Ball python not shedding in one piece

[TheAwkwardTurtle]

My girlfriend and I have had a adult female ball python for a few months and every time she sheds it's always in pieces. She has a water bowl big enough to soak in and we mist her substrate (ReptiBark) when she is in shed to add extra humidity. We don't have a hydrometer in her tank because we were under the impression that ball pythons aren't terribly sensitive to humidity and don't need it above 50%; she's in a small room with lots of aquatic setups so the ambient humidity in the room is already pretty high. However every time she's in blue we find shreds of her shed spread around the cage for the next day or two.

I'm assuming we can't soak her while she's in shed because that would stress her out so much and/or we might get bit because she's freaked out. Is it just a matter of getting a hydrometer and monitoring her humidity more carefully when she's in shed? Is regular misting of the substrate the best way to get her the humidity she needs?

Thanks!

[Streller]

You should definitely think about purchasing a hygrometer in order to monitor the humidity within the enclosure. Generally, ball pythons require a humidity level of anywhere between 50-60 percent, and whenever your ball python shows signs of going into shed, try and keep the humidity in the high 60's and maybe pushing 70's, because come shed time, it will make it a whole lot easier. You should also consider getting some sphagnum moss; you can either source this from online, or your local reptile/pet store will probably have some. Put that in one of the hides and keep it moist, and she may shed in there instead.

Also, move that waterbowl closer to the heat source, so the water is evaporating faster, thus adding to the humidity level.

Hope that her next shed is a clean one!

[redshepherd]

Ball Pythons even do well with a humidity of over 70%, provided that there's good air flow and the humidity of where you live is just higher. They prefer a humidity of over 50%, generally 60% is ideal.

Also, are you using a digital hygrometer or an analog dial hygrometer? The analog ones can be very inaccurate.

Soaks are always stressful for the snakes, but if it's necessary, then it's necessary. :s Or you can really mist her cage for the next few days to keep her humidity around 70% until her stuck sheds come off.

Another way to bump humidity is a larger/wider water dish. Not necessarily deeper, but a larger surface area. And putting the dish near/under your heat source.

[SmoothScales]

If her shed is coming off in shreds, or small pieces, your humidity isn't nearly high enough.

I have a question to start with, and then a few comments.

Is your BP in a tank set up or a tub?
If she's in a tank with a screen top, I would suggest covering part of the top with some foil and placing the water bowl under it as a start. Tub set ups don't normally have an issue with humidity, unless there are to many holes in the top and sides. If that's the case, cover a few of the holes on the top.

I would honestly not use ReptiBark for a ball python. Personally, I don't have any experience with it, but have heard it contains dye that could be harmful to your snake if it gets wet... Aspen is good, also newspaper and paper towels.

Now to address this: "Ball pythons aren't terribly sensitive to humidity and don't need it above 50%". Ball pythons, while in shed SHOULD have humidity above 60%, and preferably into the 70% range. When not in shed, 40-60% is fine.

Soaking while your snake is in blue or getting ready to shed is a bad idea. It will wash away the snake's natural oils and actually make shedding a little more difficult. A snake already having bad sheds will have worse sheds in this situation. Once they've shed if there are still small pieces still left behind, leave the snake alone for 24 hours. They will usually get it off themselves in that time frame. If they do not, you can wipe them down with a damp towel and if your husbandry is right, it should come right off. If there are still stuck pieces, then let her soak in some warm (88°) water along with a wash cloth to rub herself on.

Edit: Streller made a good point - constructing a humid hide would help your girl immensely if you aren't able to up her humidity other ways. http://exoticpets.about.com/od/repti...midityhide.htm

[M.P.C]

When your snake is going into shed, take some paper towl and wet it with warm water and ring it out so its damp and stick that in the hide... I get perfect single piece sheds every time, i use a glass tank with a screen lid. Thats half covered in foil and a heat light

[danipanda]

When I first got Noodles I had to play around with her humidity during her first few sheds with me to find what % of humidity worked best for her. I tried 60%-70% and 70%-80% during two different shed cycles and she still shed in pieces and needed help getting it all off. During her most recent shed cycle I kept the humidity at 85% or higher and she finally shed in one piece. I know most BP's are able to shed no problem with 70% humidity, but I would definitely start monitoring the humidity so you can adjust it to what your BP needs.