Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a little male Brazilian Rainbow Boa. He eats great, sheds greats, and is generally amazing. about 3 weeks ago he started a shed cycle. About a week and a half later he cleared up and I expected him to shed. He did not shed. Today he is opaque and looks deep in shed, and it looks like the shed is extra thick.
Has anyone ever experienced anything like this? I have seen something similar in a Columbian Red-Tail, but not exactly the same, she would shed one and a half times every time she shed.

Here are the specs of his environment, so we have no questions about that.
He is kept on cypress mulch, which is always damp. His humidity is constantly between 70-90%. The ambient temp is around 77 with a basking spot of around 82-84 degrees. I have kept BRBs in these conditions for years, and have never had any problem with it at all.

Any input would be great.
-----
Ball Pythons:
1.2 Normal
1.2 Pastel
0.1 Black Pastel
2.0 Het Orange Ghost
0.1 Orange Ghost
1.1 Mojave
1.2 Spider
1.1 Albino
0.1 Het Albino
1.0 Piebald
0.1 Double het, Albino Pied
Other:
0.1 Irian Jaya x Jungle Carpet python
1.0 Jungle Carpet Python
1.0 Tiger Retic
1.1 Burmese Pythons
1.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boas
3.3 Corn Snakes
0.0.1 American Alligator
1.0 Savannah Monitor
0.0.1 Argus Monitor
1.0 Chinese Water Dragon
0.1 Brown Basilisk
1.2 Crested Gecko
0.1 Sulcata Tortoise
1.1 Sugar Gliders
1.1 Puppies

Hmmmm, does sound odd, will be interesting to see how the shed comes out. Not something I've noticed before.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

I am curious also. I stuck him in soak rack for a day or two. Perhaps that will clear things up.

I will let you know what becomes of it.
-----
Ball Pythons:
1.2 Normal
1.2 Pastel
0.1 Black Pastel
2.0 Het Orange Ghost
0.1 Orange Ghost
1.1 Mojave
1.2 Spider
1.1 Albino
0.1 Het Albino
1.0 Piebald
0.1 Double het, Albino Pied
Other:
0.1 Irian Jaya x Jungle Carpet python
1.0 Jungle Carpet Python
1.0 Tiger Retic
1.1 Burmese Pythons
1.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boas
3.3 Corn Snakes
0.0.1 American Alligator
1.0 Savannah Monitor
0.0.1 Argus Monitor
1.0 Chinese Water Dragon
0.1 Brown Basilisk
1.2 Crested Gecko
0.1 Sulcata Tortoise
1.1 Sugar Gliders
1.1 Puppies

Are you sure it's not just the same shed cycle? My BRB's will semi regularly have a single shed cycle last 2 to 3 weeks. Possibly even a little longer but I'm not sure. Either way as my BRB's reached adult hood there shed cycles seemed to generally get exponentially longer. Ocasionally I will get a 1 week shed cycle but normally it is 2 weeks plus. Only reason I am sure on that part is that it interferes with their feeding schedule which is every other week.

If it is in fact 2 sheds I would definitely try to figure out what is causing it as you don't want ongoing health issues.

Sean.
-----
1.1 BRB
0.1 Pacific Gophersnake(unproven Hypo)
1.0 Amel Pacific Gophersnake
0.1 Striped Anery Pacific Gophersnake
1.1 Triple Het TPRS's
0.1 Silver TPRS
1.1 Amel Bloodred Corns
0.1 Abbott Okeetee Corn
0.1 Blizzard Bloodred Corn
1.1 Thayeri Kingsnakes
0.1 Reeve's Turtle
0.2 Amstaff's
1.0 Pudytat

He does periodically take up to 2 weeks to shed, but I have never seen a shed cycle go opaque to clear, then back to opaque.
Whatever it is, I certainly hope it does not continue.
-----
Ball Pythons:
1.2 Normal
1.2 Pastel
0.1 Black Pastel
2.0 Het Orange Ghost
0.1 Orange Ghost
1.1 Mojave
1.2 Spider
1.1 Albino
0.1 Het Albino
1.0 Piebald
0.1 Double het, Albino Pied
Other:
0.1 Irian Jaya x Jungle Carpet python
1.0 Jungle Carpet Python
1.0 Tiger Retic
1.1 Burmese Pythons
1.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boas
3.3 Corn Snakes
0.0.1 American Alligator
1.0 Savannah Monitor
0.0.1 Argus Monitor
1.0 Chinese Water Dragon
0.1 Brown Basilisk
1.2 Crested Gecko
0.1 Sulcata Tortoise
1.1 Sugar Gliders
1.1 Puppies

Not that this is whats going on but mine normally go opaque, clear, then just before shedding they go opaque again. It only became really noticeable once the shed cycles were over a week long. If it does not shed in the next couple of days I'd be surprised.

