Introducing Dexter

[Midwest]

Thank s for the input. I used my heat gun before I hit it with the hair dryer and it was 80 degrees, so I hit it for about 10 seconds and the right into the tank. I'm going to try a little warmer next time. The one I fed this week was the smallest one I had. I planned to get rid of those first, but if I can find a reliable source for some a little larger I might go ahead and get some and feed the few I have that are over 20 grams. I didnt buy very many of them so it's not a loss if I don't end up using all the ones I have left. I only spent $20.00 because I know at his size he might be ready to move up to smalls soon.

[Zincubus]

Thank s for the input. I used my heat gun before I hit it with the hair dryer and it was 80 degrees, so I hit it for about 10 seconds and the right into the tank. I'm going to try a little warmer next time. The one I fed this week was the smallest one I had. I planned to get rid of those first, but if I can find a reliable source for some a little larger I might go ahead and get some and feed the few I have that are over 20 grams. I didnt buy very many of them so it's not a loss if I don't end up using all the ones I have left. I only spent $20.00 because I know at his size he might be ready to move up to smalls soon.

It doesn’t work all the time but for the other 99.999 % the hairdryer trick is absolutely fabulous


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[Midwest]

So for the last several weeks Dexter has been spending most of his days in the hot side hide and comes out at night to cruise around. Still eating well. Yesterday I took him out in the afternoon and completely cleaned his enclosure. This morning when I got up he had burrowed under his water dish. I thought maybe I had it sitting uneven, leaving an opening. Today I moved all the bedding out from under the water dish and set it directly on the glass and pushed the mulch up around the edges, assuming it would stop him from getting back under it. Tonight he is back digging under it again. Since I added new bedding my humidity went up from about 60% to 75 %. I have moved the plexi glass covering partly off to drop it a tiny bit I feel like he should be going into shed any time. So I think the higher humidity will help.

I had originally planned to change out his hides for the black plastic ones but he started using them so much more then he originally did that i figured he was fine with them.

[Southpaw91]

My little girl likes to burrow in fresh substrate too. She once tunneled all the way from her cool hide to the warm hide. I think it's cute.

[Southpaw91]

My little girl likes to burrow in fresh substrate too. She once tunneled all the way from her cool hide to the warm hide. I think it's cute.

Here she is with just her head poking out of the substrate. She kicked some into her water bowl too as you can see lol

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[Midwest]

So as each day goes on I have another newbie question to ask. I just had this gut feeling that he should be or is going to be going into shed any time. After I changed the substrate he spent 2 days getting under his water bowl which he has never done before. The last two days he has been back in his hot hide. I tried his 2nd F/T feeding last night, after success last week. Last night was a no go. He came out of his hide and showed interest in it, much like last week, but he never did strike. After a few tries of re warming it up with the hair drier I laid it on his hide like last week and he checked it out but went back in the hide and did not touch it over night. I tossed it this morning and am wandering when I should try again? As I mentioned I am now in the 5th week of having him and first weigh a month ago he was 214 grams and last week he was in the 250's so I know he is growing. We haven't been handling him too much which means I haven't noticed his eyes changing. At this age should I try again in a couple days or just weight until feeding day next week in case he starts shedding between now and then? Input is appreciated as always. A couple of days ago it appeared as though the top of his head was a little duller in color but everything else looked pretty normal. As he gets older and we handle him more I am sure that I will easily be able to spot the signs of a shed but right now we are just getting him him out a few minutes every couple days. So I could very easily miss the initial eye color change and other beginning shedding signs.

[Midwest]

Bumping this looking for some help. For the 2nd week in a row he has shown no interest in a F/T rat. I kind of assume it is because he might be going into shed. The problem is I have not been handling him a lot since he is still fairly new and trying to keep his stress level down. I have not seen his eye change in color and his current skin color appears to be normal. I know not to feed him when he is getting ready to shed, but I am not sure if he is refusing because he doesn't like the F/T or if he is about to shed. I have had him for 5 weeks now so he should be ready to shed any time based on "normal time lines" that I read. If I just offer him a F/T once a week until I actually see him shed will that stress him out or would it be better to not try to feed him for another week or so to see if he does shed?

[dr del]

Hi,

There is normally only a few days between "clearing up" and shedding in smaller snakes so I think you will know what is going on before the next feed is due. Just keep the humidity on point and yiou should be golden.

ETA - your post from the 9th of december stated he was eating well so there is certainly no need to panic at this stage. Sorry just remembered america has a different date order than we do in the uk.

When did he last eat for you?

[Midwest]

December 3rd was the first time I offered him a F/T and he took it. The following week I tried again and he showed a little interest but not much. This time I made sure I had it nice and warm (right at 98-100) with the hair drier on my temp gun. He showed pretty much zero interest. I had the room basically dark but I couldn't even see his tongue flicking, he was just staring at it. I know a couple off weeks without feed is not a big deal at all, I just wander if: A, if he is not ready to switch to F/T or if he is getting ready to shed: and B: if I should keep trying once a week. I have read that this can be stressfull and don't want to have that.

My humidity has been floating around 70% since last Sunday when I switched out the substrate and cleaned his tank. I had read that the entire shed process, from the very onset, to the eye color change, to the skin dulling in color and then coming back again, until finally the shed, can take a couple weeks from start to finish. Will they still not eat in the very beginning stages or is it normally just right before the actual shed.

[Snakemom85]

My Jake is about the same size as your new guy. When he shed last he basically went in his hide for a week and didn't come out at all until he shed. I didn't even attempt to feed him when I saw his eyes go blue. Once he had shed he ate just fine on his next meal. He eats f/t now but we were feeding him love for a short period. He has never missed a meal other than when he was in shed. I didn't even try to feed him though. Wait another week and try again. It's very obvious when their eyes are in blue. Jake will take 1 or two days or say after blue is gone to actually shed. Make sure you check under hides for the shed. It will likely be in a ball wrapped up with poop. Good luck.

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