Incoming 1st Shed...

[KathandStu]

My Carpet x Diamond, Zar has got all the symptoms of a python about to shed (for the first time since we got him!). He has the slightly cloudy/milky eyes & his pattern is somehow duller (as if you were looking through slightly frosted glass). I'm very excited & hope all goes well.

I thought he might be going to shed when, a few days ago he started getting unusually jumpy when being handled...sort of skittish which is very different from his usual placid behaviour. Yay me with the prediction!

I am misting him (with warm water) twice a day (instead of just once) & have got him a water-bowl he can soak in if he likes. Should I do anything else to help him? I wasn't planning on handling him until after is shed is finished (unless he is having difficulties), is that the best course of action? Also he is due for a feed on Monday night (has milky eyes & dull scales today - Sunday) should I wait until he has finished shedding to feed him?

Any advice would be appreciated. I'm not concerned about it or anything but as it's our first time witnessing a shed I just want to make sure I am doing everything right.

Regards,

Kath

 

[TrueBlue]

Best to just leave him be, its a very stressful time for a snake when on shed. As long as you have an a large enough water bowl you shouldnt need to mist him at all. Wait till he drops his skin before you feed him althuogh some snakes occasionally eat when on shed it is not the norm and best to wait till after.

 

[Slateman]

Looks like your pet have first class treatment.
No need to feed him til about 3 days after shed. Shed should happen in about 6 days from now.

 

[junglemad]

relax Kath...most snakes shed with no problem at all.Make sure you have a big water bowl he can soak in totally if he likes and branches or rocks he can rub on to get it started. It will be fun watching it, especially the start. The first time i saw a snake shed it was snorting VERY hard like a bush hankie. It was expelling the skin from its nostrils.

the snake in the first pic was underwater when i was getting ready for work. I thought it was a suicide bid. The second pic is of a jungle rubbing to get the skin on her bottom jaw started.

 

[Surfcop24]

Yeah...I am just agreeing with everyone else....
... Dont feed till after he/she has shed....
.... Is the water bowl under the heat..... It just helps lift the humidity a lil... I found out it helps out a bit....
... If by chance you do have a look at him/her and the eyes are clear.... Dont make the mistake of thinking that he/she has changed their mind about shedding...it will happen in the next couple of days if that happens.... I did think that, so I fed them....Poor bugger shed the following day with a large lump in the belly... Could have had trouble shedding but luckily didnt.

Have fun...enjoy...Hope you get to see it..... I have missed most of mine as it happens overnight....

 

[serpenttongue]

Kath, stop misting him. Too much humidity during the opaque stage of shedding has been known to cause scale rot/blister disease. If you're concerned that his skin may dry out then turn the heating down. The majority of snakes prefer to be cool but dry when they're getting ready to shed. You should still keep a water bowl available, but i doubt he'll use it.

Wait until he's shed before feeding. A large meal can cause the skin to split prematurely which could lead to damaged scales.

Most snakes shed at night or within an hour after the lights go out. Are you willing to fore-go a nights sleep?

Also, when the eyes clear dont think she's ready, it could be a few mores yet.

 

[KathandStu]

Thanks everyone. All your advice has been taken on board. I have stopped misting him (as suggested by Serpenttongue) & have made sure the water is there if he wants it. His eyes have cleared up now (but his scales still look dull). Basically we are leaving him completely alone. He is spending all his time curled up very tight in his hide (we can still see him without moving it though). Thanks again.

Kath

 

[Mangles]

My two coastals that are about 10 months old have shed perfectly in one peice every time without any misting or doing anyting different at all. Just make sure thay have their water bowl and something rough (rock or piece of wood) that they can start the shed on.

After their eyes go cloudy they seem to just stay in the one spot for days until after they have shed. I have fed them before during this time with no adverse affects, but now I just wait the extra few days until they have finished just in case.

