Shedding issue

[Blam18]

Okay, went and bought cypress mulch.

I'm confused when you say you put branches and bark in the water bowl... so how does the snake soak in it if the bowl full of stuff?

We soaked him about 10-15 minutes in lukewarm water and kept the heat lamp over him, but I didn't want the water to get too cold. It was just deep enough to cover 1/2 his body. He did dunk his head in the water several times....does that mean hes's dehydrated or sick?

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[Zincubus]

Okay, went and bought cypress mulch.

I'm confused when you say you put branches and bark in the water bowl... so how does the snake soak in it if the bowl full of stuff?

We soaked him about 10-15 minutes in lukewarm water and kept the heat lamp over him, but I didn't want the water to get too cold. It was just deep enough to cover 1/2 his body. He did dunk his head in the water several times....does that mean hes's dehydrated or sick?

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Sorry ... No idea what you mean about putting branches / bark in the water bowl ?? I meant I don't put in huge water dishes as Royals hardly choose to lie in them - in my experience .

They just go all over the Viv to fill in all the spaces / voids .. Royals dislike open spaces ..

When I soak ( only very occasionally if they look a little dehydrated or if I get one with a bit of old skin still on it ) anyways I put it in a sealed container with air holes and fill it up so it's above the body and head . That way they can easily keep their head above the water but tend to spend some time under water , sometimes for quite a while when they settle down after a minute or so . I put a towel over to darken it a little .

Anyways after 25 to 30 minutes they always look much plumper and healthier , even better colour . I had one that hadn't been feeding and it ate the very next day .


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[Blam18]

Sorry ... No idea what you mean about putting branches / bark in the water bowl ?? I meant I don't put in huge water dishes as Royals hardly choose to lie in them - in my experience .

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Oh, okay. I re-read your post, I just misunderstood. The reason I have such a large water dish in there now was to try and help the humidity.

I re-soaked him again today. Well, a little anyway. I put him in a sealed Tupperware container with holes in the lid. The water's deep enough to cover half to 3/4 of his body. I used water that's just warm to the touch and then I set the Tupperware container into his tank under the heat lamp. I watched him for about 15 minutes and then I left the room. I came back another 15 minutes later and the little twerp had escaped the sealed lid. He does not seem to like it. He still looks the same. We were able to get a couple more bits of skin off, but not much.

From a couple of your guys' comments, is his skinniness more due to dehydration than diet (assuming no parasites)? Are there better ways to make sure he's staying hydrated?

He does not seem to be a fan of the cypress mulch. He's slithering around on his branch and water dish and trying to stay off of it. Must be strange switching from smooth soft paper towels to a jagged, rough, splintery substrate. Seems rough for their bodies, but everyone recommends it so I'm sure he'll get used to it! Just like nature, right?