Sprizing

[mischevious21]

Ok, my female ball has ALWAYS been unable to shed on her own. Ive tryed soaking her, and then a couple months ago started trying repti-shed, then repti-shed AND soaking her, and she still just can not shed on her own.. Even my baby ball is shedding better than her.. So Ive started spritzing her cage about 6-7 times a day (the room they are in is very dry), and Im hoping it will help. But I wonder if maybe Im doing it too much? I use repti-bark, and have one wooden hide, the rest are granite, and after about 20-30 minutes its dry.. But Im worried, beacuse if I am doing it too much I dont want her to get RI... Some advice please?

[jamesw]

6-7 times a day is alot, it depends on how much water you are actually putting in. If the substrate is too wet, the snake could get scale rot. I know you said it dries, but just because the top layer is dry doesnt mean the bottom layer is.

[rabernet]

Actually, from talking to several of our more experienced keepers recently, I've learned that it's now being suspected that low humidity or wild swings in humidity will cause a RI more than a consistent higher humidity of say 60-65% will.


Do you have a digital hygrometer that's measuring your humidity so that you know what it is?

[frankykeno]

Jessika, is she housed in a glass tank with a mesh lid? Do you use overhead heat lamps?

[mischevious21]

Yea, shes in a glass tank with a mesh top, and I have one half coverd with a towel (I usualy dont spritz the towel), and yea I use over head heat lamps, too, and a heater on the bottom of the tank.
And no, I dont have a hygrometer- but I need to get one.. But Ive tryed putting the water bowl under the heat lamp, to let off more moister, soaking- everything, so I was told I should spritz the tank more. So like I said, I do it about 6-7 times a day, and I just spray a few times on each side and now Im waiting for her next shed to see if it will work maybe.. I hope so...

[whyteboi]

spritz the towel, thats what I do, and it stats wayyyy more consistent then misting the cage.

[Kagez28]

defiantly get a hydrometer, i don't know how you can go this long with out one. and as for the over head lamp, that is what is killing your humidity. ditch the light and just use an UTH, that will get the humidity, but you wouldn't know with out a hydrometer. also i don't think a dry towel is doing much good. cover the mesh is tin foil and duct tape, that should help alot.

and if not you may have to but a humidifier in the room, or make a DIY one.

[McGregor]

Comin in a little late on this thread but I thought I'd add my

I just picekd up a Hygro. today and I put it in and it said my humidity level was at 40 . So, after reading on here of course, I to a towel nice and wet (well not too wet mor elike a little damp) and laid it over about 2/3, maybe a little less, of the tank. I checked the hygro. about 20 mins later and it was up to 50%.