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full shed too much to ask for?

bakew13

bakew13

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i have a ball python that refuses to give me a good shed. sheds incomplete every time. the problem is NOT temperature or humidity, so please no comments concerning that. i even started giving him baths a few days leading up to the shed. does anyone have any ideas for me?
 
Incomplete sheds almost always has to do with a humidity problem. What exactly is the himidity it is being kept at? Personally I mist my cage when I see the eyes turn cloudy I do it like 2 times daily once in the morning and once at night. This makes humidity higher than normal and will almost always result in a complete shed.

I like to keep the tank around 75% humidity during shed. The baths will definitely help. Not getting a full shed sometimes isn't concern for worry as long as the eye caps and the tail tip are gone.

Tupperware holds humidity much better but you can cover part of a tank top with a bag to keep humidity from lowering. Also are you using a light? Some people who use lights have a problem with humidity because lights suck the himidity right out of the air.

Also make sure you have enough rough surfaces for the snake to rub on during shed.
 
When the eyes go cloudy i start misting as well, usually three times a day. i do use a light its only a 75 W bulb but i do keep a close eye on the humidity level however, i think i need a new humidity gauge in the tank with my problem shedder. right now im using screen lid cages, so it is hard to keep the humidity up but during the shed i partially cover the lid with saran wrap. sometimes the eye caps go, sometimes not but after shed after shed of partial sheds i am a retained eye cap pro. and cage has a hide that is covered in rigid bark, but for no reason occasionally decides the water dish is better suited for rubbing up against. (it's not). Am i missing something here, i feel like im doing a pretty good job. and for once just wants to get a full shed.
 
What kind of bath are your giving him?

I have a good colony of ball ptyhons, and one who has a more difficult time shedding than others. The first thing that i do is make sure that they have a water bowl that is a good size to fully curl up in and almost fill. Most of mine will spend quiet a bit of time in the water bowl prior to a shed.

For the one that has unusual difficulty shedding and tends not to soak herself, I give her a 20 minute soak in kitchen sink in water that is luke warm and ahlf way up her side the day after her eyes turn blue, and it seems to help her tremendously. For some reason she won't soak herself.

Good Luck
 
Are you using a digital or analog hygrometer to measure your humidity. The stick on dials are notorious for being inaccurate.

I'd hazard a guess it's your light that's causing your problems, even a 75 watt can suck the humidity right out of the enclosure.
 
^^
what size tank are you using the 75w bulb in?
also, what temp do you keep the room that this snake is kept in?
 
water dish is large enough for him to soak himself, and i see him do it occasionally. the type of bath used to be just regular warm water from my sink but on this last shed i mixed in some shed ez (didn't seem to help). I am using a cheap humidity gauge that i am almost certain is not reading correctly but between the misting i do, the saran wrap, and the baths i don't see the humidity being too low. it is a 20 gallon tank and it sits at about 82 to 83 with a warmer basking spot. there is also under tank heating that i rarely see used.
 
also forgot to mention i recently got the light and i wasn't getting full sheds before that either. so its a good chance the light isn't the issue.
 
yeah if your humidity gauge is off from it being a lower end one then that is probably your problem. It may be reading higher than normal. Once I had one that when I got her I knew she was gonna have a rough shed. So the bath I gave her was warm water in a tupperware bin with the lid on and holes in the top. She had a great shed after that. I soaked once a day until she shed.

But you are probably right in thinking you need a new humidity gauge. I would personally turn off the light and cover half the screen top with a plastic bag and wait until her next shed to see if that improves anything. Also you could add a bowl of water to the hot side.
 
Briscoe007 said:
What kind of bath are your giving him?

I have a good colony of ball ptyhons, and one who has a more difficult time shedding than others. The first thing that i do is make sure that they have a water bowl that is a good size to fully curl up in and almost fill. Most of mine will spend quiet a bit of time in the water bowl prior to a shed.

For the one that has unusual difficulty shedding and tends not to soak herself, I give her a 20 minute soak in kitchen sink in water that is luke warm and ahlf way up her side the day after her eyes turn blue, and it seems to help her tremendously. For some reason she won't soak herself.

Good Luck
Click to expand...

^^

i've not had a problem yet as long as the water bowl is large enough to completely submerge the snake.
 
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