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AureliaAurita

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Hey all,

I'm new to the forum. I've been lurking as a guest, but this is my first foray into posting. I have a Children's Python that I purchased at a reptile show back in September; she was 2 months old. Usually I only have corn snakes so I have snake experience. My little girl is a voracious eater and is super active. She's always climbing branches in her tank and such. But I'm starting to worry a bit because she hasn't shed since I've had her.
She has had a pink a week except for one week she went a week and a half before having another pink. She recently moved from one pink to two but she still hasn't shed. We have relatively high humidity here but I mist her cage anyway couple times a week. She is always drinking, active, and eating. The lack of shed, however, worries me. Her color has been duller in the last month so I wonder if she was supposed to shed and hasn't? Should I make her a humid hide just in case?
Her cage is always 85deg F during the day and drops to 80 F at night. She has a heat gradient, two hides, sufficient water, and her humidity stays between 55-65 depending on my misting. I read tons about the species before purchase so I had the tank set up and stabilized a while before she got in there. She is a bit nippy (but I love her anyway :D) and is extremely curious. She seems to enjoy her tank and can be seen basking in the heat lamp's glow or climbing her plants and branches. Oh, she is residing in a ten gallon right now. I had her in the rubbermaid tupperware that is recommended but she was so active, she really seems comfortable in the 10 gallon.

Anyway, sorry to drone on, but can anyone give me any hints? If she was a corn, she'd have shed three times over by now so I'm worried slightly. Thank you in advance!
 
if your little childreni is eating and growing and its getting a mist every now and again . dont think i would be stressing . it will shed when its ready
 
I wouldn't worry, as Antaresia1 said, so long as she's still feeding and active, it'll happen. I had my Diamond go without a shed for 4months, which worried me but all is well.
 
what are the temps like in cali at the moment? This might have a effect on her with shedding. But if she is eating once a week dont stress out. She will be fine. From what i have read giving them a light mist of water every now and again can be good for them when they are young. But if she is eating and doesnt seem to have anything wrong with her, Just let her go so will shed in here own time!
 
I personally would be upping its food to at least a fuzzy, as I have said in another thread...pinkies have no nutrition, they keep them alive but that is about it, so every feed she has is keeping her alive, she needs to grow and with that needs fur and bones and in growing will shed. JMO

Oh and don't be turned off by he size of her head, go by the size of her waist, you will be amazed at what they can devour....
 
Garthnfay is right. Pinkies just dont have enough to them. try get some fuzzy's that are smaller then normal. Or even try get some more pinkies into her a week. My mates 4 month old spotty at 3 pinkies in a row the other night.
 
Thanks everyone! I feel a lot better now. She's scarfing down two pinks at the moment, but I will look into getting her some small fuzzs. It's around 50-65degF in NorCal at the moment so it's chilly, but her tank always stays nice and warm (she's spoiled).

Also, she's still nippy although I handle her fairly often (at least once a week before each feeding and usually one other time a week). I've read that they tend to grow out of this as they get older, is that true? I love for her to be more comfortable around me. =)
 
If you feed 15% of her body weight each week she should shed every 6-8 weeks. More food will make her shed more often.
 
My youngsters maccie is really nippy in the enclosure too...but I feel its just a feeding response...everything in its click clack is potential food...I've never come across such a guts of an animal before...once its out its as gentle as a lamb.
I agree with the others..get off pinkys as soon as it can handle larger prey..and good luck
 
If handling right before she usually gets fed, she could be associating you with the upcoming feed and therefore is more snappy than if you held her 4-5 days after feeding when she's not as hungry. Just keep it up, in most cases they do settle down with regular handling.
 
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