Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I got a yellowbelly ball python from a breeder at a show back in april 2010. She is a late '09 hatch and feeds amazingly (she is 850 grams), but when the time comes and she sheds, it is always terrible! I have increased humidity, and gave her warm soaks in water before the shed. Please let me know what i should do or i fi need to bring her to a vet.

there is nothing wrong with the snake, you do not have enough humidity.
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Evan Stahl Reptiles
www.evanstahl.com

soaking doesn't really help other than to remove stuck sheds. What you need is to either increase humidity and/or provide a moist hide. A damp towel in a small plastic container with a hole cut in large enough for the snake to enter/exit will work for a damp hide (just make sure the towel isn't soaking wet, you shouldn't get any water dripping out when you wring it.) Put it in after blue phase disappears and check every other day to make sure it doesn't dry out, get soiled or mold.

Detail your current setup and what you are doing to try and increase humidity and we can help pinpoint what's wrong with your setup.
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PHLdyPayne

Forum Princess

I hatched a ball python once that consistently had much worse shedding problems than other ball pythons kept under the same conditions. I wondered if it was a birth defect or something genetic. I never saw her flick her tongue so suspect she didn't have one. She was the only good egg out of a virgin female put with a very young male. She also would only eat mice. I kept her for years but couldn’t get mice regularly enough to get her to good breeding weight and eventually gave her away to someone who could provide the extra humidity and special diet she needed.

I have found that soaking really doesn't do a very good job at promoting a healthy shed.

Check out this video I uploaded on Youtube last year. I think it will help you.

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Brian Gundy

www.for-goodness-snakes.com

Soaking a snake that is in the "blue" stage of the shed cycle will allow the lubricating fluid between the old skin and the new skin to leach out and actually causes bad sheds. Mites,Injuries and Skin Infections can also cause bad sheds. If you can rule out mites, injuries, and soaking as possible causes, then a Vet visit might be in order to rule out a bacterial skin infection. Good Luck

Anthony
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If you plan for 1 year, plant rice.
If you plan for 10 years, plant trees.
If you plan for 100 years, educate mankind.

Thanjs everybody ill try it out when she goes into shed again