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Thats the best way to describe it. I picked up my 3 year old corn 5 minutes ago and her skin felt strange. When I looked at her belly I could see it was flaking at the sides (where the big belly scales meet the body scales) and between the big belly scales.
Her set up is exactly the same as it has always been. Cool end with a hide at ~70 F and a warm end under a light at ~95 F (followed values given in Kathy Loves book). She has a bowl of water she can fit into but never actually has. She spends ALL of her time at the cool end except the evening she gets fed.

Would normally have said the flakeyness was coz she's about to shed but she hasn't been in blue so I don't know what it is!

Am I being an overprotective mummy? Please help/advise!

>>Thats the best way to describe it. I picked up my 3 year old corn 5 minutes ago and her skin felt strange. When I looked at her belly I could see it was flaking at the sides (where the big belly scales meet the body scales) and between the big belly scales.>>Her set up is exactly the same as it has always been. Cool end with a hide at ~70 F and a warm end under a light at ~95 F (followed values given in Kathy Loves book). She has a bowl of water she can fit into but never actually has. She spends ALL of her time at the cool end except the evening she gets fed.>>

you read wrong95 F.is way to high. Kathy would never recommended that.shouldn't be any higher then 85drop the temps down.Place a large water bowl in the viv, large enough for the snake to soak in, and cover half the viv top to help raise the humidity.A humid hide would probably be a good idea as well. A container with moist paper towels or damp sphagnum moss to help the snake rehydrate.I would fix the viv with the water bowl, humid hide, lower the temps and before I put the snake back in I would soak it in luke warm water for a little while to help loosen any dead skin.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

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I don't know that happened in my above response.
The preview showed all punctuation and proper ending and beginning of sentences.
Then when I posted, they all ran together.
I hope you can understand my post

How the original post should have read

You read wrong. 95 F. is way too high.
Kathy would never have recommended that.
Shouldn't be any higher then 85, drop the temps down.
Place a large water bowl in the viv, large enough for the snake to soak in, and cover half the viv top to help raise the humidity. A humid hide would probably be a good idea as well. A container with moist paper towels or damp sphagnum moss to help the snake rehydrate. I would fix the viv with the water bowl, humid hide, lower the temps and before I put the snake back in I would soak it in lukewarm water for a little while to help loosen any dead skin.
-----
Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

_____

I'll try the humidity thing but that's definately the temperature given in the book (The Corn Snake Manual, Bill and Kathy Love. Page 20 for anyone who wants to double check).
Would having the light turned off for longer be enough to bring the temperature down?

Is the cool side an ok temp? Since that's where she spends most of her time. I did try raising it a bit but she just moved into the middle of the tan which had become the cooler bit.

>>I'll try the humidity thing but that's definately the temperature given in the book (The Corn Snake Manual, Bill and Kathy Love. Page 20 for anyone who wants to double check).
>>Would having the light turned off for longer be enough to bring the temperature down?
>>
>>Is the cool side an ok temp? Since that's where she spends most of her time. I did try raising it a bit but she just moved into the middle of the tan which had become the cooler bit.

that 95 is for a basking spot only and not for one whole end of the tank.
It even mentions it to be a "too high" temp.
-----
Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

_____

>>>>I'll try the humidity thing but that's definately the temperature given in the book (The Corn Snake Manual, Bill and Kathy Love. Page 20 for anyone who wants to double check).
>>>>Would having the light turned off for longer be enough to bring the temperature down?
>>>>
>>>>Is the cool side an ok temp? Since that's where she spends most of her time. I did try raising it a bit but she just moved into the middle of the tan which had become the cooler bit.
>>
>>
>>
>>that 95 is for a basking spot only and not for one whole end of the tank.
>>It even mentions it to be a "too high" temp.
>>-----
If you are using a 60 or 75 watt bulb try droping down to a 40 watt or even 25 watt bulb.
It will drop the temps and still allow for light to see into the viv.
The cool side is fine.
It is a pretty decent indicator that the warm side may be a little to warm if your snake is spending it's time on the cool side.

I think that if you drop the temp on the warm side and increase the humidity a little the problem should go away.
-----
Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

_____

How big is your tank, and what wattage bulb are you using? If it's a 10 gallon, I wouldn't use anything higher than a 60 watt (reptile) bulb.

dunno bout the size in gallons but its 12x36x18 inches. using a 60watt bulb on for about 10 hours a day.
Going to take her to my local reptile shop tomorrow to get their opinion.
Thanks for any input

You might try a UTH (Under Tank Heater). I don't use one at present, but from what I've heard, it's fairly easy to maintain a specific temperature (using a thermostat) and they use less energy. Some of the others would be able to give you more detailed info on setting up a UTH.

Hope this helps!

As Jimmy(Draybar) mentioned, an above light source being at 95 degrees is giving off VERY dry heat, that is also what I suspect is the problem. And REMEMBER that "luke warm" to you and I is very warm since humans are a temp. of 98.6 degrees!, This means what feels warm to a snake is really much cooler(just over room temp.). You don't want to "shock" it by dowsing it in really warm water all of the sudden.

best regards, ~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

>>As Jimmy(Draybar) mentioned, an above light source being at 95 degrees is giving off VERY dry heat, that is also what I suspect is the problem. And REMEMBER that "luke warm" to you and I is very warm since humans are a temp. of 98.6 degrees!, This means what feels warm to a snake is really much cooler(just over room temp.). You don't want to "shock" it by dowsing it in really warm water all of the sudden.
>>
>>
>> best regards, ~Doug
>>-----

I'm glad you brought that up.
lukewarm to us is 100 or more.
A bit too warm for a corn snake.
Room temp to mid 80's would be more appropriate.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

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