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 #1644873


Python_Pete
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 Crunch’s First Shed

Crunch’s eyes turned milky last Monday, and he was grumpy (more hissing than usual). I have held off feeding him until he sheds, but it has been almost a week since his eyes turned cloudy (12 days since he last ate) and he only now is starting to show patches where the skin is beginning to come off. The air temperature is around 83, and the humidity is at 78%. He also has an under-tank heater at one end of the enclosure. The tank also has over 2" of cypress mulch which is misted several times per day (one can see condensation between the mulch and the side of the tank, but no standing water below the mulch). Crunch also has a very large water bowl, in which he happens to be taking a dip as I type this.

The odd thing is that his eyes are no longer milky. Also, when I lifted him out of his tank today to mist & mix his cypress bedding, he crawled up my arm and wanted to be held. When I put him back in his tank, he remained very active (he went back into his water bowl and appears to be doing laps). Should I go ahead and feed him, or wait until he finishes shedding? Is there anything else I should be doing to facilitate his shed, or is one week pretty standard?

He has now been doing laps in his water dish for nearly five minutes. Maybe his skin is almost ready to come off. Any advice, recommendations or reassurances would be appreciated.

Milky Eye

Pre-Shed
03/02/08  02:58pm

 #1644929


Elmonoloco
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   Message To: Python_Pete   In reference to Message Id: 1644873


 Crunch’s First Shed

just be patient. he will shed. its good hes in the water, it’ll make it go easier. its harder for them to stay hydrated when they are babies. as they get bigger and fatter the sheds get easier, but when theyre small you need to be diligent with the humidity during a shed.

he doesnt look under weight, so dont worry about feeding him until hes shed. again, just be patient and when it does finally happen make sure the eye caps and tip of the tail came off. have fun!
03/02/08  03:50pm

 #1646903


Python_Pete
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   Message To: Elmonoloco   In reference to Message Id: 1644929


 Crunch’s First Shed

Well, he shed today - hooray! His colors are more brilliant than I have ever seen them (of course I have only had him for four weeks). He is still very grumpy, and actually struck at me (twice) when I checked on him today.

On another topic, this afternoon I noticed a very small, black speck moving on Crunch’s shed skin. Yup, even though I have been handling and examing Crunch for a month, I just now discovered there are mites in his cage. The pet store told me to remove the water dish, put a Prozap Insect Guard in the tank, and to leave it there for four hours. After four hours, I am to dispose of the existing mulch, wash down the tank, and give Crunch a quick rinse. I will be watching the entire 4 hours to make sure Crunch doesn’t come out gasping for air or anything. If anybody has suggestions on how to prevent mites from returning, I would appreciate any tips. The only other snake in the house is our Everglades rat snake, and his tank is on the other end of the house. The two never come into contact.
03/03/08  10:22pm

 #1647140


Python_Pete
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   Message To: Python_Pete   In reference to Message Id: 1646903


 Crunch’s First Shed

Time is up. I treated the tank, disposed of all the cypress bedding, baked the new bedding for half an hour at 300 F, scrubbed the tank clean with soap and water, and gave Crunch a bath (he actually likes taking a dip in the bathtub). I took some photos of Crunch with his bright new colors, and will post them tomorrow.

Would monthly treatments of Prevent-A-Mite be a good idea, or is that overkill?
03/04/08  01:41am

 #1647542


Elmonoloco
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   Message To: Python_Pete   In reference to Message Id: 1647140


 Crunch’s First Shed

Ive had a problem with mites one time. I got rid of them quickly and havent had a problem since, but its up to you. Id say if you continually have problems with mites then it could be a good idea, but the mites were probably from the pet store. and as far as the striking, my blood python doesn’t like to messed with during the day for the most part. at night she is always in a much better mood. good luck.
03/04/08  02:33pm

 #1649607


Python_Pete
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   Message To: Elmonoloco   In reference to Message Id: 1647542


 Crunch’s First Shed

Here are the photos showing Crunch after his shed. I apologize for boring anybody, but this is his first shed since I got him.

Fresh Shed

Fresh Shed
03/05/08  08:28pm


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