Reptile & Amphibian Forums

K, I've had my ball for about 4 months, and she's shed twice, and they were both really dry. I think the humidity in the tank may have been too dry (it would get down to 40 and sometimes a bit lower) but since the last dry shed I spent a good deal of time making sure the humidity is higher, I put plastic over the screen top and mist it a couple times a day to keep the humidity up. Also, I notice she NEVER goes in her water dish, and I thought that odd because I thought they loved to soak. I also added a humidity box with damp spaghnum moss, and shes been hanging out in there a lot. Why doesn't she go in her water dish? She also still has some dry skin on her, I was wondering how best I could get that off? Its a pain in the ass with a damp washcloth, is there an easier way?

Otherwise, she seems like a healthy snake, after 2 months of not eating I discovered she likes live mice, so now shes a total glutton.

Give her a warm soaking in a tub or sink. Do you have her in a tank? If you have a screened lid you need to cover the top up, I used a bottom of a dresser drawer, I left a 4 inch hole and my humidty is perfect. Do you use a light? Might want to switch to a under tank heater, Also a thick peice of card board works well. As long she isnt like my one female kept going between the carboard and the lid, i switched hers to the wood.Warm bath will help all that come off thou.

She sorta freaked out the last time I tried to soak her. My house is drafty, which is why I use a light in addition to the tank heater, because it keeps my temps perfect. I just don't want to keep misting so much and have her get an infection or something. Her eyes just went cloudy today, so maybe I'll give her a soak- try anyway. Since shes going into shed, is it too late to get the dry skin off from last time? Will it just come off with this shed?

Wait to soak her. When she goes clear again. Then soak her everyday till she sheds should only be a day or two. Do you have moss? Put that in her hide and that will really help. Undermats are great even if drafty. Even with the light you should try to close off the top not to close to light of course.. Let me know how her next shed goes..

I work at a garden store so after her last bad shed I got a couple plastic saucers and some moss and made a hide, she seems to like it a lot and has been hanging out in there a lot lately. Hopefully that's helped if the humidity in the rest of the tanks been low. I guess I'll find out in a few days.