, just depending on the living conditions the snake is in. Mainly, a snake would take about a week to shed its skin. 1-4 days before the snake sheds the eyes will become clear. The snake will normally shed 1-2 days after the eyes have cleared, but sometimes it can take as long as 4 days.

In the meantime, raise your humidity level up between 65%-70%. This aids the snake in shedding and makes it a lot easier for the snake to shed its skin. You can raise the humidity level by lightly misting the enclosure with warm water from a spray bottle. Do not mist too much to where the substrate becomes too damp or soaking wet. A light mist will for sure do the trick.

Also for a side note, do not disturb the snake until the snake has finished shedding. You can only go in the enclosure to mist and change the water. When a snake sheds, it becomes stressed because they are almost blind when in "blue". Sometimes they will strike and get a bit fiesty, but some will be pretty calm but disturbing the snake will only stress it out even more and that can result in a bad shed even if the humidity is at the correct level. Feeding the snake during shed wouldn't be too much of a great idea, even though its just fine, but I don't normally feed during shed because of the possible regurgitation and refusal of the food.