HELP! Shedding longer than a week...?

[B-K]

I got my first ball python just about two months ago when she was just about one month old. Four weeks ago, she started to get really grumpy and one week ago she finally started shedding. However, by now, she is still barely half-way done with shedding and I’m starting to worry!


Temperature, humidity, light, hides, feeding, etc., everything seems to be exactly as it should be according to everything I read so far. Can it be normal for a baby ball python to take potentially a couple of weeks to shed and is it also normal behavior that she would get aggressive already weeks before the shedding and impossible to handle in any way?


I really want her to be comfortable and need some advice! Thank you!

[Rikoku]

Ball pythons are not aggressive my nature and is most likely being defensive or is stressed out. Can you provide us more details about temperature and how you are measuring them, what kind of enclosure she is in, what kind of hides, and what are the humidity levels and how you are measuring it.

[B-K]

She’s in a 40gal tank with aspen bedding and two bark hides, one on each side; I have two analog dual thermometer/humidity gauges on the back-wall on each side of the tank; heat mat under one side of the tank with two additional ceramic heating elements on top since the mat didn’t heat enough, all connected to a controller to keep the temperature steady; since the location of the tank is a little in the dark, I have a 13w UVB light on a 12h cycle; the temperature shows just about 80 degrees on one side and close to 90 on the other side, however, I once measured directly under the heating elements and it was obviously much warmer there than what it shows on the gauge on the back-wall; humidity was between 50 and 60%, but for the past two weeks I’m trying to keep it above 60%, having it most of the time between 60 and 80%. Also, she seems relatively large for her age (??), being almost 2ft long, so I’m wondering whether the local breeder mixed up some numbers; she easily eats adult mice; I was feeding once a week, but three weeks ago started feeding every 4-5 days; she is eating without any problems… Thanks again!!

[PitOnTheProwl]

Your humidity in a 40g aint even neer 50%... Especially with all that heat you have going on.
Your snake is telling you the humidity isnt there too.
Find Debs hatchling 101 in the husbandry and follow it down to the letter. Fix all of your husbandry and things will get better.

[B-K]

Thank you, I'll take a look. However, just to make sure that the humidity is okay, I do run a humidifier in the room non-stop, so the humidity in the whole room is well above 50%, which makes me assume that the humidity in the tank should be proper as well...

[PitOnTheProwl]

She’s in a 40gal tank with aspen bedding and two bark hides, one on each side; I have two analog dual thermometer/humidity gauges on the back-wall on each side of the tank; heat mat under one side of the tank with two additional ceramic heating elements on top since the mat didn’t heat enough, all connected to a controller to keep the temperature steady; since the location of the tank is a little in the dark, I have a 13w UVB light on a 12h cycle; the temperature shows just about 80 degrees on one side and close to 90 on the other side, however, I once measured directly under the heating elements and it was obviously much warmer there than what it shows on the gauge on the back-wall; humidity was between 50 and 60%, but for the past two weeks I’m trying to keep it above 60%, having it most of the time between 60 and 80%. Also, she seems relatively large for her age (??), being almost 2ft long, so I’m wondering whether the local breeder mixed up some numbers; she easily eats adult mice; I was feeding once a week, but three weeks ago started feeding every 4-5 days; she is eating without any problems… Thanks again!!

How are you regulating your heat mat? UTH is for a hot spot NOT ambient heat.
UVB is not needed don't think its hurting the humidity but a waste of electricity.
Stick on analog gauges are usually junk and I would trash it and replace with digital.
Also TWO CHEs are overkill unless you keep it really cold in this room.

[B-K]

Great drawing! Thanks!
Well, yes, I guess those gauges are not really great; I'll look for something better...
CHE and mat are on a controller with a thermostat, so while two CHE might be too much, thanks to the controller it seems to work relatively well and it gives me peace of mind in case one CHE burns out, as it has already happened right in the beginning. Plus, my BP is regularly moving from the warm to the cold hide and back, so she seems to be fine with the temperatures.

Since someone else suggested that my humidity was still not enough, I am spraying the tank now several times a day and, unless the gauges are COMPLETELY off, I should now be well above 70% most of the time... Any more ideas about shedding and the aggression? My BP still seems stressed and even with all this advice in this forum, I still can't figure it out! Any chance that a hide half-round hollow wood log isn't a comfortable enough hide for her?? It was sold in the pet store as a hide and it seems to be the right size, yet maybe with openings to both side, she doesn't feel protected enough...??

[xtashanx]

I use bark and mountained the bark on the hide to block out all light from the other entrance and back to make sure that once my boy was in it was dark. So maybe try to mound the other entrance leaving only one as BP likes to feel secure and safe and enclosed. I had issues with mine but only because he had mites and I didn't realise as I was told not to handle when he was in blue so took me a while to realise that was the issue. Have to checked her for mites? X

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[Yzmasmom]

Mistake post. Please see following post with Quote.

[Yzmasmom]

[QUOTE]Your humidity in a 40g aint even neer 50%... Especially with all that heat you have going on.
Your snake is telling you the humidity isnt there too.
Find Debs hatchling 101 in the husbandry and follow it down to the letter. Fix all of your husbandry and things will get better.[QUOTE]

My snake is in a 40gal breeder tank with an 80 degree cold side and a 90 degree hot side and her humidity is between 50% and 65%. We use an uth with a thermostat set up as per your drawing, and 2 ambient black light heat lights to boost the heat on the hot and cold side. We've set up a room humidifier next to her tank and keep her room door closed. We use a probe humidity gauge.

Does this mean her tank isn't at the right humidity? We only needed the humidifier once summer ended and the air dried out. In summer it stays humid enough.
Perfect one piece sheds every time.

Just curious...