Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My little guy has very poor sheds (at least when compared to my corn snake, which has almost complete sheds). I increase the humidity in his home by misting. I also take him out and spray Vita-Spray and warm water on him, then hold him and "pick" off the skin. It doesn't seem to bother him and he allows me to do it - I just want to make sure that I'm not harming or hurting him.

If your snake has started to shed, but has patchy unshed skin remaining, take a plastic animal cage, such as the Kritter Keepers, which are sold by pet stores and animal suppliers, of an appropriate size. Make sure the container is secure! Nothing is worse than finding that your snake has escaped the container. Put about 1/2 to one inch of warm water in the bottom. Then put several paper towels in on top of the water. Put the snake in there. Then put a few dripping wet paper towels on top of the snake. Leave the snake in there for about 30 minutes. Check to see if the snake has completely shed. If not, put the snake back in for another 30 minutes. Repeat as necessary. I have also heard of people using small towels in these containers. The beauty of paper towels is that you can just throw them away instead of having to wash them. You can also take a wet sock, for a small snake; or a wet pillow case, for a larger snake; and put the snake into it, secure the top, and put the whole thing into the snake’s cage overnight.

I might also suggest using a humid hide with him for the next shed.
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phflame
kingsnake.com host

I think this method is safer for the animal too.
This way only skin that is ready to come off, comes off.
Ocular shields can still be problematic.
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Regards, Bill McGighan