My question is about retained eye caps. Since we have owned the ball python he has shed twice. With the first shed the eye caps did not come off. Alarmed we consulted a vet and were told just to leave them alone until the next shed. The second shed was last night. I found the shed from the head and the eye cap lenses are there. However his eyes look wrinkled and strange. Shouldn't the eyes be nice clear and round right after a successful shed?
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New owner with question about snake eyes
DavidO
Jan 14, 2013 10:39 AM
Replies (7)
Steve_Markevich
Jan 14, 2013 11:11 AM
Raise the humidity in the enclose and it will correct itself.
DavidO
Jan 14, 2013 11:54 AM
So does this mean the snake is dehydrated or is this just something normal right after a shed?
Steve_Markevich
Jan 14, 2013 09:47 PM
Dehydration will cause the eyes to dimple, it wouldn't hurt to also your snake some time to soak.
How do you have it set up?
Steve_Markevich
Jan 14, 2013 09:48 PM
Dehydration will cause the eyes to dimple, it wouldn't hurt to also give your snake some time to soak....lol
DavidO
Jan 15, 2013 07:54 PM
Our tank is around a 20 gal. The snake has a warm and cool hides. I keep the warm hide around 85 inside the hide with a basking spot around 92 on top. The cool side is around 80 during the day and cools off to around 72 at night.
Its been a couple of days and with the extra humidity his eyes are still wrinkled. Again both eye caps came off and I would think that the retained caps came off with them. Very strange. I read that sometimes the lenses are soft and need to harden 2-3 days after a shed. Not sure if that is true.
Steve_Markevich
Jan 15, 2013 10:18 PM
If you have a screen top it's going to be very dry in that tank and will require frequent misting.
JYohe
Jan 17, 2013 02:30 PM
people don't get the "humid" or "dry" part....balls like it moister than you think....mine were in the basement...damp walls and flooded all the time...they did well...
best would be for you to find PURE cypress mulch (good luck)...and wet it...
snakes eyes should herden after a few days after shed...yes...they hardened wrinkled and will remain that way till fixed...
people mess with eyes too much....don't look at them...they'll be fine...working on them too much is worse than ignoring them...things can go horribly wrong...(do you want to guess how many people try and take the "stuck shed" off of a snake that actually doesn't have a stuck shed...! ouch
the pet shop near here...example...they use good tanks and good mulch...and it's all dry...no matter what species or how often they spray/.....I tell them all the time to use a gallon jug and start dumping in cages...not a mist bottle...
....(do not set the ball in water for days ! )...it will rot...
....good luck....learn from breeders near you...seeing is better than asking in a square lit up electronic box.
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........JY
