Baby Ball Hasn't Eaten Yet and is in Shed

So the title pretty much says it all.

I got a baby ball python 2 weeks ago tomorrow. I've left him completely alone since day 1 other than water changes and one attempt at feeding. He was not interested and still seemed a little nervous so I let him be.

I was going to attempt to feed again today until I saw him. He briefly went to his water bowl, then was pushing against it with his head a bit, looking like he was trying to push off his shed.

So he is most definitely in shed, and is also looking a little skinny which is making me nervous. It explains why he didn't want to eat (and he did seem a little dull-looking at the time, but this is my first snake so I didn't even think of shed), but I'm hoping to get a meal in him soon since he is so tiny.

Tank is 80 degrees cool side, 90 degrees warm side. Humidity usually sits around 70%, but it's moving up since I started misting. He is on aspen, which I was hoping to change to something else before his first shed but oh well.

So my question is, can I attempt to feed right after shed? Is there anything else I should be doing? Is there cause to be worried that he hasn't eaten since he's been with me?
Tips are super appreciated since this is my first time owning a snake!

Also, I'll link a photo. I'm not sure to get it to display in the post.

Thank you!

https://ibb.co/dcBkya

I always feed the night Maze sheds. She's on a five-day feeding schedule right now so I just start the five days over when she sheds.

Looking at that picture, your snake looks on the dry side. You might want to add a wet hide or two real quick to make sure you get a smooth shed. It's as easy as cutting a hole in some opaque plasticware(tupperware, yogurt, butter/margarine containers all work fine) then placing damp paper towels in the bottom. Side holes work better than top for holding the moisture in longer. Offering food right after shed is fine.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by John1982

Looking at that picture, your snake looks on the dry side. You might want to add a wet hide or two real quick to make sure you get a smooth shed. It's as easy as cutting a hole in some opaque plasticware(tupperware, yogurt, butter/margarine containers all work fine) then placing damp paper towels in the bottom. Side holes work better than top for holding the moisture in longer. Offering food right after shed is fine.

---

Okay so I set up a wet hide for him, thank you!
Hopefully his shed goes okay

My BALLS always want to eat after a good shed. They always seems to poop right during the final shed and be ready to eat again.

I agree with John1982 about the snake looking a bit dry as well as the moist hide idea.

Also, feeding after a shed is often a great time to get a snake that has been refusing to accept a meal. I feed my BP the night he sheds every time.

The shed cycle doesn't stop my 2 BPs from eating :cool:

Update: I set up the moist/wet hide for the night and sprayed down the tank before bed.
When I woke up he was still outside of his hides (not normal) and still completely stuck in shed :(
I've put his water bowl over the UTH and redid his moist hide. Not sure what else to do.
Unfortunately, I have classes all day today so I'm hoping he'll be okay.
I think I will try a soak tonight if there's no improvement.
Also, he looks so skinny since he hasn't eaten since I've gotten him. Maybe he just doesn't have the energy to push off his shed?

When my Bps go into blue they are like that for 3 or 4 days then when their eyes clear its another 2 days before they shed. I typically feed within a couple days of shed without issue. I know some people will/can feed during a shed cycle and that is ok. Mine refuse during a shed cycle and that is fine too. Your little guy may be one of the latter.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ECM

Update: I set up the moist/wet hide for the night and sprayed down the tank before bed.
When I woke up he was still outside of his hides (not normal) and still completely stuck in shed :(
I've put his water bowl over the UTH and redid his moist hide. Not sure what else to do.
Unfortunately, I have classes all day today so I'm hoping he'll be okay.
I think I will try a soak tonight if there's no improvement.
Also, he looks so skinny since he hasn't eaten since I've gotten him. Maybe he just doesn't have the energy to push off his shed?

---

If the picture you linked is recent, he doesn't look too thin to me. Just not beefed up like a lot of the snakes you'll see on Google. :) Here's a reference to body tones so you know what to look for. If his spine's sticking out then he's on the skinny side, but he certainly doesn't look concave or emaciated in your picture. (And being a bit on the skinny side isn't a bad thing, plenty of snakes in captivity are obese).

Another thing you can do for stuck shed is put them in a snake-safe bag like a pillowcase and put a lukewarm damp towel in with them. It'll give them something to rub on that's also humid and help pull that stuck shed right off!

But since he does look so dry, you might want to make sure your hydrometer is accurate. Are you using analogue dials or digital thermometers/hydrometers to measure your stuff? The analogue ones are notoriously inaccurate by at least 10% either direction.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Starscream

If the picture you linked is recent, he doesn't look too thin to me. Just not beefed up like a lot of the snakes you'll see on Google. :) Here's a reference to body tones so you know what to look for. If his spine's sticking out then he's on the skinny side, but he certainly doesn't look concave or emaciated in your picture. (And being a bit on the skinny side isn't a bad thing, plenty of snakes in captivity are obese).

