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MissCat
Fully Grown Royal
1971 Posts |
 Posted - 02/06/2010 : 09:38:23
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Okay, this is just theory that i've sussed out from my own experiences and from talking to other keepers.
I'm not suggesting this is fact, but thought it would be interesting to discuss.
It's often said that when your royal goes blue, to keep a moist hide in the viv for the snake to help it shed.
Now, i've been told that this isn't ENTIRELY necessary, because once the snake goes blue, the skin due to be shed goes hard and is no longer porous, thus baths and moist hides are pointless. The skin underneath secretes oils which help to lubricate the sloughing skin. This is when your snake may get dehydrated (and why it can get wrinkly) so a moist hide may help with the dehydration...but not the preparation to sloughing itself.
This is also why you may find tiny white blisters on the snakes body, a build up of oils underneath the skin (there is a link to these blisters and being kept too wet/too dry but I'd have to go find the link that explains that so bear with me).
I've found generally, with snakes that I do not offer moist hides to, that they urinate while actually shedding, I believe this is their way to raise the humidity during the actual act of ecdysis which implies that this is the only time during the process where a higher humidity is needed. Of course, I'm not saying that we shouldn't provide a moist hide when they go blue, I think it's common knowledge that it helps the process.
But I think our reasoning behind giving them one needs to be understood- I don't think it actually HELPS the skin prepare for the shed, but I think it helps the snake stay hydrated enough to produce enough oils and urine to do it themselves. It also helps soften up sections of skin which may remain if it IS a bad shed. (my theory is that the water get's under the shedding skin and softens it that way, to lift it off and the top layer of shedding skin remains non-porous- I'd love to get some under a microscope!- this is why the bathing/pillowcase method only seems to work on sections of retained shed rather than a whole retained shed, this is something I noticed when my little man had nearly 100% retained shed, with the exception of a small patch under his chin)
Sorry if it sounds like I'm rambling or if this is a pointless thread, but I thought it would be interesting to discuss your thoughts. |
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MissCat
Fully Grown Royal
1971 Posts |
Posted - 02/06/2010 : 09:41:12
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| I should also point out that one of my royals, drinks a lot, I see her take a good long drink at least once a day. I don't give her a moist hide when she sheds, but she does urinate while shedding and has a perfect shed every time. |
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MissCat
Fully Grown Royal
1971 Posts |
Posted - 02/06/2010 : 09:49:11
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I also wonder about the positioning of the hide (i.e cool end/warm end).
E.G if you mist the enclosure, then measure the humidity of the air, it may be a perfect humidity. BUT the water droplets fall on the ground surface to evaporate into the air later.
So...you now have a ground surface level of humidity of say 90%+ which is bad for the snake (causes blisters...i promise I'll find the link) BUT the air is perfect humidty. Except the snake is not in the air, is it?
The same could be said for a damp hide, in the cool end, the water will not evaporate too fast, BUT you will be left with an overall ground surface level humidity that is too high, in the warm end it will evaporate faster, BUT the air level humidity will be higer for longer, which can be linked to teh increased risk of R.I's.
I'm not suggesting that we change the way we do things, if they work for you. But I like to think about these things :) |
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Blackecho
Royal Python Admin
United Kingdom
11327 Posts |
Posted - 02/06/2010 : 11:14:00
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| Agree with the bits I've taken in (scan-reading at work), moist hides are not much use when the snake is already in shed. As for humidity, as long as your Royal sheds ok, the humidity is fine, I don't measure mine. |
 
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spor
Fully Grown Royal
United Kingdom
1226 Posts |
Posted - 02/06/2010 : 17:37:24
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| all very interesting cat will have to get on later this evening have another read and a big long reply. good discussing topic and great time of year for it to start as i am sure there will be a flux of new members soon with there newly hatched royals. |
0.4.0 Royal Python
1.0.0 Pastel Royal
0.1.0 Spider Royal
1.1.0 Carolina Corn Snake
1.0.0 Normal Stripe Corn
1.0.0 Yellow Bellied Turtle
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Robert
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
957 Posts |
Posted - 02/06/2010 : 19:29:44
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| It's an interesting topic, I always keep a moist hide in my vivs they are tupperware boxes with a damp flannel inside which I moisten more when they are showing signs of precedysis, they do tend to use them and so far I have never seen a bad shed they all shed completely, right now I have two yearlings that have spent 24 hours in their moist boxes and I know they are close to shed despite the humidity being at 50% in the room so i guess they have a choice and they always seem to use it. it is worth further thought but I guess I have adopted this method because it seems to work for them. |
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spor
Fully Grown Royal
United Kingdom
1226 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2010 : 14:30:00
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i haven't bothered with damp hides on most of mine for the last couple of sheds. as some use some don't etc etc. have misted a bit but what i do now is look over their records for there last few sheds to get and idea of when it could be due if they have been feeding at the same rate. and mist if i need to to keep the humidity at a good 50-55% level from about a week before that suspected date...
i would be of the opinion now that if a damp hide is really going to work it needs to be there in that period of time before the shed turns blue to keep it supple and would also say that it helps during the actual shed as the dead skin takes a more rubbery quality which peels back easier for the snake. |
0.4.0 Royal Python
1.0.0 Pastel Royal
0.1.0 Spider Royal
1.1.0 Carolina Corn Snake
1.0.0 Normal Stripe Corn
1.0.0 Yellow Bellied Turtle
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mischang
Yearling
United Kingdom
482 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2010 : 18:40:26
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| to be fair i find what works best for myself is a damp moss hide in cool end full time only needs to rewatered every 2 weeks and when they are blue i tend to put a even slighly dry towel in just to rub on i throw the moss away every shed , however if they dont shed very offen you would have to watch for mould spores , 3 of mine shed 100% even eye caps , 2 of them never used to when i was misting but my humiity is 40-55 on cool side which is not by the book but thats what i find keeps them happy and healthy and feeding well. |
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Shedding and moist hides.
