This may sound stupid but....????

[sondra]

I just got a BP (actually got it for my hubby for father's day) he is beautiful and very friendly. He is about 27". We let him acclimate to his new home for a couple days and then fed him a fresh stunned mouse. He did great (he waited until it started to come around and then went for the kill). That was two weeks ago, now he started his shed cycle this past Monday. He didn't shed in one piece and still has a lot of skin stuck to him. We have been having a problem keeping the humidity up, we put a pice of plexi galss over 3/4 of the screen top, sprayed, filled a large water dish, we even gave him a bath for a few minutes. He has a big branch to climb on and rub against. I know there are posts on the questions I'm about to ask but there are conflicting answers everywhere so I figured I'd ask.
1. How long should I wait to let him shed on his own before helping him. (his eyecaps came off but the latter part of his top is not coming off too easy)
2. What size mouse ( or rat ) should we be feeding him
3. If he is constipated will his tail look stiff (I know how that sounds but his tail looks like it is stuffed it doesn't trail him like it did before)

[Ginevive]

I have some advice about the shedding. What you could do, is soak him for about 1/2 hour-45 minutes in a shallow Rubbermaid container with a secure lid. Here's a pic of one of the snakes I soaked:



If you do this, the skin should come off easily in your hands. some snakes do not really like being soaked, so a good fitting lid is essential; I put the bottle of laundry soap on top of the Rmaid (seen in the pic) for this reason. I kept an eye on it too! (Don't worry, I did not add soap to his water, lol.)
During shed cycles, I pretty much cover the whole screen-lid with saran wrap. It seems to cling on better than the plexiglass. I do leave some room for air to get in. I mist the cage down really well in the morning and at night, and humidity stays high. When the snake sheds, I take the wrap off and let the humidity drop.

[sondra]

Thanks, I'll have to try that. We put him in the sink for a few minutes but he kept trying to wrap around the faucet, I think the rubbermaid (with the cover) will work much better.

[TekWarren]

another thing you can do is hold your snake with a damp towel and gently rub off pieces that are stuck.

[highendball158]

about the size of the food my baby ball around 17" is eating adult mice so u should up the size for ur snake

[Forrest]

This is to get your snake ready for a shed or for a snake with to low of humidity in the cage: This works great if you use sphragam moss in your cage set-up. After you notice the eyes cloud over, put hot water (you need to see steam) in your snake's water bowl. then cover using a blanket(blamkets still allow for moderate air circulation). You will know if it is working when the glass in the cage fogs up. After the water cools you will be left with a mist on your glass. As long as you leave the blanket on top of the cage the mist will stay in the cage. Your snake will be moisturized, and ready to get the "old" skin off. One thing to keep in mind is you don't want mildew to build up so I really don't recommend leaving your cage misted for more than 12 hours (do it before you go to bed and remove when you wake up). Most snakes are very clever, and can tell the difference between hot and cold so don't worry about your snake trying to take a plunge in the hot water (it also cools very quickly). also within a hour or so after removing the blanket the mist on the cage will evaporate so there is no clean up. One more thing, this is a trick I also use to get my snake to get that shiny complexion if they are looking a little dull after a shed. Hope this helps

[Adam_Wysocki]

One more thing, this is a trick I also use to get my snake to get that shiny complexion if they are looking a little dull after a shed.

Shiny complextion? ... "Maybe it's Maybelline!"

-adam

[Forrest]

Sorry I didn't answer your 3 question did I? Here's my answers: Snakes instinctively know how to shed let them do it on their own, but if you really need to help when the skin is peeling off you can help using a damp warm washcloth gentle stroking from the head to the tail (with the grain of the scales). Qusetion #2 answer: Only feed your snake food that is the same girth or less as the thickest part of the snake and 3x the size of the snakes head in length, just a guideline not a rule. Question#3 answer: I have no idea what you mean without seeing your BP in person but this should help your snake poop. Place your snake in warm water and let soak (your choice of container tub/sink/bin, ect.ect..) this should allow for your snake to have a "movement". Good luck with your new BP hope my information helps.

[Brandon.O]

Hey guys, some of you know that i found a bull snake and im intending to keep it (the little hatchling) and if any of you have seen or felt a bull snake or gopher snake you know that thier scales are very rough.

No matter how long i soak him/her i cant get the stuck shed off of the snake !

Should i just wait till the next shed ? or is there any other tricks i havent heard of ?

[Forrest]

There is always snake oil. You can purchase it at most stores that sell reptiles. Just aplly a small amount to a rag and gently rub on the (rough spot). It does sound like your snake may have a scar on its head, if that is the case only time and plenty of sheds can help, but with scars there is no gurantee that it will ever improve....