SpottedSuze
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- Jun 3, 2009
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Hi,
I have a 5 month old spotted python, he's my first reptile and this will be my first experience of moult.
He has been moulting roughly once a month and I thought he was due for a moult, but I didn't see any signs (didn't see his eyes go milky/cloudy and couldn't detect much of a difference in his general colouration) and I was starting to get worried.
I came home tonight and he was coiled up on the warm side of his tank, half of his body upside down and his head resting sideways. He also looked like he had lumpy areas underneath his eyes. I had no idea what was happening and the only thing I could think of was that he was having trouble moulting, as he looked really uncomfortable and the lumps underneath his eyes look like half shed scales. I read all of the moulting posts and tried a few things. The humidity was really low, so I sprayed some water in the tank and put a bigger water dish over the top of the heat mat.
I gave him a bath in warm water and put him back into his tank. For about 15 minutes he wandered around the tank, rubbing his body on the branches, water dish and toilet rolls. He rubbed off a small section of his scales (about 2 or 3 cm below his head), but then gave up and stopped moving, resting with his head sideways again, like he was when I came home.
I have attached a photo of him lying with his head sideways. This time he had it tucked around the cord for the thermostat probe.
Is this normal moulting behaviour? Or does he need more assistance to help him (ie. another water bath)?
Any advice would be appreciated, I don't want to disturb him too much, but also don't want to leave him and not do anything to help if he needs it.
Thankyou!!
(hehee, I sound a bit like a stressed mum!)
I have a 5 month old spotted python, he's my first reptile and this will be my first experience of moult.
He has been moulting roughly once a month and I thought he was due for a moult, but I didn't see any signs (didn't see his eyes go milky/cloudy and couldn't detect much of a difference in his general colouration) and I was starting to get worried.
I came home tonight and he was coiled up on the warm side of his tank, half of his body upside down and his head resting sideways. He also looked like he had lumpy areas underneath his eyes. I had no idea what was happening and the only thing I could think of was that he was having trouble moulting, as he looked really uncomfortable and the lumps underneath his eyes look like half shed scales. I read all of the moulting posts and tried a few things. The humidity was really low, so I sprayed some water in the tank and put a bigger water dish over the top of the heat mat.
I gave him a bath in warm water and put him back into his tank. For about 15 minutes he wandered around the tank, rubbing his body on the branches, water dish and toilet rolls. He rubbed off a small section of his scales (about 2 or 3 cm below his head), but then gave up and stopped moving, resting with his head sideways again, like he was when I came home.
I have attached a photo of him lying with his head sideways. This time he had it tucked around the cord for the thermostat probe.
Is this normal moulting behaviour? Or does he need more assistance to help him (ie. another water bath)?
Any advice would be appreciated, I don't want to disturb him too much, but also don't want to leave him and not do anything to help if he needs it.
Thankyou!!
(hehee, I sound a bit like a stressed mum!)
