Are incomplete sheds dangerous to a snake's health?

[Vasilii_Hellsing]

First of all thanks a lot to this forum and all the awesome BP owners here, while I've been doing my research regarding BPs Google took me here multiple times. I wanted to create a topic for over a month now but every time I had a question I'd just do a search here and find my answer. lol For this question I couldn't find the exact answer here or on Google, so I figured it's time to create a topic.

I had my boy Eizen for 1,5 months now. He's a juvenile, not sure exactly how old he is. He's gone through his first shed about 2,5 weeks ago. As you can see from the picture he shed 99% in one piece. I live in a basement, so the humidity is normally high enough - between 60 to 75%. However, there are still 2 or 3 spots left with the old skin. One of them is on the very tip of his tail and another one I spotted somewhere in the middle on his back. I saw a video about Blue Tongue Skinks and it said if they don't shed well they might loose their toes. Obviously sneks got no toes to loose and they aren't lizards but are those 2 or 3 incomplete shed spots as dangerous to a BP? Should I give him a bath? Eizen hates water. He can stay in my hand for hours, so I tried to wet a paper towel and put on those spots but he almost instantly tries to leave. I started misting in the enclosure a few days ago but those spots remain, also with me misting the humidity goes up to almost 80%, which is too high from what I read.



Thanks again.

[Zincubus]

Retained skin usually comes off with the next shed but you should try and remove the skin on the tail tip as that can lead to problems.

There’s an easy way .. just get a wet , rough textured cloth , then let the snake slither through your hands a few times ... paying particular attention to the tail where you apply very gentle pressure as it slithers through .. all the retained skin will come off easily .. it may mean letting it slither through a few times


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[Craiga 01453]

Welcome to the forum!!

As mentioned above, you want to get that tail tip to shed off.
The three major areas I check are eye caps, tail tip and cloaca (vent).
Stuck shed anywhere else will typically shed off on its own and if not won't cause any health issues and will typically come off with the snake's next shed.

The tail tip is important because retained shed can prevent proper blood flow through the tail tip and in severe cases they can lose their tail tips.

Like mentioned above, you should be able to use a damp cloth or towel (preferably a bit textured) to help get the tail tip to shed off. Just let the snake slither through while applying gentle pressure where the stuck skin is.

[Bogertophis]

Just here to agree with above posts and welcome you to the forum.

Tail tips with old skin left on actually die from lack of blood circulation...the old skin constricts an area that already has a minimal supply, so it's important to check
after every shed, because it's easily missed.

Eye caps are another common trouble spot, & multiple layers of "eye caps" can build up & cause damage as well...plus can require the help of a good herp vet to
remove them safely when they're really stuck. Owners doing it themselves have permanently injured their snake's eyes, so better to make sure they shed each time.

Some snakes get some stuck shed around their cloaca (vent) also...not as big of a deal because it may come loose the next time they defecate, but still, I'd mist and
remove it. Actually, I help a snake out of any & all shed that's left behind, even if it takes a soak. I have a very old corn snake that now tends to need help at times.

[Vasilii_Hellsing]

Thanks very much for the answers. I should have come here to check for the replies before giving him a bath last night. It was a nerve wracking experience for both of us, even though I watched multiple videos on how to do that on YouTube on 2 reputable channels and snakes were fairly calm there, mine was super stressed out so was I. Next time I will use a damp cloth as I wouldn't want to put him through another bath again.

btw what is the best temperature for a bath for ball pythons? In GoHerping video Alex said that the temperature should be within 90 to 100F and in Snake Discovery Emily said around 85F. My temperature was 95F, I checked it with my hand, my elbow and with a probe from my thermostat by putting it in a zip lock bag as I don't have a temp gun (so I don't know how much I could trust it, 'cause to my elbow it didn't feel as hot). I left him there for 10ish minutes even though in the videos they recommended 15 but I couldn't watch him struggle there anymore.

Also, my humidity is at 70% right now and I didn't mist today. He's not in shed, his eyes are clear. On days like this do I still need to mist? I don't want him to get scale rot, as I read that if humidity is too high it could happen.

PetSmart employee recommended I use moss and put a some on the sides of his hide to help with the shed. I tried to do that but his vivarium is almost right next to my bed and it instantly started to smell like a swamp so I had to throw it out.

[Bogertophis]

About snake baths: remember that our bodies are about 98.6*, so if the water feels warm to us, it's too hot for your snake. I think many snakes that are given
baths are in water that's too warm for them...that's one reason they panic & struggle to get out. The other is the total lack of traction...that alone freaks snakes
out too. If you put a snake on a smooth glass coffee table they have trouble moving, because there's nothing for them to push off of, & that's bad enough, but
they aren't used to being in a "bath" either, so yes, they panic. (And snakes can be harmed by excessive heat too, so it's not to be taken lightly.) Since the max.
temp. for the warm end of a BP's enclosure is about 90*, I'd say the bath water should be mid-80's...and also, the water should be shallow so the snake's body is
touching the bottom. You can also put a cloth in there for added traction, plus the mild abrasiveness will help with shedding. Or, just use a very damp towel...

