New to BP, wrinkly neck?

Hello, I am a new BP owner (I took in my friends sons BP cause he wasn't "into" it anymore". S/he is 18 give or take inches long and first shed since we had him.
Riff (the name of the BP, thanks to my daughters obsession with barney the dinosaur) eyes have been cloudy for a few days now, not quite blue as the picks in the shedding forum. We just fed him a mouse yesterday and took to it quite well, I have read that some BP's dont generaly eat during the shedding period is this for most BP's or just some?
His neck is quite wrinkly :( more than the picture in the shedding forum again, looks like an old ladys throat (no offense!).. His humidity is at 45%, and the temperature is at about 80-90 during the day on his hot part. He often runs his body through his big water dish he doesnt submerge himself though.

I am particularly worried about the neck wrinkle.. I am hoping this is normal cause he really is a beautiful BP when hes not in this shedding process. I just want to take extra good care of him cause I promised our friends son that I would take as good care as he did.

Thank you for helping me, a newbie out. I have gone through forums to find some answers but any help from anyone is well appreciated.

Sounds like he is getting ready to shed. No worries, they all get kinda "wrinkly" before a shed :)

And some will eat during she'd, some wont, all depends on the snake.

thanks so much! I check him every morning for some "pee"'s and his neck was ... not very "beautiful" LOL! I feel a lot better! thanks!

Since he's close to shedding, you should spray his tank a little more often to get the humidity up. 45% is tolerable for day-to-day, but getting it closer to 65% will help him shed more completely (and might help that turkey neck!).

The wrinkly neck is a result of low humidity.
Just try and boost it a little until s/he sheds, and all will be good. :)

Low humidity can cause a poor shed to come off in pieces rather than one whole piece.

I see, its not high enough!! Sadly we have a mesh top for now (i am getting my brother in law to make me a wooden with sliding top hopefully soon!) and wet clothes on top which is keeping it between 40-50 but I will mist it right now. Poor guy! Such a bad case of grandma throat!

Here's a few tricks to help with humidity.

1) use a larger water dish. Wider surface area promotes greater evaporation. Move dish to the we're side of the enclosure

2) cover 90% of the screen top with taped down foil, plexiglass, or damp towel

3) use a substrate that retains humidity more. (Coco husk or cypress mulch)

4) if you're using a heat lamp, get rid of it. It sucks humidity up like a sponge.

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Thanks for the tips! i dont have wet CLOTHES on top lol i have cloth (wet tea towel to be exact.)
I do have a heat lamp, but he has a heat mat under the tank with alpen.

so now i know to switch that over once i finish this bag of alpen which is very soon..

if i turn off the heat lamp will it be too cold for him? I am currently in chicago and its been pretty hot lately 80's i think, but today its quite nice and breezy. I think it will be about 75 inside the tank. He is currently not in the heat mat part of his tank, but in this enclosure i made for him.. hmm so i guess its warm enough. I just don't want him to be "cold" if they get chilly will he just go to his heat mat area (it has that semi circle log so its nice and tight in there for him.

these must be such easy questions for you folks!

I just sprayed the tank whichi I will keep at once it starts to go down again.

I really REALLY appreciate all this help! :)

just checked on Riff, his tank looks tropical ... like steamy did i go overboard?
i did take the heat lamp off maybe the warmth left over from it is just evaporating things..

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Originally Posted by RifftheBP

just checked on Riff, his tank looks tropical ... like steamy did i go overboard?
i did take the heat lamp off maybe the warmth left over from it is just evaporating things..

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Do you have a hygrometer measuring your humidity? What does it say?

currently it reads 85% however it is not digital so it may not be very accurate

I recommend getting a thermostat for your heating pad. You can find a cheap digital one on amazon.
Also, what size tank are you using?

I have a 55 gal, I have a hide on the hot side, and cool side. Hot side is a 88-92 degrees. ( depending on the time of day.) cool is in the 80s.

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Originally Posted by RifftheBP

currently it reads 85% however it is not digital so it may not be very accurate

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Digital is better than the pet store analogs, for sure. It's a little high, but should drop into range on its own in a couple of hours.

He is currently in a 2 footer, not sure of the tank size .. sorry! it was the tank he came in from our friends son so pretty much a starter tank. We have a 3 foot in the garage waiting for my brother in law to make the tank top.. I dont really trust the clips to hold in place with a toddler running around everywhere and snakes are so strong ;)

After we have the 3 foot set up i want to get all the needed accessories to fit that tank hopefully it will only be a couple of weeks tops!

I am really new to all this I should go educate myself ojnline later tonight to see how exactly the tank should be set up. I had the heat lamp on top of his bowl of waterso it would evaporate thus make some humidity guess it wasnt enough :S

If I may ask since I have my thread getting answered by you all :)

...I have been very frantic about anything touched inside Riffs tank, do snake really hold salmonella to the point I need to disinfect my hands and everything that touches what was inside the tank (eg when I clean the tank it would sit on our poker table)?
With a toddler I am just so obsessive about bad scary germs (every day dirt and such is no biggie im not one of those moms!) but when my husband touches the snake i am up his butt about washing his hands until it bleeds hehe! and hes not very keen on being that obsessive.

thanks so much I am aware this has NOTHING to do with my post.. just thought if I can throw it in.

and also, with people who let the snake roam around the house... surely they dont disinfect couches and carpets post roam so im so confused.. I see guyss with BPs wrapped around their necks doing everyday chores.. surely they dont dunk themselves in lysol.

Wash hands before and after handling - problem solved. I have 25 years of snake-keeping under my belt and zero cases of salmonella. :) Reptiles that live in their own excrement are a much higher risk (water turtles).

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Originally Posted by Annarose15

Wash hands before and after handling - problem solved. I have 25 years of snake-keeping under my belt and zero cases of salmonella. :)

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is salmonella a rarity? i never really heard of BP who have them around me.. :/ but they say that with most reptiles right.. I just dont see them as ickly little things.

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Originally Posted by RifftheBP

is salmonella a rarity? i never really heard of BP who have them around me.. :/ but they say that with most reptiles right.. I just dont see them as ickly little things.

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Salmonella is everywhere. It's the proliferation of it around people with weaker immune systems that causes a problem. General cleanliness (not even sterility) controls the bacterial risk 99% of the time.

I see!! Thanks so much!!

Thanks everyone who contributed, RIFF has shed (through the night i guess!) in one lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng piece. His neck is no longer wrinkley old baggy lady throat but smooth and quite THICK! I am very happy I was able to help him shed in one piece not bits here adn there! its in his little house.. I need to get some tongs to fish it out. I love snakes and reptiles but I cant touch skins :( I get goosebumps I know its strange..
Just wanted to let people know. thank you for allt he help!