Not Shedding

CamHanna · 10-08-04, 11:29 PM

I got four baby balls on July 16th '04 and one has yet to shed.

My Housing / Feeding
My temps are 90 on the hot side; the cool side fluctuates with room temperature between about 75 and 82. My humidity is relatively constant at 65% though it may fluctuate as much as 10%. I have a water bowl on the cool side of the rubbermaid. I feed rat pups or adult mice every 3-10 days, it depends on how many my breeders pop out but if they go dry for too long then I buy feed.

Other than not shedding this guy seems completely fine. He's not the best feeder but I don't believe that this is related; he's put on a fair amount of weight regardless. He defecates normally. I've never seen him go blue.

Any ideas what could be wrong? Or is there no cause for concern?

Thank You
Cam

Artemis · 10-09-04, 02:41 PM

What substrate do you use cam? Are you sure they arent actually shedding and its buried somewhere? Not sure what to tell ya beyond that... if they were hatchlings the first shed might take awhile.... but I dunno..

Good Luck-

Artemis

CamHanna · 10-09-04, 04:38 PM

It's an '04. It shed once for the breeder. I have 3 of his siblings that all shed once for the breeder and a couple times for me. I am currently using news paper as substrate but was using moist paper towl until about a month ago. If he had shed I should have found it. I am using under-tank heat.

Thank You for your help.

Cam

VI Reptiles · 10-09-04, 07:58 PM

Maybe a late shedder, not all bps shed all at the same time right?

Jeff_Favelle · 10-09-04, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Maybe a late shedder, not all bps shed all at the same time right?

No, baby Balls shed every 3-5 weeks. Yeah they don't all shed on the exact same day, but to go 3 months with no shed and they are babies? Not good.

Remember, they don't shed if they don't grow. No food = no growth.

CamHanna · 10-09-04, 09:13 PM

He's been slow but he's still grown enough that he should have shed. I gave him a bath yesterday but that didn't help. He ate tonight. The other three babies that I got at the same time are all shedding well.

VI Reptiles · 10-09-04, 09:16 PM

could be something wrong with him, how long did you bath him? If its a retained shed get the humidity to 90%. Thats what I did and he shed nicely though in pieces

Jeff_Favelle · 10-10-04, 02:52 AM

Giving a BP a bath won't make him shed. It'll help with a stuck shed, but it won't start a shedding process, LOL!

VI Reptiles · 10-10-04, 10:33 AM

how you know it isnt a a stuck shed?

Jeff_Favelle · 10-10-04, 01:45 PM

Quote:

how you know it isnt a a stuck shed?

Because I can read and the guy said in his FIRST sentence in his FIRST post that he has a baby Ball Pythons that has yet to shed.

Artemis · 10-11-04, 07:57 PM

Jeff- even if a bath wont start a shed, isnt it true that it can help the shed itself to be better when it occurs, or is that wrong?

Art

Jeff_Favelle · 10-11-04, 08:09 PM

Bathing an animal that doesn't want to be bathed can add stress. And if you're not getting off a stuck shed, what is the purpose of adding stress to a probably already stressed animal?

Just curious.

Artemis · 10-11-04, 08:23 PM

True, I just have always heard it told that soaking a BP right before a shed will help him shed easier, and more likely in one piece. Cant argue with the stress factor, though. My BP hates to be soaked.

Cam- any luck with this BP?