Please help calm my nerves about my boy's wrinkles...

[kanarybird]

Well, first of all, this forum seems very helpful and I am hoping it will be for me. I just got Wolfgang one month ago. He was happy and healthy and eating great until just last week when his skin started to appear wrinkly behind his head and a bit on the body.

Is it true that dehydration is exclusively displayed by wrinkles running the length of the snake? I've bumped up the humidity with some plexi-glass and light misting...just in case he's shedding. I also introduced a humid hide. I would post some pictures but my camera is being repaired....

Anyone's help would be much appreciated.

RK

[starmom]

If he's young and hasn't shed yet, and you've had him for a month, I'd guess that he's going to shed.
However, when you change his water, do you notice that some is gone? How 'bout after he eats? Mine usually drink a lot (a very noticeable amount) after they eat.

[kanarybird]

Well, I've given him a couple of warm baths and it seemed to help a little.

Here's the lowdown...

He's about 4 months old

eats very well

I recently got irritated about the temps dropping in his tank when I turned on the AC so I tried a UTH to keep ambient temperatures, but scrapped it because someone suggested that it was too hot WITH a lamp. I decided on an infrared lamp with a rheostat so I could better monitor and control the temps.

He's still wrinkly though. I put a plexi-glass sheet over half the tank and the humidity is at 55-60...

I'm worried, but maybe for no good reason. My corn snakes weren't this worrisome...lol

[starmom]

Hmmm, what are the temps in the tank? You need to create a temperature gradient going from about 92 down to about 82 with ambient temps being about 80. Usually people use UTH's in tanks and monitor the heat with a thermostat. Lamps tend to zap humidity!
Have you read this care sheet: http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...d.php?t=56846? It has all of the information you need to successfully keep snakes in glass tanks
Also, a picture of the set-up is always helpful. Is that your wee one in your avatar?! Cute!!

[kanarybird]

That's him...

I have the temps right (I'm obsessively monitoring them). Thing is that I introduced a UTH last week about 3 days before this started happening...which is why I switched to an infrared lamp (under the advice of a trusted reptile shop owner).

I have 80-90 cool to basking and about 85 ambient temperature...

I'm just hoping it isn't dehydration (cause I've heard that's really bad for young snakes)...but lots of people are saying that a young snake sheds every 3-4 weeks so it sounds like that might be the case. He's rubbing his nose a lot (and now that I look at his tank, he's out and about and the wrinkles are over his whole body) but his eyes haven't clouded. I know I'm obsessive, but I love him and want him to be healthy.

[kanarybird]

Oh...and about the setup...I can't take photos cause my camera is being repaired...but I have a 20L tank with bark mulch substrate...three hides (one hot & humid(sphagnum) one cold and one in the middle cause he likes it...water dish and climbing branches. I have a 75W infrared lamp and digital meters...

[starmom]

You could have missed the cloudy eyes???
Also, beware reptile shop owners who give advice.
I would use the lamp only to raise the ambient temps and go with the UTH hooked into a thermostat for the belly heat.
But really, a picture of the tank is always helpful!!

EDIT> Woops!~ we cross posted!! Yeah, sounds like it's all good except for some belly heat maybe....

[kanarybird]

Hmmm...I may have missed the cloudy eyes, but I stare at him so often that I doubt it...

As for the UTH...you think that they are a better idea than lamps...which would you recommend under the circumstances? I had purchased an Exo-Terra Desert Medium but maybe it's my rheostat that sucks...Zoo-med...?

[kanarybird]

Here's some pictures from my webcam...not very clear....

[kanarybird]

Anyways...still need some input about the wrinkles from anyone reading this thread...