Eating Problems

[Mojo's Mom]

Okay, a little while ago I got a snake. It's a Brazilian Rainbow Boa, and he's still pretty small. We've had him for probably for little under a month.

He started shedding last week, and he didn't eat. This week I offered some food, and he still didn't eat. He looked almost done, we found his shedded skin. But his head and about in the middle of his body are still sort of clouded and a little bit wrinkly. He also hasn't appeared to have a bowel movement since starting to shed.He wasn't aggressive or anything, and his eyes have stopped being cloudy.

This is normal right? And there is nothing wrong with him? If there's anything I should watch for please tell me, thanks.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Do you have a damp towel available for your snake to get into to help in the shedding process? Often times a warm damp towel helps because of the abrasiveness of the terry-clothe.

 

[tortoise007]

he does sound a little dry maybe, but I know next to nothing about snakes.

 

[lisa127]

When you found his shed skin, was it all one long piece? Or was it in little pieces that he shed? With snakes it should be one long piece. Otherwise they are having trouble shedding. Rainbow boas need humidity. Warmth and humidity. So maybe his environment is too dry? It's normal not to eat during shedding time, though. Ken's idea about the towel is a good one, or you can make him a humid hide also.

 

[Tom]

Is your snake in a humid closed chamber? If not he should be. This species requires high humidity. Does it have a humid hid box? It should. A warm soak would likely help this situation, but if your enclosure is too dry, you will have a recurring and serious issue here.

 

[Mojo's Mom]

I've been keeping the humidity up since I noticed his cloudy eyes, I mist every night and the temp is around 90. I found a long strip that was mostly complete along with a smaller stubby strip that covered the areas the first didn't. I thought he was done, but when we offered him food next, he had more skin peeling off and cloudy eyes still. Of course he didn't eat...it's been about two weeks now, and when I checked him tonight he still had peeling, and I was able to help rub off some. Just offered him some food, rubbing his nose a lot. Hopefully he'll eat soon.

---

He just ate! Yes!

 

[Tom]

Take that tub he's eating in, fill it with long fibered sphagnum moss, make a little round hole for him to get in and out of, sink it into the substrate, cover the whole top of it with more moss, and you won't have this problem again.

 

[kjr153]

Don't tell me you're a snake expert too

Take that tub he's eating in, fill it with long fibered sphagnum moss, make a little round hole for him to get in and out of, sink it into the substrate, cover the whole top of it with more moss, and you won't have this problem again.