Our First Shed

[Garnet]

I've been fretting a bit lately that Skull, our normal, has not shed since we brought him home on September the 8th. According to the breeder's records, he had shed only once, 8 days after he was born. He was born on June 11, he shed on June 19. I know that one of the n00b mistakes we have made is that we were underfeeding him. We've remedied that.

Anyway, since his last feed two days ago, he's been unusually shy. In fact, the day before we fed him, he had a strong and highly unusual fear reaction to my husband. Mind, this is the snake that will slither of his own volition into my husband's hand to be lifted out of the tank. So, when he shied away from my husband's hand, puked up water and burrowed quickly into his hide, needless to say we were a bit worried. We were less worried after he ate with his usual...er...alacrity. But even then, his behavior just wasn't what we're at all used to. He just wasn't engaging in his normal routines.

Tonight, we decided to lift his hide off of him because we knew we had some urate to clean up. So, very gently, I lifted the hide, snake and all, and handed it to my husband. True to his usual behavior, Skull emerged from the hide and began exploring. I cleaned the mess, raked the remaining substrate and then watched Skull in my husband's hands. Skull's eyes looked a little dull...or did they?

I took Skull while my husband finished off the tank cleaning. I took a good look at his eyes. They are definitely cloudy. No doubt about that.

We put him back in his tank shortly after that. He was active for a little bit but now he's chillin' in his cool hide.

OK, so, first shed coming up!

We've already upped the humidity from 50% to 70%. We're keeping the temps the same, 88-90 on the warm side, 82-78 on the cool side. Is there anything else we should do other than leaving the boy alone?

[Crazymonkee]

Nope that's it

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[MontyPython22]

Everything sounds normal his eyes will go back to semi clear and he will shed a few days after that.

[Garnet]

Since I last posted, Skull has been hanging out in his warm hide with only the occasional nose peep or a stretch out of the hide for a drink of water.

Until tonight.

Now he's out and man oh man is he wrinkly! He's up in his piece of driftwood, rubbing his head and slithering slooooooowly around.

It's all I can do not to grab him and give him an assist.

I won't do that, of course, but...poor little guy! He looks like he's having a hard time.

[Garnet]

Well, now he's in his cool hide.

[NYHC4LIFE8899]

Yup mY little guy hid for days upon days and looked all pale and blue eyes..he looked so uncomfortable,I felt so bad..but he did his thing,shed 90% I none piece and the other 10% got off that same night...then he ate a lrge adult mouse!like his usual piggy self

[Garnet]

OK, I'm frettin'. Skull has signs of peeling shed around his head but it hasn't gone any further despite him rubbing all over the grape vine for a couple of hours. Is that normal? Should I be soaking him or should I give him more time? He's back in his cool hide after hanging out on the vine. Literally hanging from the vine at times, head down. I know I'm anthropomorphizing but damn if he doesn't look pitiful right now.

[Crazymonkee]

Its Ok as long as the humidity is about 70 it'll happen. Don't interfere. But the humidity has to be up

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[Coopers Constrictors]

Humidity must be up while they are in shed.

[Garnet]

OK, thanks. We're running the humidity at right around 70%. We have a spray thingy that goes off every two hours and we're measuring using a digital humidity gauge. This morning when I checked, the humidity was 71%.