Aussie Pythons and Snakes

Turpsss · #1 20-Aug-06, 06:17 AM

Morning all.I fed my adult bredli two weeks ago one large frozen rat.Once he ate it he went straight into his warm hid to digest(as per usual).After about 5 days i checked his condition.He was dull in colour and had milky eyes. So i thought " beauty his going to shed".About another 4 days checked again.Color not dull anymore ,clear eyes.So i thought not long now,ill just ad extra water bowl next to his hide to get humidity up.Checked again yesterday ,skin had gone dull again! and still no shedding.I was just wondering if the temperatures will affect this process ,the mornings have been a bit cold,he has a radient heat source from underneath and this sits on a constant 28-32 c.He has never had any problems before.Am i just impatient? When should i look at maybe soaking him?any comments appreciated

Rennie · #2 20-Aug-06, 07:30 AM

Temps should be fine, the extra humidity will help it, he should shed in the next few days don't worry.

alumba · #3 20-Aug-06, 08:45 AM

yeh mate I had that problem just last week at home and at work and so did a college of mine what I did I sprayed the walls of my enclosure every morning to get the humidity right up there and fare enough 1 shed good but it had lost some black pigment over his body which is coming back now but my other 1 I had to assist.
The shed was coming out fine in till I got to the mid section and then I had to maneuver the scales out from her belie, the back came of fine just the mid belie section I had trouble with. I put her down to being to fat

I would boost the humidity even more for the next couple of days by spraying the cage with water and if hadn’t shed by then just check him over coz you may have to assist him in a shed

Turpsss · #4 23-Aug-06, 09:31 PM

Hi all ,I posted a entry on sunday about my bredli not shedding,ive been spraying his enclosure in the mornings to raise the humidity,his eyes were milky again on monday,still no luck ,he just keeps moving from warm to cool spots in his hid,its been two weeks since i first noticed his milky eyes and are starting to get concerned, any thoughts :roll:

Pythoninfinite · #5 23-Aug-06, 09:59 PM

Wouldn't worry Turpsss - shedding can take anything from 5-6 days to more than 2 weeks, sometimes they shed the day after they clear up, other times they can leave it for a few days. Just make sure the snake has plenty of fresh water, and maybe mist the enclosure a couple of times a day - enough to leave a bit of condensation on the glass for a few hours. Let us know when it happens!

Jamie.

Turpsss · #6 23-Aug-06, 10:07 PM

thanks jamie ,i just pm you,i think im paraniod

popeye · #7 23-Aug-06, 10:30 PM

HAD SOME PROB WITH MY BRED,MORE THEN THREE WEEKS, SOAKED HER FOR 20 MINS AND SHE SHED NEXT MORNING.

Pythoninfinite · #8 23-Aug-06, 10:38 PM

PM'd you back Daniel - paranoia is part of reptile keeping!!!

I think that sometimes they just can't be bothered with the effort of shedding until it suits them, as I said sometimes they shed within a day or two of clearing up, other times they can wait a week or more after clearing up. As long as humidity is OK (not soaking wet though) the snake will do it when it's ready. I've also noticed that sometimes the shed skin seems thicker than other times, and when it seem thicker it takes a longer time to complete the process.

Jamie.

Mayo · #9 23-Aug-06, 10:47 PM

Hey id go with soaking your python, it seems to work for us. slightly warmer than room temp water and our pythons seem to enjoy it, our BHP never wants to come out.

slim6y · #10 23-Aug-06, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mayo

Hey id go with soaking your python, it seems to work for us. slightly warmer than room temp water and our pythons seem to enjoy it, our BHP never wants to come out.

Maybe a silly question.... But do you soak your BHP in a bucket? bath tub? sink? And do you only do it around shed time? Do you think it's suitable for all pythons? Sorry about change of thread conversation (sort of on topic). I sort of talked about allowing your python to 'swim' today to a breeder, they didn't really recommend it, but what do you think?

Pythoninfinite · #11 23-Aug-06, 11:08 PM

Soaking is only necessary if there is a problem with the shed. If you do it routinely when YOU think the snake should do it, you risk tearing the old skin away from the developing skin beneath if it's not ready to go, and causing permanent damage to the new skin, or worse, an infection. At other times soaking is fine, and some snakes do enjoy it.

Jamie.