Helping Your Ball Python Shed Successfully

Due to their wonderful, gentle disposition and beautiful markings, Royal Ball Pythons (python regius) are becoming increasingly popular as pets in the United States. Having a reptile as a pet allows one to experience the joys of caring for an animal, while also entertaining curiosities about nature. Ball pythons are a marvelous educational experience for animal lovers of all ages. These snakes are easy to take care of, generally staying less than five feet in length. The most common problem owners of snakes have is getting them to have cleaner, easier sheds. Many Ball Pythons have trouble shedding due to imbalances in humidity, temperature, and improper cage decor.

Most commonly, Ball Pythons have trouble shedding due to too little or too much habitat humidity. Low humidity leads to dry stubborn sheds that are almost impossible to peel off. High humidity tends to cause the skin to not peel off in solid pieces. The goal is to have your snake shedding their skin in one piece. This is healthiest for your Ball Python and will save you time with cage cleanup. Correcting the humidity in your snake’s cage is also a way to ensure that no stubborn eye caps remain, which can damage your pet’s eyesight and make them irritable. If your snake is in a glass aquarium, wetting a towel and placing it over the lid will greatly help the humidity. Another trick is to place the water dish over or near the habitats heater. This will cause more water to evaporate, and will encourage your snake to spend more time near the water. Keeping a snakes water warm means that you must clean out their water dish every day, as heat facilitates the growth of bacteria.

My personal trick for ensuring a clean shed is to put two inches of warm water in my bathtub and soak the Python as soon as its belly begins to turn pink and its eyes begin to fog over. Doing this once every three days will make a huge difference in the speed and cleanliness of your snake’s sheds.

The decorations you choose for your Ball Python’s habitat are very important for the success of each shed. Items such as smooth sticks or shelters made of plastic are too slick and will not help your snake peel off skin. Animals who shed need at least one rough surface to rub against in order to be able to get all of the skin off. The more rough surfaces in the habitat, the better. If you have ever watched your Royal Python shed, you have seen the amount of pressure it applies to the surface it is rubbing against during a shed. If you do not provide a rough enough surface your snake will not be able to remove its skin, regardless of humidity or temperature.

The final trick to helping a Ball Python shed is adjusting the temperature. Leaving the cage at room temperature simply is not enough when you are taking care of any cold-blooded animal. Ball Pythons need heaters that are large enough for them lay over, but that are not hot enough to cause burns. These Pythons are notorious for getting heater burns so you should never use a hot rock as a heat source. Increasing the overall temperature in the cage through a proper heater and by cranking up the thermostat in the room will cause any Ball Python to be more active. Pythons kept in a room under 70 degrees will be reluctant to move, causing them to be reluctant to take care of shedding. Monitoring the temperature your Royal Ball Python is exposed to will give it more energy to shed quickly and completely.

Caring about your Royal Ball Pythons sheds will help your pet live a happier, longer life. Ball Pythons are animals who like to live in a clean habitat and have clean skin. Having poor sheds can crush your pet’s appetite and increase the likelihood of infections or blindness. Monitoring the sheds of your Royal Ball Python is a great way to make sure that your pet is in good health.