A bad shed.

[Cycal]

I got another corn about a month and a half ago. This weekend she refused her meal, and I chalked it up to shedding figuing it should be about time.

I bumped her humidity up to 60% and figured I'd give her a few days of privacy. When i placed her in the viv, she went to her warm hide, and stayed there for the next 3 days and didnt move from the hide (as best as I could tell).
I checked her two days ago, expecting to find a skin, however I did not. Instead the snake was still sitting in the warm hide with a few pieces of loose skin hanging off of her face. Not sure if i was interupting the shed, I lightly sprayed the viv down with a bit of water, put a couple of damp paper towels in the hide with her, closed up the viv, and left her alone for another day.

No luck. She was still in the same spot with no new progress on her shedding. So i soaked her in the sink for a few minutes, and then ran her through a wash cloth untill thes skin came off, which took about 2 hours.

Made for a real exciting evening. especialy when a couple of friends called up wanting to come over and hang out, and told them they couldnt because I was "peeling my moist snake".

Anyways... skins off now, and the snake fine. However what im wondering is, was something wrong with my husbandry that caused this, or are there cases with snakes who just dont get the hang of shedding? If its something wrong on the snakes part, will she grow out of it with time, or is there something I can do make it a bit easier on her?



BTW:
I have never had a bad shed with my amel, who is kept at same temps (75-85 f) and humidity (30% when not shedding, 50 - 60% during shedding).

 

[Jessicat]

I think some snakes are just more sensitive to things than others. One of my snakes is really sensitive to changes in altitude. I moved to a place that was a higher altitude then he was used to, and his first shed there was terrible. I made him a moist hide and his sheds were much better. I'm living about two blocks away from that house now. Those two blocks are a pretty steep hill. I live at the bottom of the hill now and that particular snake no longer needs a moist hide. I as well had another snake living in duplicate housing who never has never had a bad shed through the changes of altitude.

Making a moist hide is really easy. Get some sphagnum moss and a plastic container such as a deli cup or margarine tub. Cut a slit in the plastic of your choice large enough for your snake to enter but small enough to keep as much moister in as possible. Soak the moss in warm water, squeeze it out, then put it in the tub/cup. Hopefully your snake's next shed will be successful!

 

[BeckyG]

I find that when I get a new snake, often the first couple of sheds are bad. I chalk it up to the stress of moving and being in a new environment. Next time you notice it going into shed, use a moist like GiantBlueberry suggested.