| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| JBOB |
Posted - 14/02/2013 : 22:41:59
I have a yearling Pueblan Milk and a 3mth Royal and both are in shed. I've only had my milk shed once since I've had her and it's the first for my Royal since I got him. Her first shed all came off but in bits and someone on here suggested a hide with moist Sphagnum moss.
Question is when to put the hide in the viv / rub ? When they are blue or when the eyes clear up ?
I've made two hides from tupperware boxes that have a hole in the lid just big enough for them to get in and out. I just put it into her viv to see if it would fit between the hides and she got into it lol
Thanks
J |
| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| anatess |
Posted - 19/02/2013 : 19:48:20
You don't need a humid hide if you have control of the humidity inside the viv. A milk snake does not have the same humidity requirements as a royal. Milk snakes are tolerant of low humidity as well as high humidity, whereas a royal needs humidity of 50%.
During a shed cycle, you can raise the humidity of the entire viv to 70% to aid in the shedding process and then bring it back down after the shed.
Now, some viv designs and environments have a hard time raising the humidity. For example, London is usually humid throughout the year whereas North Florida gets into seasons where humidity can go really high or really low which affects our vivs.
The problem with 24/7 humid hides as opposed to fixing the humidity in the viv itself is that snakes have a tendency to pick spots by considering all factors, not necessary just what they need at that specific time. So, although a snake needs humidity, it may prefer not to seek the humid spot in exchange for a perceived loss in security or a less desirable temperature.
So, if your snake is not getting consistent good sheds and you can't do anything more with the viv's humidity, you can optionally make his hide a humid hide so that he can get the added humidity in his regular "happy place". I haven't had to do this ever since I moved the snakes to RUBs. When I did this before, I would put the humid hide right after the eyes clear and take it out after the shed is done.
Hope this helps. |
| Tweek |
Posted - 18/02/2013 : 18:53:24
I used to keep one in there all the time & she would use it whenever she felt like it, whether she was going to shed or not. But when she hit about 500 grams she stopped using it & hasn't used one since. |
| red123 |
Posted - 17/02/2013 : 20:04:04
Don't think I said that a humid hide will give better internal hydration. A humid hide will help shedding but snakes benefit from having it in the viv all the time so they can choose if they need higher humidity or not.
Poor living conditons are likely to cause health problems. Wet filthy cages where the snake has no where to go that is clean and dry just as a viv that is to dry can cause R.I etc. Cleaning or changing the humid hide should be part of regular cleaning as with all other cleaning duties. |
| Lotabob |
Posted - 17/02/2013 : 12:28:53
I fail to see how a damp hide will provide better internal hydration than the water bowl which is in there 24/7 or the food that they eat. Damp hides are only put in to keep the now dead skin from drying out before it is shed. I never use them, I find misting the foliage and a damp facecloth over a hide to be more than sufficient for aiding a good shed. Damp hides are a breeding ground for mould, fungi and bacteria and need to be cleaned out every few days as those nasties are the number one cause of RI's and scale rot. It's not to say that if properly maintained you can't have a damp hide in all the time it's just there are easier ways to manage humidity and hydration.
Snakes do not internally regulate their temperature and as such they do not have sweat glands, almost no water exchange is performed at the skin either they are almost totally waterproof. What goes in and out of a snake happens at the two ends and because of their low body temperature little to no water is lost in their outward breaths (unlike hot blooded ones that lose moisture just by breathing), so the main way a snake loses water is out through their poop and if they have too much water they will have a wee, if not they reclaim the water and drop a urate instead.
Lack of humidity can affect the health of a snake but its about understanding the range of humidity that each snake is tolerant of. Royals are fine between 50-90% humidity, but the higher you go the more chance you are allowing nasties to accumulate in that environment so keeping toward the lower end reduces that chance without affecting its health.
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| red123 |
Posted - 17/02/2013 : 08:58:55
I have recently been speaking to a very good breeder/keeper about humid hides. I have been advised to keep them in the viv all the time. According to this person a snake needs good internal hydration to shed and just giving a humid hide occasionally will not help. I was told that low level dehydration will take years to affect the snake but can lead to kidney failure and eventual death. Any snake will use a humid hide when it feel it needs to regardless of whether it is in shed or not. |
| acd1984 |
Posted - 15/02/2013 : 20:55:50
I wait till they clear up and then pop a damp sock in the warm hide. Works a treat |
| richard v |
Posted - 15/02/2013 : 08:22:23
I up the humidity soon as I notice they have gone or going into blue put moss in his favourite hide and spray lightly twice a day, never had any problems the whole time I have had him. |
| GMac |
Posted - 14/02/2013 : 22:57:13
I add it when they clear.
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| jbarlow91 |
Posted - 14/02/2013 : 22:45:51
I don't use them but I don't think it really matters when u put them in cause the snake will use it whenever it wants to over the shedding cycle |
