Handling when eyes are clouded over question.

[Superpop]

The only times I get nervous about being bitten by our BP Snickers are when her eyes are clouded over before a shed. My boyfriend and I don't even want to handle her during that time but we do for maybe 30 seconds tops while both of her hides are checked for defecation and urates. Snickers uses ANYWHERE in her enclosure as a toilet(in her hides, outside of her hides, or in her water dish)

Snickers has never bit either of us or even hissed at us but when her eyes are clouded over it's pretty obvious by her body language that she doesn't want to be handled and likewise we don't even want to handle her.....

But we feel like we have to because we check her tank for poop and urates every night....

Is that necessary during an impending shed or not? We don't want to be bitten or make Snickers freaked out but we don't want her curled up in one of her hides right next to one of her turds either.

[Jacob1023]

Your doing good to keep handling down to a minimum, but you should still check on your snake daily. You have a snake now, you shouldn't be that worried about being bitten. It's just a BP, no biggie.

[Nektu]

Your best bet is to just let her be during this time.

I made the mistake of trying to feed mine yesterday when it is very obvious that she is going through a shed. Every time I even pass by her enclosure she takes up a defensive posture.

Keep checking her daily to see how she is doing but don't go into her enclosure. The less you disturb her the better it is for her and you won't be adding to her stress.

[dragonboy4578]

I leave my bp's alone for the most part when they are getting ready to shed... I still offer them food though.... Some will eat, others won't, but I always offer....

[Superpop]

Your doing good to keep handling down to a minimum, but you should still check on your snake daily. You have a snake now, you shouldn't be that worried about being bitten. It's just a BP, no biggie.

I'm more worried about stressing her than being bitten. When her eyes are even partially clouded she makes it well known that she doesn't want to be handled.


Still not sure as to what to do in the future with this situation as the 2 people following your reply basically said to leave her alone. I would rather leave her alone but I don't want her in one of her hides for days if she had defecated/uratated inside of there either.

[Superpop]

I leave my bp's alone for the most part when they are getting ready to shed... I still offer them food though.... Some will eat, others won't, but I always offer....

Snickers has refused food exactly 4 times since we got her. 3 of those times were during sheds and the other time she refused food was for unknown reasons. We are done trying to feed her during sheds.

She eats in a separate enclosure because we don't want her accidentally swallowing her aspen substrate....either way she has made it crystal clear she doesn't want to eat during her shedding process.

I just am still unsure as to what to do with handling her while her eyes are clouded. I don't want to stress her but I don't want her curled up in her hide with crap either.