rex,water,shedding? any of the above

Ok first off im pretty excited because I changed rex's whole setup around, he now has t-rex desert snow substrate (i hope its good), and a new tree to play on. He has been hanging out in his tree and checking out his new toys all night. Ive had him for about 6 weeks now and he is about 18 inches, but he hasnt shed yet (keep in mind this is my first snake and im in love with him so im overly nervous about everything). Anyway, tonight, since hes had his new substrate, he has been in his water bowl, I mean completely submerged in it. Hes still very active, looking around and checking everything out, but does this possibly mean hes softening his skin so he can shed? I watch him everynight till about 3 am, I turn his main light out at 10 and his black lights come on, and this is the most he has ever been in his water. He was putting his whole head under, a pretty awesome sight if it doesnt mean anything else. I know that pythons get most of the hydrate they need out of their food and rex is a pretty regular eater (every 3-5 days he snags a mouse or two) so im not worried about dehydration. So what is he doing? Any comments would be gladly appreciated. I hope hes shedding I cant wait to see it.

please reply anybody! im so excited i want rex to shed !

i'm not sure about everything you've posted on but i do know that you should only be feeding him once a week. it isn't healthy for them to be fed more often (makes a fat unhealthy snake).

i'm sure others will be along soon to comment on the rest of your set up and the water dish...

one more thing though... are you sure he doesn't have mites cause sometimes when they have mites they soak in the water dish... (looks like black specks of sand)

i usually feed him every 3-5 days but he doesnt always take it when i offer, so his feeding is on average about once a week. I dont know about the mites , ill have to look, is there any pics you know of that i could reference to?

pick a day and make that feeding day. you ball will not only eat better but look forward to it - trust me ;)

i don't have any photos of mites as my snakes haven't had any... but i'm told they look like black specks of sand. check the water dish and see if you see any in there... when they have mites they submerge in the dish to get them off of themselves.

ok thaks for the advice, i take it that hes not shedding yet? :(

I'm sorry I can't help you buddy, but I just got my first snake, too. Can I ask you what you have going on as far as a set-up? I have my girl in a 10 gallon right now, but I'm in the process of moving her into a 20. She's about 18 inches, too. I'm very nervous about all this shedding business because I'm not quite able yet to keep the temperature and humidity stable, but I'm trying. Also, how big is your water bowl?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rextheball

ok thaks for the advice, i take it that hes not shedding yet? :(

---

it doesnt nessacarily mean he is not going to shed. he could be in the process of shedding, just make sure to check for black dots in the water and if you dont see any, he might shed in a couple days. just keep an eye on him.

soaking in the water boal could also mean your temps are too high or you dont have enough hides and/or your hides arent secure enough. if he didnt go into opague (they get really blue and milky) then he's not shedding.:)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mr~python

soaking in the water boal could also mean your temps are too high or you dont have enough hides and/or your hides arent secure enough. if he didnt go into opague (they get really blue and milky) then he's not shedding.

---

you have to remember, they dont go into blue for a couple of days and it is hard to tell when they are opaque before the blue if you dont have a lot of experience. i still have a little trouble telling when mines in shed before the blue stage. after the blue stage it is easy to tell.

what do you mean? going into opague is the first sign of shedding.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mr~python

what do you mean? going into opague is the first sign of shedding.

---

first, they go a little pale, then they go blue, then they go dull and shed a couple days later. if im not mistaken, that is what i have heard many times on this site.

As far as I know, opaque and blue are the same thing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tigerlily

As far as I know, opaque and blue are the same thing.

---

i was figuring he meant opaque and blue as the same stage. but from what i have heard there is pale, then blue/opaque, then pale, then shed.

When you say pale, are you refering to the dullish look to them? If so that's pretty much constant until they shed. (at least that I've noticed) Once they've shed, they are nice and shiney!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tigerlily

When you say pale, are you refering to the dullish look to them? If so that's pretty much constant until they shed. (at least that I've noticed) Once they've shed, they are nice and shiney!

---

ya thats kinda what i am refering to. i was trying to say how they start to look a lot duller than normal when they are at the beginning of the process, then blue, then a little more paler, then shed, then nice and shiney!!!

Cool. :gj:

well im using the desert snow substrate, would that make him not feel secuure? His hide is a little larger than he is so its not tight on him, i wonder if i should change the size. As far as mites go im pretty sure its not a problem, i checked him and the bowl thoroughly... I hope hes going into shed...

substrate couldnt make him feel insecure. if i were you i would get two hides that are identical and snug and put one on the warm side of the enclosure and one on the cool side of the enclosure.

ok update time, im still a little worried but he seems to be ok, his face is getting duller than it was, and his belly is a little bit pinker than it was. I do think I found a mite today though. It was a small black bug kinda on his belly, but it was the only one on him. I changed his substrate, and thoroughly cleaned his tank, bowl and hide again. Good news is he hasnt been in his water since I cleaned everything. Is a vet check in order? Im so freaked out, I dont know what to do.

i've never had mites but from what i've read... where there's one there's more.

there's stuff you can order online... sorry i can't remember the name right now... someone will come along and tell you soon i'm sure.

edited to add: do a search on mites... there's so much info here!

well i was right, he went into shed, came off in one nice peice now hes prettier than ever...

time for pictures!

Pink belly is a sign of shedding so that was good to note.

This black speck, are you sure it was a bug of sorts? The soaking explains the shedding, but is he still soaking now that he has shed? Do you see any other black specks?

Pick up some Provent-a-mite. It'll take care of the problem.:)

I used mite off on him and I havent had any problems since. He hasnt been soaking since he shed either so all is well. Ill get some new pics tonight