| T O P I C R E V I E W |
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Posted - 23/02/2012 : 12:51:42
I know I've posted these pics on another thread a while back, but I keep seeing questions about helping a snake to shed and using the damp pillowcase method, so ...here is what I do.
I'm afraid that my 'model' isn't a royal python, but my ghost corn, Spooky, and that the pillowcase in the pics isn't actually damp as she wasn't in need of shedding help, but, in essence, here is the pillowcase bath -
Take one snake in need of shedding help, one pillowcase, and a ventilated rub with a lid -
Damp the pillowcase. Just scrunch it up, give it a quick drench under the tap, cold water's fine as you're going to wring it out well and it will soon have reached room temperature. Give it a good wring; it doesn't want to be sopping, and put the snake in.
Then tie the top securely, and place in the rub.
Put the lid on the rub and place it in a warm room if the weather's cold, for 20 minutes. I like to stay close at hand. Now the snake will squirm about in the pillowcase, and the friction of the damp material, plus humidity, will help off those awkwardly stuck bits of shed.
I find that royal shed is a lot tougher than that of colubrids' and that a royal may need another go. But eventually, here we are - hopefully a shiny snake and a pillowcase full of skinny bits ...
Also at this stage, you can let the snake slither through your hands while still in the pillowcase, to apply a little gentle pressure to any remaining bits of skin.
The last time I used the pilllowcase bath, it was for Shadrach, my pine snake, who had just begun to get his shed off. After a while it was clear that he wasn't very happy. All that work, and only one ragged shred coming off his neck. I set up the pillowcase and rub, put him in, waited, and ...20 minutes later, a large mess and a small snake happily emerging from a nice damp skin. Worth laundering the pillowcase for!
With thanks to Spooky for her assistance.
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| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
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Posted - 25/02/2012 : 17:27:16
I hope you don't have to do it for him, but you never know, he might surprise you. Once you've got the snake in the pillowcase (which is quite easy as you just guide them in and craftily shuffle them to the bottom) and tied the top, he's powerless, and the more he wriggles and thumps about in the rub, the better it's going to work.
I once took the terrible Ziska upstairs for a photoshoot and, because she was carrying on alarming as usual, put her in a pillowcase to carry her back downstairs - much easier than arguing with what feels like 5' of animated hosepipe.
She liked it. Maybe it calmed her down, like putting your hand over a hen's eyes when you're carrying it, or putting a cloth over a canary's cage, but I spent the next hour or so with her curled up asleep on my lap in her new designer sleeping bag. |
| austin_89 |
Posted - 25/02/2012 : 16:41:03
Kane doesn't take anything calmly when he's in shed, i dread having to do stuff like this... |
| n/a |
Posted - 25/02/2012 : 12:34:04
Lol - I hope so too, but they seem to take it pretty calmly - I think it comes as a relief, and it's nice and dim in the pillowcase, not too stressful. |
| Tawfik47 |
Posted - 25/02/2012 : 10:56:28
quote:
Originally posted by BurnedAtTheStake
Thanks, Tawfik - no, there will be enough air in the pillowcase - air will pass through the material despite its being damp, as long as the rub is ventilated. It's similar to those bags people use for transporting snakes. And I like to knot the top securely as otherwise the snake will get out, and it has to stay in the pillowcase for the damp material to do its job.
Great, hope i won't have to use it with Blitz |
| n/a |
Posted - 24/02/2012 : 16:44:26
Thanks Jake - yes, hope you won't have to use the pillowcase - good luck with their sheds! |
| Scottydog |
Posted - 24/02/2012 : 15:16:10
This could come in useful, My two having just been re-housed have just gone into shed. Hope I wont have to use this but great thread. |
| n/a |
Posted - 24/02/2012 : 15:14:44
Thanks Mort - yes, couldn't have done it without Spooky lol, she performed perfectly. |
| mort13 |
Posted - 24/02/2012 : 14:14:24
Brill thread! Would be good to have on the other forums too.
Oh,and well done Spooky for her demonstrating skills. |
| n/a |
Posted - 23/02/2012 : 20:27:39
Thanks Pythonwizard - this might sound strange but when she arrived, she 'said', as she sashayed up on to her climbing branch - 'I am Salome Spooks. I am a girl.' So since I didn't know for sure if she was a girl, I called her Spooky. But she has been probed since, and she is a girl!
Lol, J, they do - some people think snakes don't relate to you, but I'm convinced they do; have had countless examples of this since the first corn hatchlings arrived. Snakes are people! |
| jbarlow91 |
Posted - 23/02/2012 : 19:18:19
My baby snake is like a dog lol when I put her on floor to play no matter who is in the room she always comes back to me |
| Pythonwizard |
Posted - 23/02/2012 : 19:09:26
Great thread BATS great name and snake |
| n/a |
Posted - 23/02/2012 : 19:05:03
Thanks J - Lol - Spooky is one of those 'golden labrador' snakes; like Saffy and Shadrach, she loves attention and loves to pose. I explained to her beforehand what I wanted and she followed directions like a snakey supermodel ...just had to promise her a platinum plated mouse come next feeding day lol! |
| jbarlow91 |
Posted - 23/02/2012 : 17:08:55
Good thread BATS. Bet spooky was wondering what was happing lol "what's she doing to me I aint in shed, and the pillow case aint even damp" lol |
| n/a |
Posted - 23/02/2012 : 14:07:54
Thanks, Tawfik - no, there will be enough air in the pillowcase - air will pass through the material despite its being damp, as long as the rub is ventilated. It's similar to those bags people use for transporting snakes. And I like to knot the top securely as otherwise the snake will get out, and it has to stay in the pillowcase for the damp material to do its job. |
| Tawfik47 |
Posted - 23/02/2012 : 13:39:10
Great thread Bats but i have one question, when u say: "tie the top securely" is there any chance that the snake will chock to death ? i mean it's hard to breath in there with top tied securely !! |
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