When you say "your humidity is at 70%" do you mean local weather? or in your house? or in the actual snake's enclosure? Keep in mind that the humidity will
normally be much lower in a heated snake enclosure unless you use humid hides &/or substrate that retains moisture (coco. fiber, orchid bark, moss, etc.)

[Zincubus]

About snake baths: remember that our bodies are about 98.6*, so if the water feels warm to us, it's too hot for your snake. I think many snakes that are given
baths are in water that's too warm for them...that's one reason they panic & struggle to get out. The other is the total lack of traction...that alone freaks snakes
out too. If you put a snake on a smooth glass coffee table they have trouble moving, because there's nothing for them to push off of, & that's bad enough, but
they aren't used to being in a "bath" either, so yes, they panic. (And snakes can be harmed by excessive heat too, so it's not to be taken lightly.) Since the max.
temp. for the warm end of a BP's enclosure is about 90*, I'd say the bath water should be mid-80's...and also, the water should be shallow so the snake's body is
touching the bottom. You can also put a cloth in there for added traction, plus the mild abrasiveness will help with shedding. Or, just use a very damp towel...

When you say "your humidity is at 70%" do you mean local weather? or in your house? or in the actual snake's enclosure? Keep in mind that the humidity will
normally be much lower in a heated snake enclosure unless you use humid hides &/or substrate that retains moisture (coco. fiber, orchid bark, moss, etc.)

Great points about the lack of traction and putting a cloth in the bottom of the tub ...

I put mine in one of those tubs with locking lids and about 2/3 full of water - there’s plenty of air space still . I also stay with them rather than leaving them for 30 minutes. I put a towel over the top and leave a little gap to see them . They only move about for about 30 seconds then just relax . Then afterwards have a damp , rough textured towel ready and let them slither through the towel ..this gently removes any stubborn skin and / or retained eye-caps ..

If a snake is dehydrated - after just 30 minutes it will look noticeably plumper / fatter and more colourful !


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[Bogertophis]

I'm quite sure that in nature snakes love sliding into a puddle of water on their own, so it's not that they hate baths- just their loss of control (no traction) or
improper water temperature that makes them want right back out when we force the issue; they shouldn't be forced to swim* either, so the water needs to be
shallow, not deeper than the top of their bodies & preferably a little less. A snake with stuck shed feels way better after a good soak to get rid of it, and I agree,
they get re-hydrated too.

*Unless your snake is suffering from "sausage butt" (needs to defecate & seems constipated): then putting them in a much bigger container (I use my bathtub)
where they can actually swim will really help things along. The swimming motion combined with hydration usually works "wonders", but you always need to stay
right there with them all the time. Snakes seldom stay where you put them- they've been known to explore other plumbing fixtures while in bathrooms & disappear
down drains, toilets, or into holes in the wall (or under the cupboards) that you forgot or never knew about.

[CALM Pythons]

I always get all skin off. I had a bad experience with my Burm 20 years ago with a stuck shed on his tail. Make a long story short he is missing about 10” of his tail now. Just using a wet cloth hasn’t worked well for me. I let a snake soak for 15 min in warm water so the skin comes off in sheets not dried little pieces. I let them go through my hands several times until i get it all. I just had to shed my entire Burm last week. He got his head clean and seemed like he wanted me to do the rest hahaha. He is kept well and hydrated so after 10 min of crawling through my hands in the bathtub it came off in one piece.


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[Bogertophis]

I always get all skin off. I had a bad experience with my Burm 20 years ago with a stuck shed on his tail. Make a long story short he is missing about 10” of his tail now. Just using a wet cloth hasn’t worked well for me. I let a snake soak for 15 min in warm water so the skin comes off in sheets not dried little pieces. I let them go through my hands several times until i get it all. I just had to shed my entire Burm last week. He got his head clean and seemed like he wanted me to do the rest hahaha. He is kept well and hydrated so after 10 min of crawling through my hands in the bathtub it came off in one piece.


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I'm with you...soaks have worked better for mine too. I swear some snakes both realize & appreciate our help with shedding too...once they calm down, some do seem
to cooperate. Too bad about your Burm, he really lost a lot, but stuck tail tips aren't always very obvious, or we wait thinking that they'll take care of it- then they don't.
I'm just glad snakes don't talk to each other & decide to let us do all the shedding work for them while they sit back & relax.