diamond shedding please help!!!!!

[mikep]

my snake has not shed for about 3 months. when i soaked him in the bath i csan see that his old skinj/scales is ready to come off. but it has not im woried about him. could the humitidy levels affect his shedding.also how long should i soak him in water so that he can complete shedding please help

[SlothHead]

Humidity can be an issue. But the shedding rate comes down to feed rate and obviously temperature

Also age of the snake, my big diamond sheds about once in 3 to 4 months so that is also a factor

[nickamon]

Originally Posted by mikep

my snake has not shed for about 3 months. when i soaked him in the bath i csan see that his old skinj/scales is ready to come off. but it has not im woried about him. could the humitidy levels affect his shedding.also how long should i soak him in water so that he can complete shedding please help

Humidity levels definitely affect shedding. It sounds like your humidity levels are too low. Don't panic, it's fixable.

Soak your snake in lukewarm water until the skin softens. Sorry I can't give you an exact soaking time. Supervise your snake and run your fingers along its body from time to time. Once the old skin has softened, it'll just come off when you touch it.

[mrsshep77]

First of all can you tell us the age of the snake and the environment it's being kept in?

[mikep]

he is about 3 and half years he is kept in an out door enlcsure but because it doesnt recive sunlight a uv light is in there cage is roomy with water bowl hide box climbing sticks

[mrsshep77]

Originally Posted by mikep

he is about 3 and half years he is kept in an out door enlcsure but because it doesnt recive sunlight a uv light is in there cage is roomy with water bowl hide box climbing sticks

Ok at 3 and half he should only be shedding a few times a year anyway and it does depend on regularity of feeding and temp/humidity. Where are you located?
Since he's in an outdoor enclosure do you keep a monitor on his temps? Is he feeding regularly?

[mikep]

hot spot is about 29 30 and cool is about 26 25. his scales seem like the have began to shed asthere are a couple of dry spots oh him.i feed him on avergae once a week

[mrsshep77]

Have his eyes gone milky recently? Your temps seem ok and diamonds don't like too humid an enclosure. Does he have access to a large water bowl where he can soak himself? At his age shedding is a natural part of nature and he's not shedding he's not ready to shed and nature will take it's course. It seems your are doing everything you need to be so just don't worry and unless you notice the snake is unwell or seems stressed or isn't eating, then it'll happen when it happens. Our diamond goes off his food when he's going to shed and becomes very lethargic and anit-social.
If soaking isn't working the old skin may not be entirely ready to come off, so don't try peeling it off unnecessarily otherwise from what I've heard you can do damage to the scales.
Good Luck and I hope this helps

[donmega695]

just make sure he can emerce himself fully in the water bowl, then he should do the rest

[-Peter]

If it has a retained shec this may indicate some other underlying health problem. you need to look at all the aspects of its housing and husbandry then maybe adjust them.
easiest way to assist shed is to place a thick layer of Breeders choice in a plastic container. Wet it then place the snake in with the lid on. Keep it at a comfortable temp for about 8 hours. I would probably go for 22 to 24 degrees C.