Spotted shed gone wrong???

[Brianp]

Hi guys,
Just wondering if i could get peoples opinions. My blonde spotted is 5 months old and on his recent shed (friday) he came out from hiding on friday and started to pull his skin off. it only came off in rather small sections. come saturday morning he had only half shed, I left him thinking that he would get the rest off on saturday night, but he didnt, come sunday afternoon i got him out to ave a closer look. He had shed around his eyes and mouth but not under his mouth. the tail section had come off too. the rest of his body was mixed with old and new skin. I placed him in a container of warm water and he let me remove all of his old skin except for underneath his mouth. my question is why has this shed gone so wrong? is it common or am i doing something wrong? i fed him sunday night hoping that it would help loosen the skin under his mouth but it didnt. His hot side is set at 31 and the cool side around 24. any info would be great.

 

[J-A-X]

Is it his first shed with you ? If so I wouldn't be too concerned, all 6 of mine had 'patchy ' first sheds, I put it down to stress as they all shed fine now.
As for the retained skin under the chin, get a warm damp face washer and let him cruise over it, or gently wipe under his chin(have the cloth wet for the first few passes, then wring it out a bit) it will take a few 'runs' over the cloth but it should eventually peel off. Very few will dunk their head underwater but they seem to enjoy the warmth of the cloth and the rough texture helps lift it

 

[Brianp]

J-A-X this is his third shed with me. But i moved houses a month ago so its his first in this house. i thought the cold weather in the last week may have had something to do with it, but i wasnt sure. i had a container of warm water yesterday which i used to help remove everything else. He had his head under the water a few times but it didnt peel off. He was happy for me to assist in peeling off the skin everywhere except his mouth area. I tried a couple times but he pulled away and didnt seem to like it to much.

 

[Wing_Nut]

While we can't keep spotted pythons here in WA, with Antaresia, shedding issues are often related to tempreture issues and humidity usually does nothing to fix the situation. A basking spot of 32C and cool end or ambient tempreture between 26-29C is ideal. I would suggest bumping your temps slightly and this will help resolve any further shedding issues. Assisting the shed in the manner described above should rectify the issue as it stands

Kind regards

Wing_Nut

 

[J-A-X]

He won't like you fiddling around his head, hence the face washer- it's not as threatening and a move can be stressful for humans let alone a young animal, new smells, all the added vibrations etc etc etc
I'm sure his next shed will be fine, but try the face washer, you've nothing to lose

 

[bohdi13]

While we can't keep spotted pythons here in WA, with Antaresia, shedding issues are often related to tempreture issues and humidity usually does nothing to fix the situation. A basking spot of 32C and cool end or ambient tempreture between 26-29C is ideal. I would suggest bumping your temps slightly and this will help resolve any further shedding issues. Assisting the shed in the manner described above should rectify the issue as it stands

Kind regards

Wing_Nut

Not questioning your knowledge or trying to start anything but I was under the influence of it being easier for reptiles to shed in higher humidity as it would loosen the skin, hence the reason for bathing reptiles that have had a bad shed or them soaking in the water bowl before shedding...
could you inform me of how higher temperatures would help a reptiles slough come off?

 

[Wing_Nut]

Antaresia have evolved to thrive in a low humidity environment, and in my experience do well with a large range of the humidity so long as they have ambient temperatures between 26-29, and the usual basking spot. Humidity doesn't seem to help them once they have a issue with shedding however temperature being either too high or too low is in my opinion is the underlying issue that causes shedding issues.

So while higher temperatures is not the solution, keeping Antaresia within these temperature ranges generally prevents shedding issues developing. Perhaps someone with more experience with Antaresia could add more.


Regards

Wing_Nut

 

[Brianp]

Thank you for all the info, it has helped alot. I had a closer look today with the temp gun and i found that the click clack on the hot side has actually started to warp and i can push the base down with my finger. which meant where my probe is in the corner was still getting the full temp but in the middle where his rock is was only getting to 28-29 deg at best. so i swapped the tank so the cool side is now the hot side. I'll keep an eye on it and if he doesnt shed properly next time i will be more concerned... how young is young enough to put him into a bigger permamnant tank?

 

[J-A-X]

In my opinion a permanent enclosure is best as soon as possible, they're easier to get a decent temperature gradient. As long as they have plenty of hiding spots like behind large rocks, logs/stumps (set on the base of the enclosure before adding loose substrate so they can't burrow under it) or shrubbery and ample choice of hides and its escape proof then go ahead.

 

[Brianp]

awesome! i was told by the breeder to leave him in the click clack for up to 12 months, which seemed like the common trend. I'll hapily put him in to his normal enclosure, would it be best to stick with two hides and branches for him or keep everything on the ground?

 

[J-A-X]

I'd keep it at ground level or close to it, spotteds aren't known for their gymnastic ability. Give as many hiding places as you can think of, put his current ones in too so something is at least familiar. Especially if you're providing ground heat. He knows his hide is warm so keep it that way.

You can remove hides that he doesnt use as he grows and gets more confident. To begin with he will appreciate lots of hiding spots if he gets scared
Just triple check for escape points you'd be surprised how they find the smallest gap and squeeze through it. And a lock on the access point !

 

[Brianp]

Thanks for the advice! looks like i'll be looking for a new home for him now when he is out n about he spends alot of time on the vine. so i might get him a branch to hide in also