My python is shedding

Ball Python Shedding: All You Need to Know

Whilst ball pythons are a relatively hardy species, they do sometimes suffer from health problems as with any animal. One of the most common issues we are asked about are problems with shedding.

How Long Does It Take a Ball Python to Shed?

As with all snakes, a healthy ball python will shed its entire top level of skin in one piece. This occurs every 4 – 6 weeks in adults and more regularly in juveniles. The full process from the beginning of slough to the skin actually coming off takes between 10 – 14 days. The blue phase of shedding lasts for 2 – 4 days and leads to the skin shed itself which takes around 10 minutes.

The greyish blue color of your snake and the milky appearance of its eyes are caused by a lubricant that builds up between the top layer of skin and the new skin underneath. This liquid is vital to your snake having a successful shed, so make sure your snake has access to a moist hide. Also, check that your temperature and humidity levels are correct.

Can You Handle a Ball Python While It’s Shedding?

As soon as you first notice that your snake’s skin is becoming dull and it is entering into a slough, you should stop handling your snake until after it has completed shedding. Oils on our hands can affect the lubricant under the top layer of our python’s skin and cause problems with shedding. During these few days, your ball python will also likely become agitated, and with their reduced vision, there is an increased risk of a bite occurring.

Should I Feed My Ball Python While Shedding?

During shedding, most snakes will refuse food and if fed, they sometimes regurgitate the item. Whilst feeding dead food items to your snake during this time won’t do it any harm, we recommend waiting until after it has shed to avoid wasting food items. We would never recommend live feeding captive snakes but for those that do, feeding during slough puts your snake at serious risk of damage from the prey item.

How Long After My Ball Python Shed Should I Feed Him?

It is safe to feed your snake as soon as it has finished a successful shed. In fact, you are likely to find that after shedding your snake’s mood will return to normal and he/she will be hunting around for food.

> Further reading: The Ball Python Diet

Why Is My Ball Python Constantly Shedding?

Juvenile snakes shed as often as every 3 weeks as they outgrow their old skin. If your juvenile snake is shedding more often than every 3 – 4 weeks or your adult snake is shedding more often than every 4 – 6 weeks, this could be a sign that something is wrong.

Snakes will shed regularly if they are suffering from parasite infestations such as mites or ticks. Ticks are usually easy to spot and can be removed with tweezers, be sure to remove the entire body and head, leaving no parts still attached to the snake. Snake mites are very small and usually black in color. They live under the scales, causing scales to appear raised.

In order to cure a mite infestation, you will need to remove all substrate and furniture from your snake’s enclosure. Discard the substrate and pour boiling water over your wood furniture and thoroughly sterilize any plastic furniture. Keep your snake on a paper towel or newspaper until the infestation is cured. You will need to use a plastic or cardboard hide to prevent reinfestation during the treatment process. Gently wipe down your snake with frontline spray. Be careful of sensitive areas such as eyes, nose, and mouth (always wear gloves as frontline can have adverse health effects on humans).

Another cause for your snake to shed more regularly than usual is scale rot. Scale rot is a term used to describe any bacterial or fungal infection causing sores, blisters, or decay of your snake’s scales and skin. All of these can result in the death of your snake and require immediate and effective treatment. If your snake is suffering from scale rot, certain scales will appear deformed, discolored, or blistered.

Determining whether an infection is caused by bacteria or fungus is the first stage. This may sometimes take a veterinarian to distinguish, however, bacteria is the most common cause of scale rot. The first treatment should be betadine baths twice a day and Neosporin cream (without pain relief). Refer to our article on ball python scale rot for more details. If the infection has not begun to clear up after 3 days, consult your veterinarian.

Scale rot has a number of causes but the most common causes are improper regulation of temperatures and humidity, unsanitary living conditions, or less commonly vitamin deficiencies. Feces should be removed from your python’s enclosure regularly and complete substrate change and disinfection of the enclosure should also be carried out monthly.

Take a look at our ball python temperatures and humidity article for further information on how to maintain them properly.

Why Does My Snake Not Shed in One Piece?

If your snake does not shed in one complete piece, he or she may require some extra help to remove skin that has gotten stuck. Incomplete shedding can be caused by incorrect temperature and humidity regulation, skin conditions, or handling during the shedding process. Your python should have access to a moist hide in order to aid the shedding process. If the skin does become stuck, bathe your snake in lukewarm water for 15 minutes, if skin still remains attached to your snake, gently try to remove it by hand. If this still does not work, use shedding aid to assist with removal. Some snakes may require an increase in humidity during the blue phase of shedding, however, it is important not to raise the humidity too high or for too long as this can have a detrimental effect on your snake’s health.

I hope you found this article helpful, if you have any further questions, please check out the linked articles in the text or write your question in the comments below.

Источник

The Shedding Process of a Ball Python Explained (with Video)

All snakes shed their skin (ecdysis). Ball pythons get rid of their skin all at once to accommodate new growth, whereas the skin comes off other mammals in tiny pieces. It’s vital that you understand how the ball python shedding process works, and can deal with any problem sheds.

