Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I need help in this shedding process.My freind anthony's ball python didn't want to shed it was like a week after his eyes turned blue that he didn't shed.Unfortiontly it died.now mine is about to shed.Its been three days now atfer his eyes turned blueu that he hasn't shed.and now he is doing somthing wierd when ever i pick her up she opens her mouth like three times in a minute.she might be yawning but its shy to open its mouth fully.Or my other guess is it could have a resporitory infection maybe.can any one tell me why is she acting like this.and how long does your ball python take to shed after his/her eyes turn blue.Becuase i dont want my ball python to follow the same rought as my freinds anthony's ball python did.

thank you
Juan Medina

...Anthony's BP had something else wrong with it.

Once the eyes START going blue, it's about 5-7 days before they shed. The eyes will go clear 1-2 days BEFORE they shed. Sometimes this period is a little longer in adult BP.
The yawning during sheds is USUALLY due to less-than-ideal airflow through the snakes' nostrils resulting from narrowing during the shed process. Snakes like to hunker down during the shed process because they're vulnerable to predators. If you hold him/her during the blue phase, the snake feels threatened, is scared, and starts to breath faster. Not enough air gets through its nostrils, and it gapes to get air directly into its windpipe.
Make sure your humidity is elevated after its eyes clear before the shed, and you should get a 1-piece shed. No worries, mate! Scott J. Michaels DVM