my snake shed and his tail didnt finsh what should i do and another question when should i clean my substrate like how many time a week or so
Well, if it's just a small piece you could pick it off. But only if it's almost off on it's own. You could tear scales and cause sores if you pull shed off too soon. If any shed skin is still on your snake in larger amounts, what I usually do is get a bucket (with holes in the lid) and put several wet paper towels in the bottom. Then I put a somewhat rouch rock (not too jagged) in the bottom so the snake has something to rub against. The moisture/humidity and the rough surface should be enough to remove the shed. As for cleaning substrate, it depends on what it is. If it's some sort of gravel or "bark" or wood shavings like aspen, then you should scoop waste up as you see it and change it every other month or so, depending on how soiled it is. Don't let substrates like this stay wet for long periods of time, it could cause mold and mildew buildup in the cage. If it's newspaper or some other kind of paper lining, I would change it about every other day or as often as it needs if it's heavily soiled. Again don't let it get wet and stay wet.
my snake has been shedding for about 2 weeks now. i dont know how long a shed should take, being that this is the first time my snake is shedding. i guess that my tank is relativly dry and thats why its taking so long. i just tried the trick above, putting my snake in a rubbermaid container w/ wet paper towels and a rock, in hope that this will speed things along. my question is how long should i keep her in the container, till shes done shedding or for a few hrs a day. furthermore, should i keep a rock in my cage at all times for her? how long does it usually take for a snake to shed and how often do they shed? oh and the last question is is it bad for me to keep the heat light on above the tupperware container (not on top of it but above) b/c its cold where i am? thanks everyone!!!
Has your snake actually started shedding yet? Are scales coming off in pieces? All snakes should shed in one piece. Sometimes it tears as they rub against things, but scales should not come off in bits and pieces, or "patchy" as some people say. If it has started shedding and it is patchy, then the enclosure probably isn't humid enough or the snake doesn't have access to a large enough water dish to soak in when it sheds. This is of course assuming that your snake is healthy already. Has it shed before? It does take awhile for a snake to shed. It's eyes will turn milky white in color just before it sheds, then they will clear up again just prior to shedding. Shedding should start at the head and kind of roll down the snake's body, like pulling off a sock inside out. What kind of snake do you have? Some snakes require more humidity than others. I would keep something in your snake's cage, like a rock, for it to rub against once it starts shedding, if it's hide box or other enclosure decorations aren't rough enough. Just make sure it's not sharp. Snakes shed as they grow so there isn't really a way to determine when they will shed. And they will shed their skin occassionally all their lives. I would leave the snake in the rubbermaid for a few hours at least to make sure it's getting enough moisture to help the skin come off. Also, make sure the eye caps have come off. You'll be able to see these either in the shed itself, or if they stay on the eyes, they will look wrinkled. they need to come off because they could cause infection if they remain on the eye too long. Also, it's fine to keep the heat lamp over the rubbermaid while the snake is in there. As long as it's not too close to melt the rubbermaid, then it should be fine. Hope I answered all your questions!
thanks biochic, you've answered all my questions and then some. i have a corn snake and its pretty new, like 2-3 months old. ive never seen it shed its skin before so i dont konw how that works really which is why i asked. i think the skin is shedding in patches. the whole body is crackled like when you put elmars glue on your hand when you were in kindergarden (unless i was the only person to do that!). it started at the head and there was a piece that looked like the head, but its only gone like 4 inches in the last 2 weeks and theres a few pieces of shed skin around in my substrate. how long should the shedding process take in full? the snake has access to a bery big water bowl, but for some reason it seems as though she doesnt like water. sometimes i put her in there and she runs out. ive seen her drink from the waterbowl when i first got her, but it seems like she never does anymore unless she does it when im asleep. my next question is how to tell if the snake is healthy. im a broke college student in a town that i didnt grow up in so i dont know any vets and most problably couldnt afford one if i knew of one. my snake eats a pinky once a weel amd seems to be healthy. any signs that point to disease?
I don't really see any signs of disease. Especially if the snake is eating and active. You don't really see snakes drink that often so I wouldn't really worry about that right now. It sounds like the enclosure is just too dry. Are the scales usually smooth and shiny? If so , then it sounds like it's just bad shed. There are several reasons why this could happen. It sounds like she's eating well. Once a week is a good schedule for a young snake. Did she eat at her last feed? A few things I look for in a healthy snake is 1) smooth, kind of shiny, and not wrinkled scales 2) clear eyes, not watery, no puss or any swelling etc 3) the mouth should not be dry 4) the sides (ribs) of the snake should be rounded, there should be no lateral indentations (the sides should not be sunk in) 5) the vent should be clean and dry. These are just some basic things I look for when I check the animals in our collection. If all these things look good, then chances are the snake is doing well. There's isn't much more to look for without doing labs! The snake should be active and eating. Once the snake starts shedding (meaning the shed is coming off already) it should only take a couple hours at most to pull the shed off. Anyways, it sounds like your snake needs more humidity to shed. Hopefully the wet paper towels in the bucket will help! Let me know how it goes!
thanks for all the great help. according to your list, my snake is healthy. but u said that it shouldnt take more than a few hrs to shed!!! my snake has been shedding for almost 3 weeks. i put the snake in the container w/ the paper towel and the rock. in the cage itself i have a huge watter dish. is there any way to make the cage more humid?
it should only take a few hours to shed if the snake is shedding in one piece. if it's shedding in flaky, patchy pieces, then it will take longer. if you want to increase the humidity in the enclosure during sheds, then you could use and ultrasonic humidifier. you can get those from pretty much any drug store or large grocery/retail store (like WalMart or Kmart). You can also spray the enclsoure lightly a couple of times a day and place the water dish on the side of the cage either under the heat lamp or above the undertank heater to increase evaporation. The humidity should be somewhere between 40-50% most of the time. You can get humidity gauges at almost every pet store in the reptile section that don't cost much. At this point, you may want to soak the snake in tepid water for a little while. The water should not cover the snake. Then you should try to pick as much shed off of the snake as possible. Just do this in short periods, letting the snake have a break if there is a lot of shed left. If any of the shed is still adhering to the skin firmly, don't try to pull it off, wait until the water softens it up. You can tear the scales this way. How long has she been in the bucket?