Another thing you can do for stuck shed is put them in a snake-safe bag like a pillowcase and put a lukewarm damp towel in with them. It'll give them something to rub on that's also humid and help pull that stuck shed right off!

But since he does look so dry, you might want to make sure your hydrometer is accurate. Are you using analogue dials or digital thermometers/hydrometers to measure your stuff? The analogue ones are notoriously inaccurate by at least 10% either direction.

---

i feel a little bit better about his skinnyness now, thank you! But I still feel like maybe I should try to offer food tonight on the off chance he'll eat.

i did a soak today and I think it definitely helped a bit. He was able to push a little more off his head.

What is considered a snake-safe pillowcase and how long should I keep him in there exactly?

Also, I got some moss and dampened it up to put in one of his hides since he doesn't seem interested in the humid hide.
Do you think I should continue the soak or pillowcase method each day until he sheds? I hate handling him that much when I know he still doesn't know me that well, but if it's necessary I will do it.

i ordered a digital hydrometer that is supposed to come in Friday since I did only have the analogue one. So just in case I've been missing a lot and keeping his water full.

Thank you all so much for the help so far!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ECM

i feel a little bit better about his skinnyness now, thank you! But I still feel like maybe I should try to offer food tonight on the off chance he'll eat.

i did a soak today and I think it definitely helped a bit. He was able to push a little more off his head.

What is considered a snake-safe pillowcase and how long should I keep him in there exactly?

Also, I got some moss and dampened it up to put in one of his hides since he doesn't seem interested in the humid hide.
Do you think I should continue the soak or pillowcase method each day until he sheds? I hate handling him that much when I know he still doesn't know me that well, but if it's necessary I will do it.

i ordered a digital hydrometer that is supposed to come in Friday since I did only have the analogue one. So just in case I've been missing a lot and keeping his water full.

Thank you all so much for the help so far!

---

Any pillowcase is snake-safe as far as I'm aware. Just make sure you tie the end off so he can't get out. And I think 30 minutes is about as long as you want to leave him in there. If he's started shedding when you check on him you might want to leave him a bit longer though. I'm not sure about the every day thing; soaking actually removes the oils they build up between the new skin and the old, so that one you might want to keep at a minimum.

Nice to hear the digital one is coming soon; that'll help you figure out what's up! :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Starscream

Any pillowcase is snake-safe as far as I'm aware. Just make sure you tie the end off so he can't get out. And I think 30 minutes is about as long as you want to leave him in there. If he's started shedding when you check on him you might want to leave him a bit longer though. I'm not sure about the every day thing; soaking actually removes the oils they build up between the new skin and the old, so that one you might want to keep at a minimum.

Nice to hear the digital one is coming soon; that'll help you figure out what's up! :)

---

Okay thank you! You have been super helpful!

Good news is he took a f/t mouse last night! I was so happy I could cry! (This is his first meal since being with me)

So for now I'm leaving him alone and even covered up the front of his tank so he feels more secure.

My plan I think is to leave him alone until Saturday, and then give him another soak/ pillowcase method and while he's doing that change his substrate to something that will hold humidity better. I'm thinking eco earth or the coconut husk? Do you think until Saturday is long enough for him to digest or should I let him be longer?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ECM

Okay thank you! You have been super helpful!

Good news is he took a f/t mouse last night! I was so happy I could cry! (This is his first meal since being with me)

So for now I'm leaving him alone and even covered up the front of his tank so he feels more secure.

My plan I think is to leave him alone until Saturday, and then give him another soak/ pillowcase method and while he's doing that change his substrate to something that will hold humidity better. I'm thinking eco earth or the coconut husk? Do you think until Saturday is long enough for him to digest or should I let him be longer?

---

That's great news!

Saturday's fine; so long as you give him 48 hours to adjust, he should be good. Personally I'm using a coconut husk/organic soil mix, and I can attest that it holds humidity amazingly. And I like how it looks. Here's the guide I used to decide which worked best for me (coco husk and coco chip are the same thing):

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...qml5jd_500.png

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Starscream

That's great news!

Saturday's fine; so long as you give him 48 hours to adjust, he should be good. Personally I'm using a coconut husk/organic soil mix, and I can attest that it holds humidity amazingly. And I like how it looks. Here's the guide I used to decide which worked best for me (coco husk and coco chip are the same thing):

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...qml5jd_500.png

---

Awesome thank you so much again! I think I will use the coconut husk.
I think my little guy is finally headed in the right direction! :D