Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,

Where did everyone go. Maybe if imports were ok. everyone would come back........

My question. I have one PTS that seems to be in a constant strate of shed... It never stops........ my other 3 shed nothing like this one....... any ideas?
I know humidity can impact sheds, but they are all in the same room, just 2 skinks per cage. 1 skink in one cage just sheds all the time....... should i pick of shed or leave it alone.....

any feed back would be great......

Thanks

CLP

What you are referring to is known medically as dysecdysis (at least one form of it). It can be caused by a number of factors. I'm sure I won't think of all of them, but here are a few to get you started:

1) Husbandry. Temp/humidity/lighting/furniture can all be potential problems. You did say you are housing the problem skink with another animal that isn't having problems, and while that makes husbandry seem a less likely culprit it doesn't necessarily rule it out. It could be that the problem animal has an underlying health issue (which we will get back to) that makes it more susceptible to problems arising from improper husbandry. And since husbandry is the easiest thing to fix, I would go there first. Check all of your husbandry parameters again. Even the ones you're sure you don't need to. Note: UV lighting has been successful in halting dysecdydsis from unknown causes in a number of snake species. It might be worthwhile to add some UV light if you're not already using it. No help here? Move on to Possible Cause Number Two:

2) External parasites. Mites especially, but also ticks and other external parasites are often the cause of abnormal molting. Check closely, especially around eyes, mouth and cloacal opening for parasites.

3) Metabolic/diet issues. MBD, hyper- and hypovitaminosis, and hyperthyroidism have all been known to cause dysecdysis. These are ailments that you probably won't be able to diagnose yourself. A blood panel done by your vet should reveal any of the above problems. Malnutrition is another cause, but one you should be able to recognize on your own.

4) Dermal fungal/bacterial infections. No explanation needed. Again, see a vet to diagnose.

5) Mystery ailment. There are many cases of dysecdysis for which a cause is never identified. The problem is that ecdysis is a process that uses some of an animals energy stores (to create the replacement skin), and continual molting may stress an animal, miking it immune to other ailments. IME with snakes that suffer from this form of dysecdysis, animals that go undiagnosed and untreated have shorter than usual life spans.

I realize that I've just given you alot of information, and not much help. My advice would be to check what you can on your own and then seek help from a vet if you can't correct the problem. I wish you luck.

-Z

By mistake i answered your question on the top of the list!Sorry!
The only sugestion i have is that perhaps your MTS is younger than the others. Younger reptiles shed more frequently than older ones.

Is your Monkey Tail Skink fully shedding each time (Full body shed, body, legs, head and tail) or does it just have shed skin hanging off Of Him/Her all the time? I have had MTS that have shed in sections before which gave them the appearance that they were always in shed, IE: their body would shed quickly and then their tail and legs would take a little longer to shed, like I said giving the appearance they were in shed alot.
I also have had Monkey Tail Skinks that have shed consistantly for several months in a row every month. This usually only happened with the younger ones.

Good Luck
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Eveyone Is In A Hurry To Get Nowhere Quick, Fast!!!!!!!!!!!

Have you ever had a MTS that vocalizes?Rafael, my 2nd MTS is able to loudly express his opinions!We can hear him very well mainly when he wants to be released from his cage!

Hello Flavia,

I have 2 males that kinda make a snort/gurgle noise when they are angry or protecting their territory. You can only hear it if you are right next to them, its not really that loud.
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Eveyone Is In A Hurry To Get Nowhere Quick, Fast!!!!!!!!!!!

Its not that loud , i suppose, if they want to communicate between them. But if they want to communicate with you they can raise the tone.Not very much but if you are in the same room you can easily hear the call. One of my MTS's cage is located in the kitchen and my maid listened when my MTS " called" her to ask for food!
I have 2 MTS, Leonardo and Rafael. Leonardo never tryied to communicate with me, but Rafael is always trying to be listened!lol!