• Hello!

    Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.

    Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....

    Please be certain that the location field is correctly filled out when you register. All registrations that appear to be bogus will be rejected. Which means that if your location field does NOT match the actual location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected.

    Sorry about the strictness of this requirement, but it is necessary to block spammers and scammers at the door as much as possible.

First Shed Help

TotalDbag

TotalDbag

New member
Ok, I've only had him for a week, and he's my first snake. I noticed that his eyes are cloudy/milky color, and I've read that means he's about to shed. I've put a damp towel under his hide. Is there anything else I need to do to ensure a good shed? And is there any signs I should be aware of that will indicate how his shed is going? And how long does it usually take? He's about 2-ish feet long, and as far as I know super healthy. And I assume I shouldn't feed him, while he sheds. Any tips, or help would be greatly appreciated, because I have never done this before.
Thanks
-Mark
 
Hey Mark,

Yes, that is obviously a shed coming, you're snakes now in what we call "Deep blue"
The damp cloth will help, but you really want to make sure it just damp and WET.. as any really high moisture levels are bad for corns. A better suggestion would be to get some Spahgnum moss (you can find it in most pet stores in the reptile section and hard ware stores in the orchid section, it may be sold as orchid root moss. But it's the same thing)
just take some put in a bowl of warm water for a couple of minuets to let it soak up the water the wring it out REALLY well, you want it damp, not feeling wet at all.

Aside from that waiting is the best thing you can do, don't attempt any feeding's right now, as some corns have trouble digesting at this time. So better to be safe than sorry.
It usually takes about 3 to 5 days for them to clear up out of being "blue" at this point it will looks as though he has already shed but you won't be able to find the shed. Don't worry this is perfectly normal, it's usually anywhere from 3 to 4 after they clear that you can expect to find a shed in the tank.

I hope this helps!
The first shed is always sooo exciting/worrisome for a new owner!

Best of luck!
I'm sure everything will go great!
 
and once the spahgnum moss is nice and moist just put inside of a plastic container with a hole for them to get inside, then set in near the warm side of the viv..

You made a snakey sauna! ;)

(Sorry I just seen that I left that info out..:eek:)
 
Justine66 said:
and once the spahgnum moss is nice and moist just put inside of a plastic container with a hole for them to get inside, then set in near the warm side of the viv..

You made a snakey sauna! ;)

(Sorry I just seen that I left that info out..:eek:)
Click to expand...

You mean, like put it in some tubberware, and leave the lid off?
 
yes!

even an old margerine or sour cream tub will do as mom probaly won't want holes cut in her tupperware.. ;)

and you want to keep the lid on and cut a hole in the side or lid, for them to get inside.
Sorry if I wasn't clear before. :p
 
Justine66 said:
yes!

even an old margerine or sour cream tub will do as mom probaly won't want holes cut in her tupperware.. ;)

and you want to keep the lid on and cut a hole in the side or lid, for them to get inside.
Sorry if I wasn't clear before. :p
Click to expand...

No, she probably wouldn't :laugh:
 
TotalDbag said:
No, it's not wet at all. I could barely tell the towel was damp.
Click to expand...


That's good.. A better suggestion would be to take the towel out of the hide, dampen it and then drape it over half of the tank lid.

I know that other member on here do this with success! And you don't run the risk of the corn getting a R/I or Scale rot.. This is just my opinion though.
It's the safer option. :)

And Do you have a hygrometer?
It would nice to know what the humidity in your house is, since corns don't require high humidity you can always go with a cheap one, Humidity's no where near as important as heat for a corn. 35% to 40% is usually fine for them, and most homes fall into that range.

So try not to worry to much!
 
Justine66 said:
That's good.. A better suggestion would be to take the towel out of the hide, dampen it and then drape it over half of the tank lid.

I know that other member on here do this with success! And you don't run the risk of the corn getting a R/I or Scale rot.. This is just my opinion though.
It's the safer option. :)

And Do you have a hygrometer?
It would nice to know what the humidity in your house is, since corns don't require high humidity you can always go with a cheap one, Humidity's no where near as important as heat for a corn. 35% to 40% is usually fine for them, and most homes fall into that range.

So try not to worry to much!
Click to expand...

I'm going to move it now. I don't have one yet. I'm going to pick one up tomorrow. Actually I may not need the towel, because I also have a 10 gallon aquarium in my room also. I guess I'll figure that out tomorrow, when I get it. Maybe one of these. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Acu-Rite-Indoor-Outdoor-Thermometer/896347
Is too much humidity bad for corns?
 
I actually decided to remove the towel completely, due to the fact that my room is a bit more humid than the rest of my house
 
yes, that hygrometer will work great!

I have the same type in my room, I love it!
It tells my the room temp, which is also the cool end of the snakes tank, as well as the humidity in the room.

Yes, to much humidity is bad for corns, since their only from the states they don't need tropic like humidity like a boa or Ball python would, for a corn anything above 45% to 50% is to high and you'r risking scale rot and respiratory infections.

The fish tank should be good enough, but you'll no for sure once you get the hygrometer.

And don't worry about being worried!
It's nerve raking dealing with a baby reptile, their nothing like kittens or puppy's..
their actually easier! Once you get everything figured out. ;) lol
 
Justine66 said:
yes, that hygrometer will work great!

I have the same type in my room, I love it!
It tells my the room temp, which is also the cool end of the snakes tank, as well as the humidity in the room.

Yes, to much humidity is bad for corns, since their only from the states they don't need tropic like humidity like a boa or Ball python would, for a corn anything above 45% to 50% is to high and you'r risking scale rot and respiratory infections.

The fish tank should be good enough, but you'll no for sure once you get the hygrometer.

And don't worry about being worried!
It's nerve raking dealing with a baby reptile, their nothing like kittens or puppy's..
their actually easier! Once you get everything figured out. ;) lol
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the info, we'll see where it's at tomorrow, and go from there.
 
Yep!

anywhere from 4 to 7 days or so days from now you should find your first snake shed!
this is the looong waiting period, I call it! lol ;)

[it's pretty funny, my boy was in deep blue when you first posted, and he too is in the the clear faze now! they seem to be on time with each other! aha!:p]
 
Justine66 said:
Yep!

anywhere from 4 to 7 days or so days from now you should find your first snake shed!
this is the looong waiting period, I call it! lol ;)

[it's pretty funny, my boy was in deep blue when you first posted, and he too is in the the clear faze now! they seem to be on time with each other! aha!:p]
Click to expand...
That is pretty funny
Nanci said:
If he's clear, I would say you're looking at 12-36 hours. I'd bet on the low end.
Click to expand...

Well I don't think that he shed. Will snakes shed under substrate? Because he likes to burrow.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top