Still not eating/shedding?

[Traceur]

My 3 month old ball python has eaten fine in the past. But he didn't eat last Friday and he didn't eat yesterday. I did the same thing I always do, I feed him at night and I turn off all the lights. Then I let the hopper thaw out for 20 minutes before warming it with a hair dryer for a few minutes. I offered him two last Friday at the same time. He didn't take either of them. Then yesterday, I offered them both one at a time and he still didn't eat them.
I know he's still trying to shed, so I'm assuming that's what's going on. But it's taking him a long time for him to even start. Even if the humidity has been between 70-80%, he still hasn't shed. But I don't know what else could be keeping him from eating.
Should I still try feeding him next Friday? What else could keep him from eating? Also, does it really take this long for him to shed?

Anything helps

[SquirmyPug]

How long has he been in the process of shedding?

[Traceur]

How long has he been in the process of shedding?

Oh boy, I'd say almost a month. His eyes have been clear but he, himself, looks very dull and rainbow-like in the light. I've heard their eyes clear up eventually, but I don't think I've seen him in blue yet. I check with the light and everything, and yet, his eyes are never cloudy or blue

[SquirmyPug]

When was the last time he shed? I wouldn't think it would go on that long and you haven't even seen pieces of shed skin anywhere.

[Traceur]

When was the last time he shed? I wouldn't think it would go on that long and you haven't even seen pieces of shed skin anywhere.

Sometime before I even adopted him. He's never shed with me in all the time I've had him. He has a few pieces of lose skin on his head, but that's the only thing that's gotten close to his shed

[Cheesenugget]

Please provide your set up info, including the number of hides and where, size of your tank and what type, etc. Pics are preferred. Also list your temps, how are you keeping up humidity, etc. The more experienced posters will find that info useful. I am still learning and based on the info you provided, even I don't have a full picture.

Fyi, shedding should not take a month. One week is common for babies but two weeks is normal. Four weeks with no sign of any shed is strange and alarming.

[Traceur]

Please provide your set up info, including the number of hides and where, size of your tank and what type, etc. Pics are preferred. Also list your temps, how are you keeping up humidity, etc. The more experienced posters will find that info useful. I am still learning and based on the info you provided, even I don't have a full picture.

Fyi, shedding should not take a month. One week is common for babies but two weeks is normal. Four weeks with no sign of any shed is strange and alarming.

He has two hides. He has a rock hide on the cool side and two branches of fake leaves on the hot side. The size of my terrarium is 20 gallons. The temps right next to the terrarium wall on the cool side is 75 degrees, but his cool hide itself is 77-78 degrees. His hot side temps are always between 88-91 degrees. I check his temps with a temp gun. I keep his humidity up by placing damp towels on the mesh cover, but leaving some opening for air circulation. If it's still too low, I leave a damp cloth next to his water bowl, which keeps his humidity over 70%. I don't know how to post pictures on here, so I apologize that I can't provide any.

Hope this info helps.

[Crowfingers]

Ok, so first of all, he needs two real hides. Some fake plants as cover are not enough. Usually works best if the hot and cool hides are exactly the same. This keeps them from choosing a hide they like over temperature. Second, your temp on the cool side is boarder line dangerously low - 75 is the ambient it sounds like. Anything below 75 and they can start having issues with digestion and respiratory infections.

The gradient should be 78-80*F cool and 88-90*F hot in the hides with an ambient temp 80-82*F.

Putting damp towels in the tank can lead to the bedding molding, and the towel itself. It would be better to put damp sphagnum moss on / in shallow plastic bowls that keep the moisture out of the substrate. Also, if it has been a month he may not actually be in shed - what morph is he? Some are washed out or dull like ghosts. Also if he is not eating he will not shed.

He is probably not eating because your husbandry is off and he is either too cold, too exposed, or a combination of both. Cover three sides of the tank with dark paper (on the outside), get correct hides, cover 2/3 or slightly more of the lid with foil or plexiglass, and get some good substrate for humidity or sphagnum moss.

You can also give him a third hide that is a moist hide - this is a hide like a rock den, terra cotta flower pot, or something else that you put damp (not dripping) sphagnum moss into. I keep mine on the warm side so that moss isn't chilly.

[Traceur]

Ok, so first of all, he needs two real hides. Some fake plants as cover are not enough. Usually works best if the hot and cool hides are exactly the same. This keeps them from choosing a hide they like over temperature. Second, your temp on the cool side is boarder line dangerously low - 75 is the ambient it sounds like. Anything below 75 and they can start having issues with digestion and respiratory infections.

The gradient should be 78-80*F cool and 88-90*F hot in the hides with an ambient temp 80-82*F.

Putting damp towels in the tank can lead to the bedding molding, and the towel itself. It would be better to put damp sphagnum moss on / in shallow plastic bowls that keep the moisture out of the substrate. Also, if it has been a month he may not actually be in shed - what morph is he? Some are washed out or dull like ghosts. Also if he is not eating he will not shed.

He is probably not eating because your husbandry is off and he is either too cold, too exposed, or a combination of both. Cover three sides of the tank with dark paper (on the outside), get correct hides, cover 2/3 or slightly more of the lid with foil or plexiglass, and get some good substrate for humidity or sphagnum moss.

You can also give him a third hide that is a moist hide - this is a hide like a rock den, terra cotta flower pot, or something else that you put damp (not dripping) sphagnum moss into. I keep mine on the warm side so that moss isn't chilly.

Mate, the towels are not IN the terrarium, they are COVERING the mesh top. And I did cover the top with foil, but it raised the temps too high. Maybe I'll cover the cool top side with foil to raise the temps. Plus, the only thing that's in the terrarium close to a towel is a washcloth. His substrate is cypress mulch. I'll make a trip here soon to get him another rock hide.
Where can I find shagnum moss? Is it reusable? Or do you have to dispose of it at a certain point?

I have paper covering his terrarium sides, so I'll get black construction paper when I can. Thank you for the info

[Crowfingers]

Ah, good. cypress mulch is resistant to molding and good for humidity. Sphagnum moss is reusable to a point - once it has been soaked and dried out several times it starts to break down and you can def tell - it smells funky. If the tank is already covered, switching to black shouldn't make too much difference. Sorry if I missed where you said any of that.

I'd try and just get the temps set and get some food in him. Shed should come along in his own time.