Normal Shed or Stuck Shed?

[cayley]

This is the first day that I've seen a noticeable amount of wrinkling on my snakes belly. The skin is very shiny and hard on his belly with tiny wrinkles, and his eye caps are still bluish. His body itself seems a bit rigid or the skin is just hard. If I try to handle him he seems to be quite in distress. I don't see any shed anywhere in the container so I don't know if I just caught him in the beginning of it or if it's stuck? How long do I wait until I consider it a stuck shed?

I've been misting the tank since I noticed he was going into it, as well as the tank is quite small and I have tinfoil over 1/2 of the vented top. I also put a damp towel over the other half of the vented lid yesterday and have been covering it since. The hygrometer reads at 70+. :/ I haven't PERSONALLY seen him drink EVER so I'm also a bit paranoid that he's dehydrated? He eats well and the photos I've seen online look like him but so do the shedding ones. It's just the tiny shiny wrinkles on his belly and his behaviour that alarm me. I'm staying home today to keep an eye on him. Thanks.

[JodanOrNoDan]

Give him some time. The eyes will clear before he sheds.

[Marzipan]

Also, if your humidity is right you might not see him drink too often since they rehydrate through their skin! (see: awesome, alien-like noodles)

[Slither Seeker]

I've noticed the wrinkly skin changes pre shed. sounds like you have the humidity spot on. it gets tricky some times, they go back to clear right before they actually shed. I think of stuck shed as being when you actually can see some of the skin coming off where they have rubbed unsuccessfully. I wouldn't try to feed or handle much during this phase, they often get defensive and reclusive as it's a vulnerable stage where they can't see very well. so far, it sounds to me like all is well.

[cayley]

@Marzipan: Wow O_O I had no idea of that and I thought that I'd read so much hahaha. Actually reading is what got me paranoid in the first place. I saw another thread of a young and thin snake who had similar belly wrinkles and a strange sort of lower jaw and the snake passed and my only experience with ball pythons has been on these forums... so yeah, thank you to JordanorNoDan for telling me to give him some more time.

[Kaorte]

Just chill Looks like your snake will probably shed in a couple days. They always clear up and look normal right before they shed. If the snake is still blue/cloudy, it is not a stuck shed. Just keep misting and try and leave him be. <3

Also, if your humidity is right you might not see him drink too often since they rehydrate through their skin! (see: awesome, alien-like noodles)

I don't think this is accurate. They get most of their water from prey items. The humidity in the air is mainly for keeping their scales in proper condition, not to keep them hydrated.

[Mexecutioner]

Yeh he seems fine from what you have said aim to keep the humidity to where you have got it during shedding his eyes will clear in next day or 2 then another day or 2 he will shed his skin I haven't had mine right long and he's shed twice with me and both times have been in his hot hide when he goes into shed I put some damp moss under and around the inside of his hide to aid the shed his second shed was last week and his feeding schedule fell when his eyes where blue and he wasn't interested at all not even a flicker of his tongue even when the rat pup was right in front of his face the week after he smashed 2 rat pups one after another as soon as i put them in with tongs, he normally waits a bit but this time as soon as I opened the sliding door his tongue was flickering he went straight into his striking position he moved towards me and as soon as his meal was in striking range he was all over it so it just shows what shedding can do to there apatite

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