Got a new ball python I think is dehydrated

[Nfrost]

Got a juvenile ball python in the mail yesterday what I thought was stuck shed on his head turned out to be him in the middle of a shed came home from work today to a mess, now I been told to quarentine new snakes and put them on paper towels… I did that wetted some spots of paper towels to bump humidity, came home to this shed is absolute mess and in pieces and half isn’t coming off, I cleaned out the tub put new paper towels down added a hide (which in a snake rack do snakes need hides still) now my question is do I let him be since I just received him and see if the humidity and paper towels work? Humidity was around 69-72 percent hot spot was 88-89 and cool spot 78 idk the exact ambient air temp, and I was told he was a pastel calico I’m not totally sure on how to find pastel gene in tbere! I guess I’m having trouble figuring out how to add a picture!

[Nfrost]

Forgot to add I think he is dehydrated also because around his neck is super wrinkly like doesn’t look normal when he bends his skin

[dakski]

Quarantine is correct. Any questions on proper quarantine, just ask.

Sounds like he could use a small soak to help with his shed - however - do not submerge him.

I put about a 1/4 inch of warm (80F) +/- water in a small container I can seal to avoid escape (but it has holes or a lid so it is not airtight - obviously). Then I cover the container with a towel if the lid has vents, or don't bother if the container has small breathing holes.

I'd let him sit in there for 1/2 hour and see how the shed looks and if you have to, gently work it off with a wet towel (at least room temp or a little warmer - use a temp gun - same for the water temp in the container).

This will help the shed and help him hydrate.

Make sure he has fresh water in his tank. Your temps look good and I assume are thermostat controlled. If it's possible, but some tin foil over the tank if it's open at the top to help keep humidity in.

I would also plan to feed him several days after the soak. If he eats F/T (feed what the breeder has for now because food is important), I would warm the F/T prey item with warm water (I soak my python food for 30-60 seconds in 110F water to warm it up and get a good food response) after defrosting, but instead of drying off, offer damp (shake excess water off) and that will add to him hydrating as well.

Keep on eye on him and keep us posted. Hopefully just a bad shed and a little dehydration is all.

Good luck.

[Nfrost]

[Bogertophis]

I just want to add that when a snake is dehydrated, it's not a quick fix, even if you help with his current shedding issue. He may have been kept for a while with inadequate humidity, so it would probably help to provide him with a "humid hide" (in addition to his regular hides, one cool side & one on the warm side). If you need clarity on what a "humid hide" is, or how to make one, just ask. One soak or one drink of water is unlikely to "fix" a dehydrated snake, even though it helps for the moment.

Another thing that sometimes causes dehydration in snakes is when they're fed while in a shed cycle. This is because both digesting and shedding requires good hydration from the snake's body, & some snakes just have trouble doing both at the same time. Most snakes instinctively refuse food when they're going into a shed cycle, often before we even can see the signs (such as cloudy eye-caps), but if they don't refuse food, it may cause one of 2 things to happen if they don't happen to be well-hydrated: either they'll start to digest the prey, but then regurgitate it, or they'll have a "bad shed". Since you just got this snake yesterday, none of this was your doing in any way, but I just wanted you to understand this for the future- as you can see, "bad sheds" are no fun to deal with, either for you, or for your snake.

You asked if snakes in a rack need hides: personally, I'd provide them, since the hide is about the snake being able to feel they're snug in a tight space where they're safe from predators. In the wild, BPs are known to hide in rocks or termite mounds. Their hides should therefore be just a little bigger than their size when curled up, with only one doorway that's not oversized. A snake that doesn't feel "safe" is more likely to refuse to eat, which doesn't make for a good healthy pet, & providing hides isn't asking much, is it? I realize you've probably seen some "professionals" who keep all their snakes in racks for convenience, & who don't provide hides or other enrichment, again for their convenience, but personally I can't get behind that, & most members here are keeping snakes as pets, not merchandise. I've even heard of someone keeping snakes without water bowls, because it was "messy" when they spilled them- which incidentally is another reason that snakes become dehydrated. (Trust me, snakes need drinking water at all times, even if they survive in the wild without a steady water supply. For one thing, our homes have HVAC systems that remove moisture from the air.) Ultimately the decisions about how to keep your snake(s) will be yours to make.

[Nfrost]

I’m on my phone if I know how to add pics onto here I could show u a pic of how bad he is but I can’t figure it out seems like this website is made for a computer not a phone

[Snow Balls]

I’m on my phone if I know how to add pics onto here I could show u a pic of how bad he is but I can’t figure it out seems like this website is made for a computer not a phone

There is an app called tapatalk that lets you upload pictures

[Nfrost]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bogertophis]

Looks like he's still got more old shed to work off his "undercarriage"- personally, I'd do a shallow, lukewarm & fully supervised soak for about 30 minutes, then help him out of the rest, but gently.
If he's not out of the old skin after a few days, you risk having it stick more firmly than it was at first. Providing a damp terry towel often helps them shed, but after that, it's up to us to assist.