Shedding?????

Hi I noticed that my ball python has been soaking in his water dish alot and i dont think its cause of the mites he has( he is currently being treated.) so i look at his belly and it is pink. did i miss the blue eyes stage? is he going to shed? should i up the humidity to 70%?

Mites will cause a ball python to soak, so that could be part of it. When my bps go into shed they do not soak in their water dish. If the belly looks pink you may have an upcoming shed. I would wait until you see the eyes go blue to up the humidity, but that's just me.

Well i might have missed the blue eyes because he was in his hide for like a day or straight after he ate as i did not mess with him.

How long are we talking about? 1-2 days?

well he ate last week friday hen i didnt mess with him until like sunday or monday then i noticed he started soaking alot and checked his belly and it was pink.

Mine usually show the pink belly first, then the dulling in color, then the blue eyes....after awhile their eyes clear up...about 48 hours later they shed. Just how my two usually do it. Seems to take a bit over a week from start to finish (give or take a day or two). Neither of them have ever shown the slightest indication to soak tho. We usually up their humidity to 70% or introduce a humid hide as soon as we see the obviously pink belly.

I'd wonder if you're snake is soaking due to the mites.


~~Jo~~

I've only had one shed with Kashmire so far, and he didn't soak either. I also think that yours is soaking because of the mites. Have you taken him to a vet yet to rule out internal parasites? From what Adam told me, the parasites can raise their internal temperature, so he might also be trying to cool off.


It's so worth the peace of mind to get them seen by a vet and rule out any health issues.

no i have a mixture of 1cc ivermectin paste to 1 quart water. snd i spray it everyother day.

You can't use ivomec paste because it is only 1.87% ivermectin. The ivermectin you are supposed to use is the injectable kind bought at the vet. You may be able to find it at a Tractor Supply store or other livestock store. The paste isn't going to do A THING.

PLus, if you got the paste, it better not have any other dewormers with it. Alot of that stuff is only meant for mammals and may not have been tested on reptiles. Therefore, you could end up with a big allergic reaction to it which equals a dead snake.

Injectable ivermectin has been tested on pretty much everything and is safe to use. I still don't see how that paste dissolved in the water...

how much does ivermectin from the vet or tractor store usually cost and is it in a spray or what is it?

do you have any hides in your cage, ball pythons will soak because they feel insicure(hiding in their water bowls) and excessive soaking causes skin problems, witch would mal the belly pink. if you have a hide in you snake cage for him to feel secure in then its mites.In my experience of keeping BP's for 11/2 years ive never seen a BP soak because it was going into shed.And normally when the eyes clear up the belly does too.

yes i have 3 hides inb his cage. ugg i hate mites.

this is my baby's third shed and again i missed the whole thing! it all happens so fast that i hardly ever notice she is even starting the stages

i took a picture of it

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/662...shed0024yk.jpg