Python Newbie

Hi,
My wife bought a Ball Python several weeks ago and I have a few questions. Bela (the python) seems happy, eats with gusto and is very docile. She's going through her first shed since we got her and doesn't seem to be doing well with it. Far from a 'complete shed' she's coming apart in bits and patches. We've checked the heat and pumped up the humidity as best we can through misting etc. Today we tried putting her in a warm, damp towel for a while (20 min). Is this kind of shed within the normal range? Should I worry?

Rgds,
Ozzzy

Welcome to BP.net!

The important things are temperature and humidity; regulary the humidity should be around 60%, which should be upped to 80% during the shed.

Have a look at our caresheet for more information. Please do tell us what your temps and humidity are at as well as pictures of your enclosure.

http://ball-pythons.net/modules.php?...warticle&id=52

I don't have a digicam available but here's a description. She's in a 30gal aquarium with a heat lamp over one end. Under the heat lamp is her hide, a fake hollow rock. At the other end is her water dish, about 10-12" in diameter and about 3" deep. Between is a driftwood stump. The 'hot' side is around 85F and the 'cool' side is about 75F. My hygrometer packed it in, but the house is around 60-65% humidity and we mist the aquarium daily; usually a couple of times. The substrate is something made out of coconut husks.

Welcome! Keep in mind that the bad shed could have very well been a byproduct of poor husbandry before you got her. You need to pump up those temps first of all. 92-94 on the hot, 82-84 on the cool or you will be inviting illness. Keep that humidity at around 60% or so outside of shed and grab yourself a new hydrometer. You don't want it much higher than that except during shed time. I am sure the next shed will come out just fine if you get things straight. Good luck!

Also, ditch the heat lamp and go with under tank heating. Heat lamps dry out the air and contribute to bad sheds.

Thanks for all the input. I'll see about under-tank heating for starters and figure out some way of boosting the humidity.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ozzzy

Thanks for all the input. I'll see about under-tank heating for starters and figure out some way of boosting the humidity.

---

Please use a thermostate to control the heat output of the under tank heater.If the under tank heater gets to hot it could crack or break the tanks glass.I second bringing up your temps.

Also I would move the water to the middle of the tank (more toward the hot side) to create humidity and add another hide on the cool side.

something i noticed when i was using a heat light. if my room humidity was around 60 % my tank humidity was almost half of that if not a bit more. u have no idea how much a heat light dries things out in your cage untill u switch over to UTH.
i frigged with heat lamps for almost 6 months. my room humidity this winter was around 30 - 40 % and i could consistantly have humidity levels in my cage between 50 - 60 % without misting. just make sure u have most of the top covered so humidity cant get out, but still have enough uncovered area to allow air movement. then when your snake is in shed, mist the cage every day (once or twice) and that should get u pretty close to were u need to be. i try and keep my humidity at 80% and have always had a perfect shed. good luck.

Welcome!!!! I'm a realitive newbie myself so I would never question what everyone else says, but I do have a question for them and for you. What kind of substrate are you using?

We have an under the tank heater and a heat lamp for Dax (my BP) and we use the coconut chunk bedding, and have had no problems with humidity. In fact, at first it was always to high, not to low. It is always right on now though. I know most people don't use heat lamps, but since it is working for us.

Ok, I put a 'ReptiTherm' under tank heater on the bottom of the terrarium and installed a new hygrometer. I'll move the water bowl to the centre and once the temp comes up I'll shut off the heat-lamp to see what happens. I'll keep misting until this shed is complete and hope that the next goes better. Where is the best place to put the thermometer?

Thanks for all the input; I'll keep you posted. Bela is a really sweet snake (there's a term I never thought I'd use for a reptile.. but it fits). I hope I can provide a good environment for her.

Sounds good! Just to clarify, you put the UTH on the OUTSIDE bottom right, not in the terrarium?

Hehe, unlike many men.... I did read the instructions before plugging it in. But thanks for checking up on me.

Well I am a guy and the first thing I do is throw those pesky instructions out! :)

Did the instructions have pictures? Otherwise... right in the circular file! :)

Ok, I'm stumped now. I've got a good substrate, good heat, a big water bowl and I'm misting 2-3 times a day and I just can't get the humidity up. It hovers around 50% until I mist when it will rise to 60%. I've blocked off about 2/3 of the top grille with a towel (wrong choice?) and turned off the heat lamp and am relying on the UTH.

Any tips or tricks?

Rick

50% humidity is fine. If that is a consistent reading for you, I wouldn't fret at all, except for a little extra effort during shed time. You could try covering the same portion of the top with something different, if you wanted...such as contact paper. You can get clear contact paper at Walmart. Goes on super easy and doesn't cost much.