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Jimbobby
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
9 Posts |
 Posted - 17/06/2010 : 16:46:13
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Hi,
I'm a complete newbie to keeping snakes and bought a young, female hognose last Saturday. The seller told me that she was about to shed as her eyes were cloudy and blue, and not to feed her until after the shedding process had completed. Well, its now 5 days since then and nothing seems to have happened. I'm keeping the vivarium moist by occasional spraying and by having a small plastic box filled with damp paper towel in it. Is this normal and should I start to feed her anyway? I wouldn't like her to starve in the first week of having her!
Any advice would be very welcome. Thanks. |
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Andy_G
Egg
Canada
61 Posts |
Posted - 17/06/2010 : 17:03:00
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| Snakes take a very long time to starve so don't worry about that.. The average cycle takes about a week to complete, sometimes longer. Wait until it has shed before trying to feed it. |
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LouiseB
Yearling Hoggie
United Kingdom
624 Posts |
Posted - 18/06/2010 : 14:47:20
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Sometimes it can take more than 5 days from the cloudy-eyed stage to the actual shed, so it's definitely nothing to worry about yet. You're doing the right thing with having a damp hide for her and it will make it easier for her to get the skin off in one go.
Also agree with Andy about starving - snakes can go for weeks and months without eating and often without detrimental effect. Try feeding her after she's shed, and if she doesn't want to eat, just leave her be and try again in a few days.
You can also keep an eye on her weight, and then at least you'll know if she does lose any. |
1.0.0. Western hognose (Baldrick)
0.1.0. Amel bloodred corn snake (Cornflake)
R.I.P. Bob (Western hognose) |
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Jimbobby
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
9 Posts |
Posted - 18/06/2010 : 17:30:33
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Thanks for the replies - very helpful.
When it's your first snake and you don't know if you are doing the right thing, it's great to have a forum like this with helpul and knowledgeable members to put you on the right track!  |
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Andy_G
Egg
Canada
61 Posts |
Posted - 20/06/2010 : 05:19:57
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| To further comfort you, I must add that baby hognose snakes are especially resiliant and hardy. Some baby snakes are surprisingly fragile but these little guys are pretty rugged in comparison. |
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Advice on shedding and feeding, please.
