more poor shed questions

[tflndav]

I adopted a 4ft., ball python a few weeks ago. She was in need of better care and I offered because a like snakes and have a couple already.

I have balanced the heat and humidity, provided nightly baths, but I am still unable to get her eye lenses removed. She just went through another shed, which I was told she does constantly. She is not shedding completely, I watchd her shed off the nose and across one eye and retrieved the part of shed so that I could view the lens cap closely. However, even though she shed off one of the eye lens caps, her eye still looks like she has old lens attached, it is not smooth, glossing and clear. Could this be scarring form not losing lens caps in the past?

[Aaron_S]

It would be beneficial to see pics of her eye if possible.

Secondly, if she's going through a shed cycle constantly then there's something not right about her. I would be careful to put her next to any of your other snakes. I suggest you check for mites. Best bet, is to place her only on paper towel right now and take out any cage decorations. If you see little black dots the size of the period at the end of this sentence you have mites. Which can spread to your collection. They will easily come off into your hand as well when you handle her. Lastly, does she have any injuries along her body? That would put her through more rapid shed cycles as well.

[tflndav]

It would be beneficial to see pics of her eye if possible.

Secondly, if she's going through a shed cycle constantly then there's something not right about her. I would be careful to put her next to any of your other snakes. I suggest you check for mites. Best bet, is to place her only on paper towel right now and take out any cage decorations. If you see little black dots the size of the period at the end of this sentence you have mites. Which can spread to your collection. They will easily come off into your hand as well when you handle her. Lastly, does she have any injuries along her body? That would put her through more rapid shed cycles as well.


I'll work on photos, that is a good suggestion. Thanks for your input reagrding mites. Unfortunetly, I am very experienced with dealing with mites, and I'm proud to say that all my snakes are mite free. Also, no, she has no visable injuries. She is actually a beautiful, female specimen, approx. 3 years old.

I agree that something is not right with her. However, it doesn't appear to be related to heat, humidity, mites or physical injury. I suspect that it is her body reacting to the fact that she may have impaired vision, due to old old shed or what I am hoping is not the case, that she may have permanent damage to her eyes. Lastly, I need to add that she is in no way under weight. I assumed her in what I believe a somewhat over weight condition.

When I took her over I had to put her into a larger aquirium, as she was being kept in a 20 gal.so, I did not want to try and feed her until she had an opportunity to acclamate to her new surroundings. Before I could feed her for the fisrt time, she began to go into shed. I tried to feed her a rat yesterday, but she was not interested. She does seem a bit more active today and I have applied some mineral oil to her eyes. Later this evening, I am going to attempt removal again.