# How often do juvenile carpet pythons shed?



## Slyther83 (May 8, 2009)

I know sheds can vary, but I am just curious. I think my bredli is going into her first shed since I have had her. She has been coiled up (which is abnormal for her) on the ground for the past few days and hiding her head in thecoils. Her eyes are not yet opaque. Does this sound like shedding behavior?

If this sounds to be the case, should I not try and feed her? She is due up for a meal today or tomorrow.


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## pythons73 (May 8, 2009)

It all depends on how much its eating,if the snakes being feed weekly a decent size meal it should shed roughly 2-3months,hatchies and juveniles shed alot more than adults as their still growing.Most of my hatchies or juvs shed every 2-3 months,my adults about 3-4 times a year.Being coiled up on the ground hiding her head doesnt sound like shedding behavior to me,you will realise when shes about to shed,eyes will go opaque and her skin will go alot darker than normal....You can feed her,


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## Timmy-Morelia (May 8, 2009)

mine shed every 6 to 8 weeks


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## Sock Puppet (May 8, 2009)

My male Bredli is coming up to his second shed since I've had him. I'm feeding him weekly & he's growing well. I noticed both times pre-shed he gets lethargic & sits in one of hides constantly, he's been there nearly a week now, (he ate last Sunday still) & is currently going through the opeque eye thing (he didn't do that last shed). Also my wife sprung him last week coiled up in his water bowl soaking. I'm expecting him to shed over the weekend. His last shed was April 1st, so a bit over 5 weeks between sheds.


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## Slyther83 (May 9, 2009)

pythons73 said:


> It all depends on how much its eating,if the snakes being feed weekly a decent size meal it should shed roughly 2-3months,hatchies and juveniles shed alot more than adults as their still growing.Most of my hatchies or juvs shed every 2-3 months,my adults about 3-4 times a year.Being coiled up on the ground hiding her head doesnt sound like shedding behavior to me,you will realise when shes about to shed,eyes will go opaque and her skin will go alot darker than normal....You can feed her,


 

As of today her eyes are partially opaque. She is coiling up and hiding her head still though.


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## nick_w (May 10, 2009)

Just keep monitoring her. She might start shedding within a week of the eyes going white.
I offer food to my snakes even if they are due to shed, but i usually offer a smaller meal so the snakes still mobile and can shed and move around comfortably.

Have you go plenty of hides in the enclosure?


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## Slyther83 (May 11, 2009)

nick_w said:


> Just keep monitoring her. She might start shedding within a week of the eyes going white.
> I offer food to my snakes even if they are due to shed, but i usually offer a smaller meal so the snakes still mobile and can shed and move around comfortably.
> 
> Have you go plenty of hides in the enclosure?


 

I have a few hides in the enclosure, she has been sitting coiled up in the same spot still. Her eyes were opaque yesterday, now they are clear. She is becoming somewhat darker as well.


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## Sock Puppet (May 11, 2009)

Tonksy said:


> My male Bredli is coming up to his second shed since I've had him. I'm expecting him to shed over the weekend. His last shed was April 1st, so a bit over 5 weeks between sheds.


 
Yep, he shed yesterday, so that's between 5-6 weeks since his last shed. If yours has the cloudy eyes going, then she's definitely ready to shed. Mine was about 5 days from opaque eyes to shedding.


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## Slytherin (May 11, 2009)

My Inland Carpet (Murray Darling Carpet Python), sheds between 6-8weeks. Now that he's aprox 1 and a half years old he is tending to be closer to 8 weeks now and putting on muscle.

When Snakey is coming up for a shed, he tends to be more lethargic than usual and seems to be more sensitive to handling. His colouring goes dull or darker and I can see under his tail a slight milkyness 'creeping' up his body. When he's getting close, this milkyness is most obvious underneath all of him and on the top his skin looks a little dry or wrinkly. He has milky eyes for 3-4 days then sheds aprox 4 days after.

I hope this helps.


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## also76 (May 11, 2009)

*monty python*

iv got a hatchling S/W carpet called monty who has shed twice now, both times i didnt notice any milky eyes (i handle him everyday). he slightly went a little bit darker than normal but nothing major and he did his shed over night in one go. put him to bed, nothing, woke him up, thought i had 2 snkes. haha


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## sarah_m (May 15, 2009)

I know you said CARPRT PYTHON but this is just to show the difference in behaviour before a shed.

I always know when my BHP is going to shed because he has a daily basking routine: between 8& 10am and between 4 & 6pm.
When he is getting ready to shed his behaviour changes and he doesnt come out to bask for days at a time.

He is very lethargic, and the time or two when i have picked him up and not realised he was coming up to shed (would turn cloudy the day after) he has been really agitated (though never aggresive), his body feels tense and he just wants to get away and be left alone.
We hardly see him at all for 8 days, then he sheds, poo's and has a drink, and then his behaviour returns to normal.


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## Slyther83 (May 15, 2009)

My bredli didn't go into any of her hides, she just sat coiled up on the floor of the enclosure near the heat lamp (instead of staying up in the branches as she usually does).

She finally shed in the middle of the night, 2 days after her clouded eyes returned to normal. This was her first shed for me and it came off perfectly, eyecaps and all. She still seems to be hanging around the same area on the floor though.


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## sarah_m (May 15, 2009)

Slyther83 said:


> She still seems to be hanging around the same area on the floor though.


My 3 month old Diamond usually stays on the bottom of her tank, either in a hide or just in the open.
Rarely climbes and only ever at night.

Maybe yours is just feeling like a change


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