Racks and shedding

[Dread]

I've built two melamine racks with rubbermaid tubs to house my growing collection of ball pythons. They are newspaper substrate with belly heat at the back. Temps range from 29-23 from front to back of the tubs. They have a water bowl in with them, and either a repti-cave or modified tupperware hide. Humidity gets as low as 40% on a hot dry day, but is usually 50-60% in every tub.

My question comes from the fact that the vast majority have perfect complete sheds without me even misting them or having humidity hides in with them, while 2 or 3 snakes have terrible sheds every single time! The poorly-shedding snakes are eating like the rest, I've given them non-pumice rocks to rub against to aid in shedding, and have given them humid hides, but they still come out as bad as just their face having shed

I've resorted to giving them the sauna treatment on a soaked towel in a tub directly on a heating pad. This works well (the retained shed re-hydrates and is easy to massage off) but I just had one snake with a bad shed with retained eye caps... and I'm getting frustrated and don't want to put the snakes through so much stress at every shed. I guess I was lucky that all my original snakes were great shedders, and normal husbandry met their needs.

What sort of tips and tricks can people suggest to help these poor shedders?

Thanks!

[Adam_Wysocki]

Humid hide box.

-adam

[xdeus]

Humid hide box.

Adam's reading too fast.

I have the same setup as you. When I see them go blue, I tape up the holes with the "blue" masking tap and place a deli cup in the cage with a folded paper towel and about a half inch of water. The paper towel wicks the water up and increases the humidity in the cage. This method has always given me a perfect shed.

Good luck!

[Adam_Wysocki]

Adam's reading too fast.

My bad.

-adam

[Dread]

Thanks folks! I will try that

I've just started putting in bird water bowls with the metal prongs out the back. Poked holes in the tub with a soldering iron, and now the bowls can't be tipped. Can't wait to try the paper towel solution!