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    BPnet Lifer Bogertophis's Avatar
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    Re: Ball python exhibiting very weird behaviour all of a sudden, please help!

    Quote Originally Posted by dr_awesome12312 View Post
    I use Earthmix by Arcadia because it helps keep humidity up quite a bit, there are vents on the back of her viv for cable access and such (fairly small ones, so they don't affect temps, but they make humidity drop quite fast, I use a humidifier with fresh water to keep it at a constant level), and its actually quite good timing because I was going to clean her out tomorrow and swap out the old substrate for new humid substrate. I've been handling her over the last few weeks and shes showed no signs of milky eyes or dull colours, unless its only happened during the last week and I missed it because I haven't seen her as much, but I doubt it unless they can go through the process that fast? last time she took a good 2-3 weeks. Should I boost her humidity up to 70% for now just to be safe?
    You "should" (at least with some experience?) be able to tell if she's in shed by shining a small-beam bright flashlight across her eyes (from the side, in a dark room)- this will help show if they're clear or milky (as with a shed cycle). The other ways I can personally tell (but they're harder to define for you) are the general texture ("feel") of the snake's skin, the way their skin folds (the appearance, especially on their neck), and the fact that sometimes you can also see a "double-edge" on their belly "scutes".

    Can you post some close-up pics of her?

    I'm not actually seeing your snake, but from everything you described, I would bet she is trying to shed. It's on you to verify or know if that's the case. All snake enclosures need some air circulation, but if the vents in your viv allow too much air flow, you can always tape over some of them (only on the OUTside, of course) to help keep in the humidity. If your snake is light color (or albino), it's even harder to see the signs of them being in shed- especially if this is your first snake. Yes, I would boost her humidity now, unless you enjoy snakes going "bump in the night". She sounds like she'd enjoy even a makeshift "humid hide", & if you provide it, I predict that you'll find her in there.

    Incidentally, the reason snakes show fear when in shed is because they're more vulnerable to predators that want THEM for dinner, when they're busy trying to actually shed, or when their vision is impaired. Same goes for while they're eating- which is why they're ambush predators that hunt under cover of darkness.
    Their instincts help keep them safe in the wild.
    Last edited by Bogertophis; 08-14-2021 at 09:35 PM.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

    The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” ~ Gandhi

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    ballpythonluvr (08-15-2021)

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