The genetic testing could be a game changer. Being a vet tech and a breeder this is the kind of technology I've been longing for. Will contribute for sure!
My Champagne male finally had his first shed since I purchased him, he was able to shed his head perfectly (eye caps and all) but his body ended up pretty patchy so I'll be making sure to more closely monitor humidity levels next time I see him getting close.
I nave a rosy boa, her favorite shedding tool is a cow skull i have in the tank. Its very old and has been properly sterilized, but the rough texture of the bone, she loves to rub on it when removing her shed. It has nooked and crannies as well as a porous texture so she removes her sheds with it in just a few minutes. I find it interesting of all the wood and rock pieces in her enclosure the skull is her go to, but like i said its slightly rough texture with large smooth spots i can understand why she uses it.
The first video that was actually super helpful and answered all the questions I had! I just got a snake (it was surrendered by a lady who was down on her luck) and after a week, the snake was getting ready to shed. Her eyes were cloudy, etc. But. Her eyes went back to normal and I was trying to research on whether snakes can "reverse" the shedding process.. couldn't really find any info till this video! Super helpful video, thank you! And yes, I made a humidity box just in case and the snake had a perfect shed the day after!
Thank you Justin for highlighting this website and group; while vast resources are dedicated to understanding dogs and other domesticated animals, little is known about BPs. Hopefully more research will come in the future, which I believe could also impact the recreational BP community by providing information which is not possible to discover by observation of phenotypes. For example, their discovery that Lavender albinos are animals with a very small amount of melanin, as opposed to an ordinary albino with virtually no melanin, is highly insightful.
thank you for the info! as a newer keeper of a ball python i never thought about the eye caps and nostrils. i'll definitely be keeping that in mind now.
That study sounds so interesting if the testing actually works! Could bring a whole new level to breeding, being able to know exact genetics from hatchling without having to raise up
My big girl is in shed but she got a pink belly that reaches all the way to her mouth. I was freaking out thinking she has mouth rot until I looked at her belly. Nothing swollen but I started getting concerned cause I’ve never had to deal with mouth rot.
Maybe it's just me, but it seems some BPs also get moody when they go into shed too. My oldest has loudly hissed at me while in shed, and straight up pushed my hand away once! I knew she was done shedding once I started seeing her curiously poking her head out of her hide like she normally does when she hears/sees me nearby. My youngest doesn't get mean n' moody, but he will become less social and active. He's usually climbing and exploring his space all night until it's time to shed, at that point he prefers to just stay in his hide.
So me and my lady have two ball pythons and most of the time before they shed if you look at there belly’s they turn pink. And it’s always good to give your snake a bath helps them a lot.👍🏽