Ball pythons go through a pre-shed stage that lasts for 1-2 weeks. Their skin will become dull and dark, and their belly may appear pink. When they enter the “blue phase,” their eyes will appear milky-blue due to a buildup of fluid. This clears up, and your ball python will shed its skin within 72 hours.

We’ll detail the ball python shedding cycle from start to finish. We’ll then explain how your snake’s behavior might change. You’ll also find out how often ball pythons shed, and how to fix a stuck shed on your ball python’s head or eyes if a problem was to arise.

Shedding the Skin

Your ball python will start to shed its skin about 24 to 72 hours after the pre-shed clear up. Snakes usually shed their skin during the night, so you may not ever see it happening.

1. Your ball python will nudge its nose up against something in its enclosure. This could be a rock, piece of wood, or the side of the tank. This will create a small tear in the skin.
2. When the skin has begun to peel, your ball python will start moving around, rubbing up against anything it can find to encourage the skin to come away.
3. If you manage to see your ball python in the middle of a shed, you might notice what looks like a rolled-up sock halfway down its body.
4. After 1-2 hours of shedding, the process is complete. Your ball python will look shiny, glossy, and bright again.

You’ll find a long piece of skin somewhere in the enclosure. It should be in one piece, complete with eye-caps and a tail tip.

Will a Ball Python Eat While Shedding?

This will vary for each snake. Some ball pythons will not eat at all, from the first stage of pre-shed until the skin has come off. Appetite loss is common during shed, and you should not worry about it.

Some ball pythons will take food during the shedding process. However, we would not recommend feeding your snake while in a shed. Here’s why:

• Poor eyesight. During the blue phase, your ball python cannot see very well. Introducing food can be stressful as the snake can’t see the prey. If you feed it live prey, this can lead to injury. Feeding frozen-thawed is safer, but your snake could mistake your hand for food.
• Regurgitation risk. Sometimes, ball pythons that are fed during the shedding process will regurgitate food. This is because shedding requires a lot of movement.

According to Zoology, ball pythons can go for months without food before they lose weight.

The entire shedding process of a ball python takes less than 14 days. If you wait until your snake has finished shedding its skin before feeding it, a healthy snake will be just fine.

Are Ball Pythons Aggressive When Shedding?

When ball pythons go through the blue phase, they’re virtually blind. The layer of opaque fluid between their old and new skin covers their eyes. It can be stressful for any snake to lose its sight as it feels vulnerable.

You’ll notice your ball python behaving differently when it goes into a shed. It’s common for snakes to become reclusive, and remain in their hide boxes all day long. This is to avoid detection by potential predators.

During this process, your ball python probably won’t want to be handled. Your snake will find it very stressful. Handling your snake when it’s shedding may prompt it to recoil away from you, hiss, or strike out of fear.

How Often Do Ball Pythons Shed Their Skin?

Now that you know how the shedding process works, how often you should expect this to happen depends on 2 factors:

• Age. Ball pythons shed due to their growth. The larger body size requires a larger skin, so they slough off the smaller skin to make room. Juvenile ball pythons grow much faster than adults, so they’ll shed more frequently.
• Growth. The more your ball python eats, the faster it’ll grow. If it’s a good eater, it will shed more often than a ball python that eats less frequently. Also, some snakes will naturally grow faster than others, regardless of how often they eat. It’s all down to the snake’s genetics.

Juvenile ball pythons (under 1-year-old) shed regularly. If you’re wondering: “why is my ball python shedding so much?” it’s due to its age. Up until your ball python is a year old, it’ll shed once every 3-4 weeks.

Once your snake reaches around 700 to 1000 grams in weight, its growth will slow down a lot. Adult ball pythons shed once every 6-8 weeks.

Why Is My Ball Python Not Shedding?

If your snake isn’t shedding, here’s why:

• Age-related. Older snakes shed much less frequently than younger snakes. If your snake is approaching the one-year mark, it’ll naturally start to shed with decreasing frequency.
• The vivarium is too cold. Wild ball pythons go into a state of reduced activity during the winter months. They don’t quite hibernate, but they definitely move and eat less. It’s not unusual for ball pythons to stop shedding in the colder months. Use a thermometer to ensure that the temperature does not fall below 78 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Not feeding it enough. Give your ball python a prey item that is just slightly wider than your snake’s width at its widest point. Feed it at least once a week while it’s young, and every 2-3 weeks as an adult.

Keep track of when your ball python sheds, and how long it goes between shedding. If you are concerned, take it to a vet experienced with snakes.

How to Resolve Ball Python Shedding Issues

Sometimes, ball pythons have trouble shedding. If you notice stuck pieces of old skin clinging to your snake or stuck eye caps, then the vivarium’s humidity was probably set too low.

To encourage the stuck shed to come away, you should bathe your ball python. Snakes can swim, so don’t worry. Fill a plastic tub with about two inches of water at around 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Put your snake inside the tub and leave it there to soak for about 20 minutes.

After her bath, take a warm, damp washcloth and run it over your snake from head to tail. You should notice the stuck shed starting to come away. To remove the eye cap, use a damp cotton bud and wipe it over the eye.

Don’t worry if you can’t get every piece of shed off. It will naturally come away the next time your snake sheds. Just make sure that your ball python has the right level of humidity in the future.

Источник