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  1. #1
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    Question Shedding or. . . ?

    First time snake mom to a 6 mo BP, just got him 3 weeks ago. I left him (mostly) alone the first week, then he successfully ate a f/t rat pup. Last week I tried again but he just didn't seem interested, barely sniffed at it. I also noticed that his scales maybe seemed a little dull, and he did seem to be more shy and skittish, but it's really hard to have a baseline this early on. He had been very chill with handling up until then but gets agitated now. I decided to give him a few days and see if he acts hungry (the first week he displayed some hunting behavior before feeding). I've only caught him outside of the hide once in the last week. I'm mostly leaving him alone except for tub maintenance. I'm not seeing any changes. I pulled him out today to weigh him because I'm getting worried. I also checked his belly and it might be pinkish or i might be seeing it because I'm looking for it.

    His starting weight with me was 206g, then 213.5 two days after eating, tonight it was 173g. That might not be very accurate because he was really trying to get off the scale.

    He's in a small plastic tub with a thermostat regulated UTH, temps checked by heat gun (inside warm hide substrate surface is 85F, he has dug a hole and sits on the plastic which is currently 92F), thermometer and hydrometer stay at around 75F and about 60-70 humidity (it's not really big enough to have an ambient temp gradient). He has 2 hides, a branch and a water dish, on coco chips.

    Should try to feed him again? Leave him alone? I'm worried about his weight.

  2. #2
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    He sounds like he's in shed- obviously just going from everything you described. You'll get better with practice at telling- Don't offer food, just keep the humidity up somewhat & be patient. Some snakes take longer than others.

    Feeding snakes in shed, even IF they're willing (they usually know better than to eat) MAY actually disrupt the shed, making it difficult to remove- ie. stuck in a million pieces, so trust your snake to know when not to eat. Learn & accept their natural cycles (eating > shedding).

    I would not have pulled him out to weigh, nor would I weigh any snake you've only had for 3 weeks- they NEED time to settle in- they're AFRAID & stress may cause him to refuse food even when he's done shedding. Just leave him in peace. To him, you & all humans are likely predators- remember that- he's still learning & eating is job #1 for him, so keep his stress low to reduce his fear.

    Snakes live by their instincts, & the only thing in nature that normally picks them up is a predator about to have them for lunch. So avoid handling a new snake until after they've eaten at least 3 times at normal intervals (not counting time off for shed cycles).
    Last edited by Bogertophis; 08-06-2022 at 08:55 AM.
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  4. #3
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    Re: Shedding or. . . ?

    I agree with Bogertophis. It sounds like he’s going into shed. I’d leave him alone and just watch him for the next week or two. You can feed him again after his shed. I wouldn’t be concerned with his weight at all. I don’t weigh any of my snakes. As long as his temps and humidity are good, and he’s got fresh food and water, along with a couple of hides he should be just fine. I know it’s natural for any new “snarent” to worry about their young ones, but they really are very easy animals to keep once they’re set up properly. Sit back, relax, and enjoy your new critter!
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  6. #4
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    Re: Shedding or. . . ?

    Quote Originally Posted by MisterNoodles View Post
    His starting weight with me was 206g, then 213.5 two days after eating, tonight it was 173g. That might not be very accurate because he was really trying to get off the scale.
    I think it's safe to say, your bp didn't lose 20% of his body mass in two weeks. I don't know if that's even possible. But please don't re-weigh him. I agree with Boger and Ziggy. Weighing your snake too often is counterproductive. I take my snakes weight every three months.
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  8. #5
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    For what it's worth, the only time I weigh any of my snakes is if I need their weight to calculate a dose of medicine- like for parasite elimination. Which is to say, almost never.
    Last edited by Bogertophis; 08-06-2022 at 10:42 AM.
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  10. #6
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    BPs are really good at storing up waste materials for a while.
    It makes it really difficult to get an accurate weight on them. One day you're good and the next there's a giant poop in the corner...there goes a lot of that weight.

    Honestly I barely weigh mine as well. The only reasons I weigh is if I'm tracking the growth of a potential breeder that's almost there, if I'm going to be selling the snake, or if the snake actually gives me reason to be concerned.

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    Re: Shedding or. . . ?

    Ok, I'm feeling better. I know I'm guilty of new mom syndrome (MY child will never watch television or eat sugar! ). I just want to make sure I'm not screwing it up immediately, and there is a ton of conflicting information out there. I don't know much about snakes yet, but I can see if an animal is in distress, and he seems perfectly fine if he's left alone right now, and doesn't look skinny or unwell. I'll quit weighing him all the time too. I wanted to get a baseline in case he didn't eat at all at first, and to make sure I was getting the right size rodents. Overall he's been a peach so far. He's actually my daughter's (so technically I'm a snake grandma) but it's also a kind of trial run to see if I'm up for one or two of my own when she moves out in a few years.

    Thank you to everyone for your sage advice! It's nice to have a community to turn to.
    Last edited by MisterNoodles; 08-06-2022 at 07:05 PM.

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    Re: Shedding or. . . ?

    Quote Originally Posted by MisterNoodles View Post
    Ok, I'm feeling better. I know I'm guilty of new mom syndrome (MY child will never watch television or eat sugar! ). I just want to make sure I'm not screwing it up immediately, and there is a ton of conflicting information out there. I don't know much about snakes yet, but I can see if an animal is in distress, and he seems perfectly fine if he's left alone right now, and doesn't look skinny or unwell. I'll quit weighing him all the time too. I wanted to get a baseline in case he didn't eat at all at first, and to make sure I was getting the right size rodents. Overall he's been a peach so far. He's actually my daughter's (so technically I'm a snake grandma) but it's also a kind of trial run to see if I'm up for one or two of my own when she moves out in a few years.

    Thank you to everyone for your sage advice! It's nice to have a community to turn to.
    We're glad to have you join us- & don't worry about asking questions- we were all "new" at one time too. It all gets much easier.
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