He's in blue! Anything else I should to to ensure a complete shed?

kiiarah · 11-30-14, 02:17 PM

Shesha has had one shed with me so far, but it didn't go so well (he left about 1/3 of the skin on his tail). I noticed today that his eyes are clouded and skin is very milky looking, so we are definitely on track for another shed very soon. This time I really want to avoid any problems. I have been keeping his eco-earth damp and maintaining humidity around 65-70% average, with 55% being the lowest it drops before I get home from work, and 85% being the highest I have seen it (immediately after misting). I have a heat lamp on the tank to keep ambient temps high enough (I hate having to use this but the UTH wasn't cutting it for ambient temps). He has mostly been under his cool hide so the lamp shouldn't be drying him out. The screen lid is covered about 85% to trap heat and humidity.

I feel like I have a good set up going this time around, better than when he last shed, but I just wanted to post to see if anyone had any suggestions I am not already doing. Is there anything more I can do to help him out? I have read about putting damp moss in the hide with him to keep the humidity in that area high, but I hate to force the damp moss on him if the ambient humidity would be enough. I was also thinking perhaps I could dampen the eco-earth under his hide and then put down a thin layer of aspen over it. I was thinking hopefully this would allow the humidity to increase in the hide while still allowing him the dry layer to rest on. He really really hates coming in contact with damp substrate from what I can tell. Do you think that would work, or would the moss be better somehow? Can I just leave the hide alone entirely if ambient humidity is high enough and what would be the lowest it can go before I would have to worry about stuck shed? Thank you so much you guys, really hoping for a full shed this time.

mrgrimm · 11-30-14, 07:46 PM

Sounds like you got it pretty well covered. I just mist my enclosure a little more when it's nearing shed time to make sure it stays up around 70% pretty constant.

Not sure if it makes any real difference in holding humidity or not, but the bedding I use is a 1"-2" layer of Aspen, then double layered on top of that I put industrial thickness paper towels. Makes for easy spot cleaning, still nice and cushy comfy for the snake, no issues with substrate stuck on food when going down, and seems to hold in a bit of moisture after I mist - but not to the point of wet or mold growing (change the paper towels often). I handle my snake a couple times a week and always inspect for scale rot, etc. and had no issues so far.

Hope the shed goes great for ya!

wrecker45 · 11-30-14, 09:07 PM

You can put a wet paper towel in his hide.

Cmwells90 · 12-01-14, 01:15 PM

If you don't want to mess with the current hide, I always offer a 3rd hide with wet spagnium moss in the hide. If he needs it, he'll hang out in there for a little bit. Gives him the option of finding high humidity if needed.

**Aaron_S** · 12-01-14, 04:33 PM

Options suggested are fine. A lot of people will give a third, humid hide, for their animals to utilize specifically at shedding.

My method is to dump a full water bowl into the substrate then re-fill the bowl. I then clean out the entire tub and change of substrate after the shed. I get perfect sheds on a regular basis this way.

kiiarah · 12-01-14, 05:30 PM

Thanks for the suggestions.

I have been mixing in water to the substrate more since having the initial difficulty after the switch to eco-earth, so that is keeping it above about 55%. Since I want it a bit higher during shed I did go ahead and add a humid hide. He really is reluctant these days to rest anywhere but his cool hide, so I am crossing my fingers that he won't refuse it based on it being new, but I have a feeling if he feels the need he will go to it. I guess now I just have to wait and see how he does. Shedding always makes me nervous because it is such a telling sign of health and husbandry. Part of me is always excited and optimistic, but it just seems like such a stressful time for him. He is growing wonderfully and has a great temperament. Everything with him so far has gone great in fact, so I am sure he will be fine.

**Aaron_S** · 12-01-14, 06:10 PM

Don't worry. He'll be fine as long as there's enough humidity and it sounds like there is.

kiiarah · 12-01-14, 09:52 PM

Awesome, sounds like we are set then. I can't even express how thrilled I will be if he sheds completely this time. I read somewhere that it isn't uncommon for the first shed after arriving at a new home to be difficult. Do you know if that is accurate? I did bump the humidity the first time and it wasn't a bunch of pieces or anything, but he went opaque just about a week after I got him, so he wasn't fully settled in. Could stress possibly help to explain the issues we had the first time?

**Aaron_S** · 12-01-14, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiiarah

Awesome, sounds like we are set then. I can't even express how thrilled I will be if he sheds completely this time. I read somewhere that it isn't uncommon for the first shed after arriving at a new home to be difficult. Do you know if that is accurate? I did bump the humidity the first time and it wasn't a bunch of pieces or anything, but he went opaque just about a week after I got him, so he wasn't fully settled in. Could stress possibly help to explain the issues we had the first time?

Not usually. Snakes are born to shed. I have never really encountered "stress" as a reason for a poor shed.

With that shed, a snake needs a proper environment to shed. If it's being moved from one to the next then it could experience a bad shed but that's from poor husbandry at the new place not set up for a shed.

In your situation if the snake went opaque a week after you got it, it means you had a good 7 - 10 days to get the husbandry correct for a shed. 2 weeks is more than enough time for a snake to settle. However, you're new, the snake wasn't injured or anything and it was just a broken shed so don't sweat it.

For the record, I have purchased snakes and fed them the following day. To me, nothing says "settled" like a snake eating. Again, you're new. Don't think this has to happen for you. I have racks and tubs always set up so my husbandry is really dialed in.

kiiarah · 12-01-14, 11:34 PM

I dream of the day I could have empty racks set up and waiting for an occupant. Maybe eventually it will be a reality. I did actually have his tank set up for a few days before he came home, what I wouldn't have known though would be signs of imminent shed. I can definitely imagine that I didn't make the connection to up the humidity soon enough. I know what to watch for now, and I did up the humidity when I noticed the very pink belly, but possibly not enough and could have been too late. It sure is a learning curve.