i've got a 3 mth old regular corn and in spots his skin feels dry and rough can any one give me some advice anything would help he is in a 50 gal tank w/repti bark bedding temp is constant at 78-80 what should humidity be at???
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dry skin need help
bsmaxe
Oct 15, 2004 09:50 AM
Replies (1)
HerpHijinx
Oct 15, 2004 02:30 PM
Well, I don't ever recall reading these specific numbers anywhere, but my corns do just fine and are kept at about 60% humidity. I've never had any shed problems with them. Also, make sure that the water source is big enough for your snake to soak in. Usually, they can feel themselves drying out, and they will just climb in and soak. This is really common right before shedding. If he doesn't seem to do this on his own, and you're still noticing the dryness, you can fill a rubbermaid container with just enough water for him to submerge in and lock him in for an hour or so. That will help rehydrate the skin.
Also, you mentioned that the temp is a constant 78-80 deg. F. If that is "constant" throughout the entire 50 gallon enclosure, that could be a problem. One end should be considerably cooler than the other; typically the hot end should be between 80-85 and the cool end should be in the mid to low 70s. If the entire enclosure is around 80, he may not have enough opportunity to cool down, and it may be drying out the skin. Also, what are you using to do the heating? If it is under-tank, make sure it's not getting too hot. Even though the ambient air temp. might be around 80, if your snake kicks up the substrate and comes in contact with the glass directly above the heater, it could cause burns. The same goes with a heat rock. If you're using one, it may be getting too hot and singeing him.
Again, this is just info I'm throwing out. If you're doing everything correctly and still having the problem, give the soaking a try. You can also buy shedding supplements to help moisturize the skin. I had to use Zoo Med's Shedding Aid to help with a stuck eyecap on my Ball Python, and it worked fine. Hope it all works out. Keep us updated...
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-JH
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