Sean.
-----
1.1 BRB
0.1 Pacific Gophersnake(unproven Hypo)
1.0 Amel Pacific Gophersnake
0.1 Striped Anery Pacific Gophersnake
1.1 Triple Het TPRS's
0.1 Silver TPRS
1.1 Amel Bloodred Corns
0.1 Abbott Okeetee Corn
0.1 Blizzard Bloodred Corn
1.1 Thayeri Kingsnakes
0.1 Reeve's Turtle
0.2 Amstaff's
1.0 Pudytat

Interesting. He just recently stopped spending all his time burrowed underground, so it would make sense if that is the case that I have never noticed it before.
-----
Ball Pythons:
1.2 Normal
1.2 Pastel
0.1 Black Pastel
2.0 Het Orange Ghost
0.1 Orange Ghost
1.1 Mojave
1.2 Spider
1.1 Albino
0.1 Het Albino
1.0 Piebald
0.1 Double het, Albino Pied
Other:
0.1 Irian Jaya x Jungle Carpet python
1.0 Jungle Carpet Python
1.0 Tiger Retic
1.1 Burmese Pythons
1.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boas
3.3 Corn Snakes
0.0.1 American Alligator
1.0 Savannah Monitor
0.0.1 Argus Monitor
1.0 Chinese Water Dragon
0.1 Brown Basilisk
1.2 Crested Gecko
0.1 Sulcata Tortoise
1.1 Sugar Gliders
1.1 Puppies

Rainbow Boas seem to not always shed in predictable cycles. They do often look ready to shed and then not shed until some time later. I think it has a lot to do with whether they actually make the effort to start the skin peeling off. They do very rarely go through a complete shed cycle except for actually shedding and then keep the skin till the next shed cycle which always comes within just a couple weeks. When they do finally shed there are two layers of skin and the shed will be messy unless they soak for awhile. It seems that a stuck shed triggers an early next shed just like skin injuries do.

>>Interesting. He just recently stopped spending all his time burrowed underground, so it would make sense if that is the case that I have never noticed it before.
>>-----
>>Ball Pythons:
>>1.2 Normal
>>1.2 Pastel
>>0.1 Black Pastel
>>2.0 Het Orange Ghost
>>0.1 Orange Ghost
>>1.1 Mojave
>>1.2 Spider
>>1.1 Albino
>>0.1 Het Albino
>>1.0 Piebald
>>0.1 Double het, Albino Pied
>>Other:
>>0.1 Irian Jaya x Jungle Carpet python
>>1.0 Jungle Carpet Python
>>1.0 Tiger Retic
>>1.1 Burmese Pythons
>>1.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boas
>>3.3 Corn Snakes
>>0.0.1 American Alligator
>>1.0 Savannah Monitor
>>0.0.1 Argus Monitor
>>1.0 Chinese Water Dragon
>>0.1 Brown Basilisk
>>1.2 Crested Gecko
>>0.1 Sulcata Tortoise
>>1.1 Sugar Gliders
>>1.1 Puppies

Interesting Jeff,
I've never noticed a second layer to the shed but then again I was not looking for one lol. I'll have to keep an eye out on that next time they shed just to see if I can find a second layer. I've only had one or two sheds that were not whole sheds from my BRB's that I can remeber so I'm guessing they soaked without me seeing or the humidity in the hide is plenty high.

You don't by any chance have any pics of a shed with two layers do you Jeff?

Sean.
-----
1.1 BRB
0.1 Pacific Gophersnake(unproven Hypo)
1.0 Amel Pacific Gophersnake
0.1 Striped Anery Pacific Gophersnake
1.1 Triple Het TPRS's
0.1 Silver TPRS
1.1 Amel Bloodred Corns
0.1 Abbott Okeetee Corn
0.1 Blizzard Bloodred Corn
1.1 Thayeri Kingsnakes
0.1 Reeve's Turtle
0.2 Amstaff's
1.0 Pudytat

Sean,
...I have not seen one in quite some time. The two skins come apart in tattered pieces. If you did not look closely it would seem to be just a dry poor shed.
Jeff

>>Interesting Jeff,
>>I've never noticed a second layer to the shed but then again I was not looking for one lol. I'll have to keep an eye out on that next time they shed just to see if I can find a second layer. I've only had one or two sheds that were not whole sheds from my BRB's that I can remeber so I'm guessing they soaked without me seeing or the humidity in the hide is plenty high.
>>
>>You don't by any chance have any pics of a shed with two layers do you Jeff?
>>
>>Sean.
>>-----
>>1.1 BRB
>>0.1 Pacific Gophersnake(unproven Hypo)
>>1.0 Amel Pacific Gophersnake
>>0.1 Striped Anery Pacific Gophersnake
>>1.1 Triple Het TPRS's
>>0.1 Silver TPRS
>>1.1 Amel Bloodred Corns
>>0.1 Abbott Okeetee Corn
>>0.1 Blizzard Bloodred Corn
>>1.1 Thayeri Kingsnakes
>>0.1 Reeve's Turtle
>>0.2 Amstaff's
>>1.0 Pudytat

Thanks for the info on what to look for. I've never paid that close attention to the shed, other then to see if it was a clean shed or not, since I assumed the extended cycle was just a maturing difference.

Sean.
-----
1.1 BRB
0.1 Pacific Gophersnake(unproven Hypo)
1.0 Amel Pacific Gophersnake
0.1 Striped Anery Pacific Gophersnake
1.1 Triple Het TPRS's
0.1 Silver TPRS
1.1 Amel Bloodred Corns
0.1 Abbott Okeetee Corn
0.1 Blizzard Bloodred Corn
1.1 Thayeri Kingsnakes
0.1 Reeve's Turtle
0.2 Amstaff's
1.0 Pudytat