• Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

  • IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! About the Google Adsense ads being displayed

    =====================
    Posted 08/15/2025
    =====================


    Yeah, I know. They are a pain in the butt. But they pay the bills to keep my server running. Just a fact of life, I am afraid.

    Want to get rid of them? Simple. Just become a Contributor level member or above and they will be gone. -> Please click HERE."

    Is that too much for me to ask of you to keep this site running? Well, sorry about that. I too wish I could get everything for free. But alas.....

    =====================
    Addendum: 01/10/2026
    =====================


    Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....

Trouble Shedding

morbidangel

morbidangel

Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2010
Messages
93
Reaction score
11
Points
8
Location
Candler NC
Hello,

I am writing this article because I am worried about one of my snakes. He was born sept 2010. I have had hime since april, he is a suriname, and on the smaller side. This is the first time he is shedding for me since I have had him and he is having a really hard time. He got his head out but now the skin is like stuck on the rest of his body. I keep him in a rack with all my other little guys who have shed just fine. Is there anything I can do to help him along.

thanks
shannon
 
thanks, i tried all of that last night. its like the skin is just stuck to him like some parts are not ready to come off yet. its so weird. I have never seen anything like it.
 
Hi Shannon
I just went through a problem with a bad shed myself.
I used repti-shed and put him in a sock for a couple hrs after soaking him in pedilyte(spelling)
He is now doing great and has since shed again in whole.
Good luck
 
Hey Rich how are you. Thanks I will give that a shot tonight when I get home. I had him soaking for almost 40 mins yeaterday with luke warm water and it seems like the skin did not soften up at all. I am worried about the little guy. I will give your suggestion a try. thanks
I hope all is well with you.
 
Hi Shannon.
I'm fine,thanks.I hope you doing well.
I was feeling just like you are now.I did alot of reading and was a little worried too.My little guy got his head all wrapped up in the clear packing tape(holding down probes) for over 1 day before i noticed it.I was so pissed.I think the chemicals from the tape dried him up and penetrated his skin.I could see he needed to shed but the soaking wasnt working,then a friend told me to do what i suggested and 2 days later he was getting out of his Shed.What a relief! Hes good now.
Let me know how it turns out.
Rich
 
Snakesitter said:
Sometimes it takes several days of repeated soaking to do the trick. Good luck!
Click to expand...

Especially if there is skin left behind from the last shed. Now it's thicker, and don't soak up as well.

4 months seems like a long time between sheds though for a juvenile. That really stood out to me.

Things I'd look into was it me are, the humidity of the viv, 50-70%, higher if shedding, and if he is indeed consuming water. Use a clear bowl that you can mark. As the chlorine evaporates (if using tap water) you will see a very slight drop from evaporation, but usually a drink is more obvious. They rarely take sips. They get thirsty, they drink, sometimes for minutes at a time.

When the next shed presents itself, you could make a humid hide and swap it out with the current one. Once you get a couple perfect sheds with nothing left behind, the problem will likely be no more.
 
Another trick I use for young snakes (mostly ATBs but should work with BCI) is to take a tub, put a nice thick layer of damp moss and leave the snake in the tub overnight in their enclosure (so they stay in the closed tub but are in their warm cage). I've found short 20-40 min. soaks don't seem to do enough especially if the shed has been stuck for a while. Even if an overnight soaking doesn't get it all off, it will help re-hydrate the snake so next shed they should remove both layers (new shed and old shed).

Good luck
 
That is a very long time for a juvi to go without shedding, as everyone else said soak for several days, I believe the problem is 99% a hydration issue. I'm sure your humidity is good being hes in a rack so it's prob a hydration prob, soaking him will help that as well thru both absorption and he'll prob drink as well.
 
Hey Shannon
What happened,he should have shed by now.The post above is what i thought, thats why i said to use the Pedi-lyte and the shed ease.Pedi-lyte helps hydrate and the shed ease breaks down the skin in a couple days.
Let us all know what happened and how you did it.
Rich
 
If he hasn't shed yet - clean the tub thoroughly, and add a small layer of water (with small snakes, make sure you don't go more than halfway up the body). Let him soak overnight. Usually, morning will find the old skin either floating separately (already off), or easily removed.
 
What works best for us at the animal shelter is to wet a large bath towel with warm water, wring it out, wrap the snake in it and put it back into its habitat near/on the heat end. The warm water will soften the skin and as the snake crawls out of the towel, the skin is caught and the skin comes right off. You can also wrap the snake in it for a few minutes and then with the wet towel, start at the head and carefully allow the snake to crawl through your hands and the skin will roll right off. Good luck. RAREMar
 
Hi. I posted this remedy years ago and everybody laughed. The thing is it works and won't harm the animal. Go to Walgreens or Walmart's pharmacy and buy their generic version of Preparation H (it must be exactly the same ingredients though). I know it sounds crazy, but it will loosen the unshed skin, heal and soothe the area underneath, and the skin will completely shed free within two or three days at most. Just coat the affected area, usually underneath on the ventral scutes, or wherever the skin is problematic. It's safe and will not harm your animal. I've done this numerous times with 100% success. Let us know how it works.:yesnod:
 
Back
Top