New snake owner, New snake, Bad shed- Please help.

[MysticMoon001]

Are you using a digital thermometer/hygrometer to measure your temps and humidity? You said gauges so I was wondering if it was those stick on dial ones, which can be very inaccurate.

If you don't have one, there is a $12 Accurite at Walmart. I'm pretty sure you can find them at any hardware store but I found mine there.

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[Crowfingers]

I also use a 40 gal breeder for my snake. I have cypress mulch to aid in humidity, it doesn't mold if it gets wet, as aspen sometimes will. I have to keep the lid covered with aluminum foil and a damp warm towel to retain the humidity. When I see that my snake is starting to get dull and a pink belly I place damp moss in his favorite hide and add extra towels on the screen. This keeps the humidity around 65-75%. Just make sure the towels don't touch the lights.

I don't use an UTH, but have heard that you can put the water bowl over that as well to help boost humidity. As long as you keep your humidity up, he should not have bad sheds in the future. Good Luck



I have pics of my set up on my profile page if you need a visual aid
Seeing other peoples' set ups helped me a lot

[Fstarr]

I gave him a second soak and he shed all those bits. Now he's in a nice, clean cage and seems to be in a chiller mood.

Thanks for the info about the digital theromostat. I considered getting one over the gauge that I had, but it was way cheaper than the gauge options so I wasn't sure how credible it could be. I'll definitely get two of the digital ones to keep an eye on each side.

I think that humidity is okay- at least now that he's done with his shed. His tank is next to a 30 gal aquarium so the room stays fairly humid. The temperature I've checked with two thermometers and the ambient is 80-82 with the cooler side being 77. The UTH doesn't take up too much space, but he tends to stick around that area, so I imagine it's pretty comfortable there.
The wet towel idea is great. I've been covering the wire top- aside where the lights are - to help it retain more moisture. I've also moved his water closer to the light instead of leaving it on the cool side, so that might help with that.


I don't have anything regulating the UTH or the lamps, but I wasn't aware that was a necessity. I switch them at night and things seem consistent.
I'll look into upgrading from my starter stuff, regardless.

[bcr229]

Thanks for the info about the digital theromostat.

The info was about a digital thermometer. A thermometer measures temperature. A thermostat regulates heat sources.

I don't have anything regulating the UTH or the lamps, but I wasn't aware that was a necessity.

Then go kick the pet shop employee who sold you everything, that is the #1 most important piece of equipment you can purchase. Without a thermostat a UTH can get hot enough to burn your snake in minutes. Go unplug the UTH before you have to pay for a vet bill and a thermostat.