Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I notice yesterday that my snake still have a bit of old skin attached to his tail, about 1/4 inch that did not shed. I try to soak his tail and rub it a little but it dont work and the snake dont cooperate much, lol. I try not to hurt him or have him musk or bite Any hint ?

By the way, nerodia are really bottomless for food ! My snake can pass a couple of hour not moving at all, hiding under some leaf of his plant then moving a bit just to see if i put some food in his bowl... and he never seem to have enough. lol.

Mizar

Hey Mizar21,
I have two snakes, one taxispilota and one pictiventris that have lost the last 3/4 to 1 inch of their tails due to my lack of attention to the detail you describe. I (now) do what ever it takes to get that last bit off as soon as I notice it.
In the past with shredded skins I ASSUMED the shed was complete after I found the eye caps! I was wrong! Now, I mist the snake for a bit at least at the tail, then take a towel or sack, wrap him/her in it and scratch the tail 'til all skin is off. Each time, once I get it started it comes off in mostly one peice.
In one instance, the tail tip came off as I did this but it was only then that I noticed the constriction that had allowed this!
Since our young snakes grow so fast, this will be a potential problem continually. By the way, I also noted that at the constricted point of the tail, only a little ring of skin had remained from a previous shed, not the whole tail portion so we must (my opinion) ensure that our snakes have one peice sheds to confirm completion!
Since at least one of my snakes is in a shed cycle at any given time, I now mist and partially cover the tank to increase humidity throughout the sloughing cycle. Yesterday the big red belly shed. The day before, the pictiventris noted above; skins where pefect!
Michael

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Tim

I appreciate the comment. I often walk away from the computer considering myself an over-inflated windbag. Though you may agree, you didn't say so, and that's nice!
Michael

Hey Michael how can you think that you are an overinflated airbag ? Your help probably save my snake life a couple of times. You and a lot of people here are always eager to help and thats quite rare these days. So keep the good work...(now you can start to overinflate your head) lol

Mizar

With this being a "fledgeling" hobby, it really is cool to see all the experience racking up from so many different people so fast!
As for a swollen head, unfortuneately that's not from pride, it's from banging my head on the floor when I realize that I don't know what I'm doing!
Michael