Hey guys,

I bought a baby pastel ball python in September of 2009. This little girl (named Cleo) is my first ever snake, and boy has it been a wild ride. I started her out in a 40 gallon breeder, and she is now in a custom setup. However, for the two and a half years that I've had her, I've never seen her do a "complete" shed. All of her skin comes off, but it takes her days to complete and it comes off in patches. Also, her skin is "loose" and "wrinkly" around her neck area. I never really gave it much thought, since I believed her to be in excellent health. She never refuses food, and I try and feed her every weekend. (Although I have gone as much as three weeks without feeding her. I know that's bad. )

Anyway, I'm realizing how much of an idiot I am/was to just assume that my snake and setup is as best as it can be, which is why I am now turning to the experts. I bought her as a baby, and she is about 2.5 years old, and about 38" long. Is this normal? Too small? Shedding - Is the patches normal? Do I need more moisture in the setup? How can I achieve this with my setup? Wrinkles - Is this bad? Dehydration? How can I improve this?



I'm attaching a couple pictures so you guys can get a decent idea of my snake and setup. The setup is pretty big; I always go overboard for all of my animals. (You should see the bearded dragon setup next to it! ) I read on the site today that BP's don't like a big enclosure; mine seems to immensely enjoy the space. She's constantly roaming and climbing at night time, and sleeping during the day. Any suggestions for changing around the enclosure? I need to add a hygrometer, or w/e they're called, since I have no idea the moisture level in the tank. (I know, I know...another sin, but at least I know now and I'm fixing it!) I also want to try my hand at breeding her, but I want at least a solid year of optimal conditions before I try something like that.



Enclosure and snake: