Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I bought a red tail about 5 months ago. He is approx. 6 1/2 feet long and is very active and docile. However he seems to shed alot. in the five months that i have had him this is his 4th shed. How often do they normaly shed? I had a slightly smaller (5 feet?) red tail female a few years back and she didnt shed as often. i wouldnt ask except i dont usually handle my snakes when they are in shed mode as i was bitten once and dont want to take that chance again. and it seems that i can never hold samson since he is shedding so much

shedding can be a sign of stress or recovering from stress.

you want to take into account things like where you got him, how he was kept there, how he was fed there, and how you're keeping him and feeding him now. he may be recovering from stress at his previous home.

just keep an eye on his setup, make sure everything's optimal, and he should level out.

what is his history & current set up, btw?

bc

I got him at a pet store down the road from me. It's called animal jungle and they had him for 100 bucks. they had him in a smallish tank and had a large stick in there for him. He is currently in a temp home until my brother finishes the one that he is building for him. He's in a 75 gallon tank. we have a heating pad at the far end at the other end is his heat/ basking light and he has a few large log/branches that he gets on. we have a large water container in there for him too. the only thing that we have had a prob with besides the shedding is the substrate. We have tried three different things and he tends to push it all out of the way into a corner. Any idea's on that? Any help would be great. I am typically a spider owner and my husband is the reptile person. However a friend bought this one as a gift for me and i am kind of floundering. My brother is building him a custom tank as i said and any idea's on that would be great too. Best bulbs, how many, heat, and so on. As i said i love to hold him and dont really feel comfortable holding him when he is shed blind as i am preggo with my 4th and dont need a trip to the er. I may be coming across as a dumb newbie- but i would rather do this right and keep him happy and healthy than to have to get rid of him because i didnt know what i was doing.. Thanks.