Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi, everyone, i was hoping you could help me out with some things.

first off, i have a baby corn snake who's always eaten and shed like a champ with no problems. he has shed twice since i've had him (i got him in july), both times in one full sheath. this time, he is shedding in pieces, with small flakes of skin coming off all over and larger chunks already off. i'm not sure if this is okay. the hydrometer in his tank says 60, and the temperature is 77. should i worry and is there anything i can do?

my second issue is with a mouse. i was thawing it out in a cup, and when i took it out, i noticed a gash in its lower abdomen. there were orange flecks which appeared to be showing through the skin on his underbelly, and he smelled. i've never encountered a mouse that smelled when i thawed it out, and the hole looked strange, so i flushed it. is that normal? should i toss the whole container of mice, or what?

thank you so much for reading and helping!

If you're heating your house with forced air, you have less humidity than in the summer when you weren't heating it. Therefore it's not uncommon for snakes to have trouble shedding in the fall and winter. I'd put a humidity hidebox in the cage the next time the snake goes into a shed cycle.

It you get you mice from a reputable source, then I wouldn't worry about it.

Tim

Third Eye