Rescue First Shed Help

[Amaya K]

Hey there, I know there are a lot of threads on help with shedding, and I've read over many of them, but my situation is a little more unique than that. I have had or been around many snakes for many years, but this baby ball python is my first snake rescue. All my others were handled regularly and familiar with people, but my new baby is very anti-human in his actions. He rarely balls up and instead moves like he's tempted to strike me every time I handle him. I'm slowly getting him used to handling, but this was greatly interrupted by a very bad shed a mere 2 weeks after I got him. It came off in many pieces, and I felt so bad for the little guy, I KNOW his old owner didn't keep his humidity up, and while I gave him what I could, it was too late.

My problem is this: he still has about a 1 inch patch of shed stuck to him. It is just behind his head, right where his neck curves when he moves to strike. I have tried baths, but because he is so shy anyway, plus he is a notoriously head-shy ball python, he flinches so bad every time I try to rub it off, he actually hits the tub behind him. Now he won't eat and I'm 80% sure its because of his stuck shed. He ate fine the week before. This shed has been on for nearing a week now, it's really worrying me. I also feel like it's in an area that he can't rub against something easily. Any help? There are threads for shed problems, and sheds for handling human shy snakes, but I have both at once :/


*also, because I know people are going to ask, I've been putting him in warm water "baths" with a towel beneath and a second towel to rub against, which he doesn't. I leave him in there as long as I can without the water getting cool, about 20 min. They haven't been doing much*