Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hey my lil guy just shedded for the second time since i got him about 2.5-3 months ago..i have heard retained skin can be really bad and can cause loss of toes or feet..my lil guy shed everything off execpt on his back 2 feet..it looks like it is connected to 1 or 2 toes and the rest is hanging off on both back feet..is there anything i can do to get it off or should i let him do it himself tomorrow??my cham. is around 4 months old so he still has small lookin feet,which is why i didn't try to peel it off incase some got left on..last time he shed he shed everything in about 2-3 hours.whats the longest it can take to shed??thanks for all the help you all have given so far..
jon

Time to finish shedding varies a lot and can be affected by humidity. The main issue with unshed skin on feet is when bands of old skin constrict toes or the ankle. If your cham doesn't mind you can gently rub the old skin loose while handling him. If he won't allow this you can spray him more, check his cage humidity level (its winter...and heating tends to dry the air out a lot faster), and just watch him. Once the skin is loose it should come off easily. Skin can build up on the soles of his feet, but this tends to happen more with older chams who shed less often.

hey thanks for the reply..i just bought him a humidifier 4 days before he shed..talk about good timing..haha..cage humidity is normally aroun d 50-60 sometimes 70..winter did really effect the humidity alot..it got to as low as 30 before i got the humidifier..i acually did get one of the 2 feet fixed up,but i know he didn't like it..i haven't held him today or yesterday,yesterday would of been real bad,he was soo mad..i think he would let me hold him,but i'm just scarred to hurt him..hopefully he'll take care of the other foot..thanks again
jon

I agree that humidity is key. Also helps to have one or two good rubbing surfaces - rough branches, even bird perches that have a sandpaper-like coating to help with wearing down talons.
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SandraChameleon@gmail.com
BC Canada

Carlton is right on, as always. I would only add that you should only intervene and remove shed as a last resort and only if you're certain the dead skin is ready to come off.
Usually the cham will rub/remove it's shed naturally if humidity levels are properly maintained and the cham has foliage/vines to utilize for dead skin removal. Usually, unshed skin bothers me more than my chams and premature removal could result in abrasions/irritations to the new skin beneath it.
Normally it takes longer for my older chams to complete a shed than my younger ones. I've found that showers help my older chams when that pesky skin round their eyes, casques, feet, spines doesn't always want to cooperate.

I usually use a cotton stick and dip it in some warm water then gently rub at the shedded skin. If the skin doesn't come off with light rubbing then do not rub harder. That can really hurt and cause infections.
If the skin is being stubborn then he'll need a few warm showers a day or soak in a little tub (if he likes that). Mine prefers to hang out in a plant under the shower. Usually that will help the problem!
Good luck.