Really odd shed problem.

[Salamander Rising]

Alice, he of the 3 week slitherabout, is having shed issues.

If you do not recall, I found him with some kind of gummy substance down the entire length of his back that felt like old, dried rubber cement.

Since he was rambling through the walls/floors/who knows what else of an almost 300 year old log house, I have no idea what he could've come in contact with.

Apparently it's something he slithered under since there wasn't any on his belly.

He just went through his second shed after his great adventure and his topside skin is still not shedding properly.

His belly scales just sort of come loose and drop down as if he's wearing a crunchy tube of skin, still attached to his back.

I really have to soak him in a tub with towel and then spend an hour slowly getting him shed.

He's also radically changed color.

He went from being a totally bright yellow pastel to half yellow/half brownish-dingy where the sticky stuff was.
[he was absolutely filthy when I found him, with fuzz, lint and dirt stuck to the gummy goop]

Is there anything I can do for his skin?

Could whatever it was have "penetrated" his skin and damaged it?

Might it just go away with more 'healing sheds'?

I'm having to watch him very closely when I think he's going to shed because if I'm not here to help, he exhausts himself trying to get that stuck skin off his back while having to crawl around inside a crunchy belly-balloon.

His husbandry's good.
He's eating well.
He's hydrated and seems to have gone back to his normal, happy old "captive" self.

He's my baby boy and I really want to fix this for him, if I can.

[dr del]

Hi,

Pics would help I think.

Are you raising your humidity any when he is in shed?


dr del

[Salamander Rising]

Hi,

Pics would help I think.

Are you raising your humidity any when he is in shed?


dr del

Yes, it's bumped up after he goes very pink.
[from 50-55% to 60-70%]

He just ate last night so I have to put off any photos unless he comes out of his hide for a drink or to stretch.

Until then, his skin looks/feels perfectly healthy and 'normal' after the shed is removed.

That's probably what mystifies me.

[dr del]

Hmm,

Normally shedding skin would rip if the humidity was high enough - I have seen some of mine have a strip down their back if I missed the shed coming. But then again some snakes do just seem to need higher humidity than others.

How are you measuring the humidity?

If the skin looks normal once the shed is off I wouldn't be worrying too much at this stage though.


dr del

[Salamander Rising]

Hmm,

Normally shedding skin would rip if the humidity was high enough - I have seen some of mine have a strip down their back if I missed the shed coming. But then again some snakes do just seem to need higher humidity than others.

How are you measuring the humidity?

If the skin looks normal once the shed is off I wouldn't be worrying too much at this stage though.


dr del

Digital temp/humidity gauge.

His sheds were always perfect, flawless, one piece suits coming off.

This is new.

The 'strip' down his back reaches clear to his belly scales...literally.

Hopefully his next shed will be better.

I'll try a constant 70% for a week pre-shed and see if that helps.

[rlditmars]

My guess is given the age of your house and what your describing, he may have come in to contact with old electrical wires in which, the casing is actually deteriorating to the point of being like a melted resin. I don't know what the chemical composition is but perhaps an electrician could tell you more. As for the color change, I have seen threads where diet and stress can affect the color, usually the result being the animal starts to take on a axanthic look, like the color is drained out. Is that what your seeing? I hope Alice gets better soon.

[Salamander Rising]

The old wiring in the house is actually the old woven silk covered stuff.

Pretty weird idea but I guess it worked back then.

He's not axanthic...just brown and dingy.

He was pretty stressed about being 'sent back to jail' since he thinks he can successfully make it on his own.

He's only recently stopped checking the enclosure and lock for 'weaknesses'.