Ball Python Shedding Problem

[Queerfish]

I recently received a male ball python that I am guessing is around two years old. I did a ton of research before I got him, and even more since...but now I am running into a problem I don't really know how to fix, and haven't really seen come up.


He entered his shed cycle normally...getting slightly dusty colored and a little pink-bellied, then his eyes turned blue, his skin got visibly tighter, and his eyes cleared.

I've been keeping his tank as humid as possible(I haven't even had him a month and have yet to get a hygrometer...it'll be the next thing I get though, obviously) I've got a large reptile bowl that he can soak in, and I've kept it almost full of water since I first noticed the shedding.

I went to give him his fresh water this morning, and noticed he was moving about next to his nice big rock. I got excited, figuring he was actually starting to shed. I sat down to watch for about half an hour...and...I noticed that he's not really...shedding properly.


I mean, maybe it's properly?

This is the important part, if you don't want to read all of my rambling

What he's doing is rubbing his head against his own coils, his substrate, and the glass of his tank. On accident, a few times, he actually rubbed against the rock and got some skin to peel, but then he goes right back to rubbing against the other things, and those little bits seem to get broken off.



I had to go to work, and when I came home...all he's manager to do is get rid of about half the skin on his head, but nothing else.


I realize this may just be typical ball behavior... they are shy snakes and I guess might feel more comfortable rubbing against themselves...?


Anyway, has anyone had a similar experience, and does anyone have suggestions for managing this? I'm really worried about my little baby, and don't know what I can do to help. I know enough not to ever try and peel it off myself...and I don't have a problem giving him a little bath if people think it would help...I just...don't know what would be the best idea and least stressful for my poor boy.



Some pictures of just him(because I think he's absolutely gorgeous)...I can try and get some detailed pics of what's going on now, if it would help.

This one is the day I got him, before he got all of his nice tank supplies like a real hide box and a real water dish.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Shedding messily is pretty common in ball pythons, especially with the stress of moving into a new place. Mine has just had his second complete shed since I got him over two years ago.

If he doesn't have everything off after a day, get a rubbermaid tub with a good snap-locking lid, and drill some airholes in the sides (I used scissors). Line it with warm wet paper towels, add snake, and put it on your bathroom floor. Run the shower as hot and as hard as it can for as long as the hot water lasts, and keep the door shut. It's the same effect as giving him a bath, but I noticed that my boy tended to not enjoy being bathed for more than a few minutes (he'd duck down under the water and swim around with just his nostrils up, so cute! ). Doing it this way, however, I can give him 45+ minutes of heat and insane humidity.

After that, try stroking him gently with a towel and things should come off more easily. He'll probably start pushing against the towel too, they have an instinct for getting old skin off.

Make especially sure the scales that cover his eyes have come off! If you don't see them on any of the pieces of head skin, and his eyes still look glazed over, you'll need to get a little bit of wet paper towel and VERY GENTLY stroke the eye repeatedly in the same direction. I cannot emphasize enough how gently you need to do this. The snake may push against your hand, but you let HIM be the judge of how hard to do it.

The shower-box method is also incredible for "curing" dehydration, if winters get really dry in your house.

EDIT: Also, can you post about what his cage setup and temps are like? You said he only has one hide box--he should have two, ideally. One on the warmer end and one on the cooler end, so he can feel safe no matter where he goes. And definitely get a good hygrometer, because too MUCH humidity can result in some icky skin infections.

 

[Queerfish]

I've been watching for his eye caps to come off. Last I had checked they hadn't, But I haven't examined the bits of shedding closely yet; I haven't wanted to disturb him at all, especially right now...I don't want to discourage any desire he has to try and shed again. (He's just kindof been laying around recently. Probably tired out from all the wriggling around earlier, I'd imagine)


His has a hide box for both sides, it's just only the one with the under-tank heater is nice...the other is a little white cardboard box. :8o


Heated side is about 9- in days and 80 at night, cool side ten degrees lower, with twelve hour heating lamp cycles. (7am and 7pm, since it works best with my work schedule and is about right with the natural light here anyway)


His water dish is about halfway in the tank, as I was kindof unsure as where that should be. He's also got a little ceramic skull for Halloween decoration that he occasionally hangs out on(or sticks his head in and pokes out the eye socket which I find adorable) and a climbing stick. He's in a twenty gallon long tank for the time being, and he's about two feet long.


-edit-

When I got him, all I got was some newspaper substrate, the snake, and a ten gallon tank. When I got him his wter dish, he promptly went straight over and stuck his entire head in the water as far as he could(it was about two-3 inches of water) and just nosed around. It was so adorable.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

IHeated side is about 9- in days and 80 at night, cool side ten degrees lower, with twelve hour heating lamp cycles

AHA! I think I found a possible reason for the shedding problems, besides the stress of a new environment. Heat lamps are murder on humidity, so he's probably getting fairly dried up during the day. If the undertank heater you have isn't enough to get about 88-90F on the heated end, you should get a stronger one. I think the Exo-Terra, for example, comes in two settings: rainforest and desert, and the desert is a little hotter. I use that one, and it gives me the perfect temperature range, along with my house being set to about 75F.

 

[Queerfish]

I'm not sure what kindof exo-terra one I have, though I'm pretty sure it stays hot enough...I'll definitely leave it a bit higher and take off the heating lamp.

I'm also getting a water bottle and misting device for the next shed cycle...I've only had him about two weeks now, so I am definitely going to be more prepared for the next one. I want to make him as happy and comfy as he can possibly be.

 

[Marc_C]

Shedding problems with balls is usually a humidity problem. Raise the humidity and you're usually good to go.

Here's a tip for bad sheds : Get a pillow case and soak it in warm water. Make sure you can breathe through it when it's wet and then throw the snake in for about 30 mins. The shed usually comes off with that, no problems at all

Good luck,
Marc