Shed today. Gone tomorrow

[Benson_and_Hedges]

I have two ball pythons in my cage and the bigger one has shed once since i've gotten him. I noticed a couple days ago that the smaller one was starting to shed (his eyes were milky blue) so i raised the humidity to 70. This has been going on for almost a week and he hasn't started shedding yet. His eyes turned back to black 2 days ago and it seems like he just changed his mind about it. I searched the cage and i know he didn't shed. So what happened? Did he just decide not to shed? CAN THEY EVEN DO THAT? Or is this totally normal. I notice him rubbing his mouth on stuff every so often but not so much that he would even be trying to shed his skin. Right now i'm dumbfounded and a little worried. The bigger one's eyes have turned blue now and i'm a little confused about this because he just shed a month and 6 days ago exactly.

I have no idea what's going on and i feel like a bad mother. I need someone to explain my situation to me. Anybody. You don't even know how much i will appreciate it.

PLEASE! i'm on my knees, begging.

[amg20102006]

Hi the one where his eyes turned back to black that is normal. happend to me today. they should shed within 48 hours I think. also they shed about once a month when younger so it is ok that the bigger one is about to shed.

[Shelby]

Snakes always turn back to normalish color right before the shed.. nothing wrong there.

However, please get separate cages for your snakes! It is stressful for a solitary animal such as a ball python to have to share it's enclosure with another. It is not unheard of for ball pythons to even eat one another! It is much better for your snakes to be separate.

[Benson_and_Hedges]

Whew, ok. Thank you guys. I'm not worried anymore. But if that little guy doesn't shed soon i'm going to go crazy.

I've had my snakes since August and they've been sharing a 55 gallon tank since the day i brought them home. They've never shown aggression towards each other and are actually always together. I've never seen them apart when they sleep. They're always curled up with one another. Even when i take them out to explore they find each other and curl up. It's odd but cute. I feed them each one nice big juicy mouse once a week so i doubt they're hungry for one another. If one does attack the other i'll let everyone know so you can say "i told you so" but until then i couldn't imagine seperating them.

[Smulkin]

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=23890

I know it is cute - and I know it is hard to imagine them "not getting along".

If one gets sick how do you know which one is sick? How can you prevent it from getting the other ill as well.

The link above contains a host of good reasons not to house them together. No one can prevent you from housing them the way you want to - but realize that any comments made to that effect are made from folks who have the end-goal of best care for all their snakes. Simply because something hasn't happened doesnt mean that it cannot or will not occur.

[Benson_and_Hedges]

Alright, i read what was on the link (well, most of it) and i now know that you and almost everyone else is right. The two snakes curling up is dominance and it makes sense now because i always noticed the bigger one, Benson, on top of the smaller one, Hedges. I want to seperate them but i don't know where to start. What am i gonna do with a 55 gallon tank? This is going to be so expensive. Maybe i should just give one away but that's irresponsible. But then again, so is keeping two together. I am s*** out of luck.

[daniel1983]

Get a sterilite/rubbermaid container and make a home similar to this one for one of the bps:
http://www.danielhillreptiles.com/pics/enclosure3.JPG
I had used that one for my first bp.....now I use a rack system. The enclosure will cost you about $10.00 then all you have to do is buy the heating stuff for another enclosure......tanks are too expensive plastic housing is the way to go

Here is a DIY article on how to build one:
http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules....warticle&id=40

Glad you decided to 'see the light'...your ball pythons will appreciate it greatly

[Benson_and_Hedges]

Ahh, my tank is so pretty though. If only you could see it. I wouldn't even mind living in there. Eh, i'll just take a picture. Well, i get my paycheck today i'll see how much i can put aside (i work at a freaking CVS i usually only make about $100 a week, blech) and then the same next week. I'm disappointed but excited at the same time. Not only will this be better for them but i've been having trouble with my humidity and heat lately and a smaller more secure plastic enclosure practically guarantees good husbandry.


Oh, and thank you for showing me the light.

[Stings]

can you split the tank with ply wood or plexiglass. each snake would have its own side. do that till you can save up enough cash to do what you have to?

[lars5277]

Please don't forget to secure the top of the tank well until you work out a better enclosure. This is not only to keep the snake in, but to keep other pets out. I have seen cats move very heavy items to try to get at a snake or lizard. They make clear plastic cages with lockable lids that can be found at pet stores relatively cheap ($50-$75) if you like to be able to see your snake. I can't remember the brand, but you will need to seal off 90-95% of the screen top to keep moisture in. There are a few people in the forums that can help you with some of your heating needs.