I have never actually seen mine shed as they do it when all the lights are out. My Stimsoni recently shed and it was probably in the space of an hour from when I last checked him to when I went back and it was all over.

 

[reptililian]

How exciting for you guys! Perhaps it's because I'm nocturnal, but I've been lucky enough to see my crew shed heaps of times. It never stops being a miracle! I love the change of colour and texture to their skin. And they cheer up afterwards too (or is it just my snakes who get the blues and hide away for a week before they shed because "I look so ugly and dull in this old suit"???)

Hope you get to see it Let us know

 

[OuZo]

Hey Kath,

How exciting hey . I personally never mist my snakes, even during shedding. I make sure they have a big full water bowl that they can fit in if they want to soak so I leave it up to them. At least then they make the decision lol. With feeding, I usually wait til after they've shed before I try them, even that night if you want to...they're usually pretty hungry. If I haven't noticed the cloudy eye phase and fed them anyway they've usually been fine...once I did have a Childreni's skin all bunch up infront of the food lump though...I panicked a bit but she ended up taking it off herself anyway thank god lol.

I'm with you Lil, I've been lucky enough to see my snakes shed heaps of times now! I still love watching it though . Kinda gross when you catch it fresh and it's still wet though lol. Our Diamond, Jules has a strange attitude when it comes to shedding...if you wake him up and it's roughly the right time he'll go for it :lol:. I had to get him out to clean his cage on the weekend and while out he started rubbing his shnoz on his own body...we put him away and he started shedding straight away lol. I've had him do it while still half in my hands once when I put him away when he was a little tacker .

Oh and don't panic if it's a while after the cloudy eyes go away until he sheds....I've had them go at least a week

Put piccies up when he's done!

 

[staffsrule]

Hope you do get to see it. I watched Luke shed last night, it realy is amazing. This is the second time I have seen him do it now, and cant imagine ever getting sick of seeing it.

 

[KathandStu]

Update: Zar is still just hanging out in the same place all day everyday. No more cloudy eyes & still with the dull suit on! It's been 4 days since we noticed the milky eyes but I guess he will get around to shedding when he is ready. He just gets left alone right now (I only open the enclosure to top-up or change his water). I just can't wait for him to shed & get back to being lively. He is pretty boring all curled up in his hide not doing anything at all.

Kath

 

[Russ]

Hi Kath, Thanks for getting back to me on my thread re "Newbie" . I know where you are coming from. Spite was cloudy in the eyes four days ago. then clear. Just got home and I have missed it. Skin off all seems ok. He is now just curled up and I dont know whether to disturb him or not. I want to hold him to see his new lustre. (also to get him used to me as he still bites) Do you know how long you have to wait to handel him.??
Rgds Russ

 

[Mangles]

I have never had any trouble handling my snakes the day after they have shed. They certainly look and feel a lot different.

 

[Jason]

great looking little fella, its great watching them shed, iv seen it several times and i never get tired of it. as others have said that the dont mist their snakes, im the same iv never worried about it. i do how ever place a second water bowl under the heat source when they start going opaque which brings the humidiyt up about 20%, iv never had a bad shed, all my snakes have a full and healthy shed.

 

[KathandStu]

It happenned last night

here is her old skin, I will post picks of Zar later

 

[chameleon]

i dont do anything.
having waterpythons, all enclosures have large drinking bowls and a few rocks and branches..
they just do their thing..
they become very savage though.

 

[KathandStu]

As Stu just posted Zar shed last night. At about 1am I heard somethnig & woke up thinking it might be my son waking up (darn mother-instict ). I checked out Zar's enclosure & there he/she (we don't know the sex) was with the shed about 1/3rd of the way through. I went back to sleep (being to tired to contemplate staying up to watch it) & in the morning there was a pretty skin & a prettier snake just hanging around looking at me. Zar is much happier & prettier now. As Stu said we will post photos when we get the film developed.

Thanks for all the advice & help.

Kath