Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My Ball python is going through what started out to be a bad shed. He was shedding in little pieces. So I have been faithfully soaking him nightly. The first night his body shed completely, but his head is having trouble. I provided plenty of things to rub against, but he insists on rubbing the sides of the container, which isnt working. What can I do, he is still retaining both eye caps the top of his head and some on his neck which has come loose, but still clinging by the portion on his head. I'm at a loss, he has plenty of things to use, but wont. And i tried the damp pillow case, and he doesnt move in it. any more ideas? The soaking is softening it up, but he wont rub anything to pull it off. And even if it would he okay, he is too head shy to pull it off myself.

try the pellow case again, but leave him in over night, he will start to move around. keep him warm , and in the dark. If all else fails, take it to a vet, they will remove it.

Try using a piece of sticky tape like the plaster used to secure wound dressings. I have used this method successfully to remove the eye caps on a few occassions. You can then try picking the rest of the shed skin from the head area by gently removing it backwards from the nose, with your finger nails. If it has any future bad sheds, put a plastic box filled with damp moss in with the snake and keep the moss damp until the snake has shed.

Use a moist, not wet, pillow case or towel and provide adequate heat. This method has NEVER failed for me.
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Jay A. Martin

I had a "problem shedder," a small female who was shedding for her first time actually. She had a big patch stuck to her head and both eyecaps were retained too! I took a small, slightly-larger-than-snake Rubbermaid container and put small airholes into the lid, and put the snake in with moist sphagnum moss moistened with WARM water, and water sprinkled along the whole inside of the box, for about an hour. I had a similar hidebox in her tank, but she shunned it, so closing her in was my only option.
When I took her out, both eyecaps and the skin on her head came off under my thumb with ease! This method works.
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*~Ginevive~*

Don't worry about the shed, if he hasn't lost it the second shed will usually take care of it. There are also oils that you can buy to help them shed properly. Try spraying him with mist of water and increase the humidity when he starts to shed. Again don't worry too much about it nature has away of taking care of it.