small shed problem.....grrrr!

sunnymarcie

Celestial Spider
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Feb 13, 2003
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Well,
"Lucy" my ball python decided to shed again.
This time part of the skin is stuck on her.
Just about 4 inches, from the back of her head down past
her neck............her eye caps came off, no problem there.
The rest of her body looks good.
Should I soak her in a little warm water to remove the rest
of the shed, or just leave it?
 

minax

Arachnoknight
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Joined
Jul 24, 2002
Messages
266
Hi..........

That is a very common occurence, and that is usually the place that they will retain skin. My blood pythons have this problem as well, I think they are too fat to get the skin off the back!:D But they are also much more sensitive to humidity, than most snakes. Anyway..........sometimes I will take a wet paper towel, or wash cloth, and rub the skin off. It always works for me. But be careful, the snake will not be amused. I have never been bitten doing this........but they will hiss, and put up a fuss, initially. Maybe hold it's neck, while doing this. And when the next shed comes, try a towel, about the length of the snake. Wet it down, and put it over the snake. If you put it in there early enough, it will get all the skin off, easily. The texture of the towel helps as well. And after the shed, keep that fellow dry, as this is their preference. They are very sensitive to prolonged high humidity, making it possible for them to get skin infections, fungal or bacterial. And they can get respiratory infections from prolonged high humidity as well. The reason I mention this is, I see many well meaning keepers, because of shed problems, making their ball pythons humid all the time. But.......they just need high humidity during a shed. All this info. is in the "Ball Python Manual", By Phillippe de Vosjoli.:) Dave and Tracy Barker also contribute.:)
 

sunnymarcie

Celestial Spider
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Thanks for the input.
I was thinking of trying an idea I read......
You take a plastic container that the snake will fit in,
make a hole in it (like a hide)and fill it with moist moss.


Would the snake spend too much time in it because of the humidity? :?
 

atavuss

Arachnoprince
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Aug 16, 2002
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do you have something rough in the enclosure that the BP can rub on to help remove the shed?
Ed
 

sunnymarcie

Celestial Spider
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She has a log hide and a rock.
I think I may have to help this time.
 

minax

Arachnoknight
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Jul 24, 2002
Messages
266
...........

Originally posted by sunnymarcie
Thanks for the input.
I was thinking of trying an idea I read......
You take a plastic container that the snake will fit in,
make a hole in it (like a hide)and fill it with moist moss.


Would the snake spend too much time in it because of the humidity? :?
You are welcome.............I used this technique you are talking of, when I first started with my Blood pythons. The Spagh. moss in a hide box worked very well. I recomended this to a friend who worked in the reptile dep. at the local zoo, as his Blood pythons had a severe shed problem, and it worked well for him too. I quit doing this technique, when my snakes got too big to make it practical to have a hide box big enough to do the job. About them spending too much time in there? Who knows? All you can do is offer another hide, and see if it will go back after the shed.You can always just let the moss dry out, after the shed.
 

Ultimate Instar

Arachnobaron
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Aug 20, 2002
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457
There's another technique you might try. Get a large bowl of warm water, a heating pad or similar mild heat source and a burlap bag. Put the snake in the bag, close it up, and put it partially in the water. Keep the snake warm and leave it for several hours. The idea is to soften the skin and the movement of the snake in the burlap will rub off the unshed skin.

This technique is the only really safe way that I know for removing an unshed eye cap. However, for docile snakes like a boa constrictor, for example, I've actually picked off the skin using a tweezer and even a large needle. It was really odd, the snake somehow realized what I was doing and just stayed still for 20 minutes or more. In the past, I've even picked off eye caps and unshed skin from nostrils. Hmm, I've just admitted to being a snake nose-picker. :)

Karen N.
 

sunnymarcie

Celestial Spider
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"Hmm, I've just admitted to being a snake nose-picker"
Now that's FUNNY! LOL!;P

Thanks, I went with the moss in the box idea.
I think that will do for her, she went right in the box:)
 

Valael

Arachnodemon
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Jul 19, 2002
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I just took a small ice cream bucket, soaked some paper towels and threw my red tail boa in, letting it sit for about 1/2 hour to an hour. The skin came off with no effort.
 

Immortal_sin

Arachnotemptress
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Jul 17, 2002
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my rosy boa shed last time and one of his eye caps never came off. I hated to leave it on, but I didn't want to damage his eye, and since he's a desert species, I couldn't soak him. Anyway, his last shed, it came off just fine and he looks great. What this has to do with your problem, I have no idea, but just wanted to say that everything turned out ok in the end :)
 
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