Shedding
Every snake and most other reptiles need to shed their skin so they can grow and
stay clean. A snake's skin is entirely waterproof and exists in one big piece.
Their scales shouldn't separate during a shed, so a full piece of shedded skin,
from head to tail, is important.
How do snakes shed?
How do I know my Boa is going to shed?
What else can I do ensure a good shed?
How do I know if the shed was successful?
HELP! My Boa didn't shed in one complete piece!
What should I do if the eyecaps didn't come off during the shed?
How do snakes shed?
Once they have produced enough skin for the old skin to come off, the old skin begins to die. This is where humidity in the tank is absolutely critical. In order to get a proper shed, the snake needs to get water underneath the dead skin, so it all comes off in one big piece.
How do I know my Boa is going to shed?
You should see the Boa's eyes turn a milky white or a milky blue. This is when
they are referred to as "in the blue". You shouldn't disturb them during this
time, as they can't see much of anything and they tend to get defensive. They
will get a little bit stressed during this time, so leaving them alone is the
best idea.
After they complete the "blue" phase, their eyes will return to normal and seem
fine. However, they still HAVEN'T shed. In 2-7 days they will complete the shed.
It's okay to handle them during this time, but feeding isn't such a good idea.
Be patient, they will shed.
Feeding right after a shed is a good idea, if you skipped a feeding because of
it. They usually work up an appetite after all of that work. Feeding during the
shed cycle isn't a good idea, and it's alright if your Boa misses a feeding
because of a shed cycle. Once the shed is complete, try feeding. They should be
pretty quick to take it.
What else can I do ensure a good shed?
You should make sure the tank is holding humidity, most importantly. If your
humidity is above 60% during shed, then you should be fine. Some people like
raising it to 70%, which is also helpful. Also, make sure your Boa has something
even a little rigid to rub up against. Newspaper should be fine, but you might
need something almost rock-like to rub up against. Most reptile hides will have
this texture unless you are using boxes.
Another thing people will do to help their snake out is to spray down the tank
(or mist) with a spray bottle or something similar. Your Boa might get a little
scared from the water, but they really like it as it helps them shed and makes
their skin feel very good and moist. Don't over spray though. A few sprays on
the tank in the morning should do the trick.
A tip that I like to tell people to assist with shedding is to soak your Boa in
tepid water. On the third day after the Boa is out of "blue", soak it for about
30 minutes in ROOM TEMPERATURE water. The water SHOULD NOT be warm to the touch.
If you need to measure it's temperature, it should be no warmer than 80F. Warm
water to a human is around 95F.. THIS IS TOO HOT!
Boa Soaking
While soaking, use a Rubbermaid tub as the bathtub doesn't work well at all for
young Boas. When filling up the Rubbermaid tub, only put about a half-inch of
water in there. The Boa should not have to swim! It should be able to sit in the
water without puffing up to stay afloat. A half-inch of water for younger Boas
is a good place to start.
After the soak, your Boa should shed the night of, or the day after the soaking.
How do I know if the shed was successful?
You should see a big piece of skin in your Boa's tank, and it's colors should be
VERY bright.
Same Boa, before and after shed
The first thing you should check for on full piece of shedded skin is to assure
that the snake's eyecaps came off. Look at the part of the skin where the head
is, and make sure you can see both pieces of skin intact where his/her eyes
should have been.
Shedding Process
If the shed is in one piece and the eyecaps came off with the shed, then it was
successful!
HELP! My Boa didn't shed in one complete piece!
This can happen from time to time. Assure that you were holding at least 60%
humidity during the shed. Did you spray the tank down during the shedding cycle?
Did you soak on the third day after your Boa is out of the blue?
If you didn't try all of the above, then you should try for it next time.
For the time being, you should soak the Boa and see if you can get the rest of
the skin off. Soak the Boa (as instructed above) for anywhere up to an hour and
see if the skin gets any looser. If you soak for more than 20 minutes at a time,
make sure to change out the water every so often to keep it somewhat warm. Try
that for the first day. If all of the skin comes off, great. If it doesn't, try
soaking again the next day, and after you take the Boa out of the water, let it
towel dry. You can gently rub the boa to see if you can get the skin off.
Sometimes you can make a hole for it to crawl through. Put a slight amount of
pressure on the Boa and it should help get the skin off.
If this STILL doesn't work after a few days, then you might have a more severe
problem. Take your Boa to a local exotic pet or reptile vet, and have him/her
checked out.
What should I do if the eyecaps didn't come off during the shed?
Raise the humidity and give it a few days. If it still doesn't work, try using a Q-tip with water or a dab of mineral oil, and try gently rubbing it off. It should come off without any troubles.
