Posted by:
AbsoluteApril
at Fri Sep 28 17:37:24 2007 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by AbsoluteApril ]
How long have you tried soaking?
Are you sure the boa should have shed already? (did the head part of some of it come off already?)
I've had stubborn shedders, esp one of my Amazon Tree Boas.
I'll set up a holding tub with about an inch of water, put a rock or extra water bowl upside down in there. Add snake and let sit... for anywhere from 30 min to over an hour (using a heating pad if needed under the tub). The rock or water bowl gives them something to hold onto (don't want a drowned boa!) and something to help slough the skin off on. If some of the skin has already come off, after soaking the snake, hold it and let it crawl through your hands or through a damp towel... you can usually hand shed them this way, let the skin come off on it's own, don't pull it... It doesn't always work all the way the first time.
You can also put damp towels on top the cage (if it's a mesh top) or in the cage as you've been doing.
Sometimes, I'll take a tub and set it in the bathroom when I shower, the tubs have air holes in them and I take really hot showers so the room gets very steamy and humid. This sometimes helps with the huge burst of humidity.
I bought a mister (no more ATB shed problems now!) from an online reptile store, I think it was only $15 or $25. Use distilled water and mist the cage, those things work wonders.
I feed f/t, thaw them out in a tub in zip lock bags, sometimes the zip lock has a leak and the rat gets soaked, feed it to the boa and they get some extra hydration going on.
Sometimes if there's a stubborn piece on that just won't come off, it'll come off on the next shed.
I've rambled on enough! Just a lot of ideas.. I hope they help.
Good luck!
-----
'There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."' -Rainshadow
[ Hide Replies ]
|
RE: snake wont shed - AbsoluteApril, Fri Sep 28 17:37:24 2007
