Hydra

[aquamentus_11]

looks like she's about to shed. this is her 2nd shed in 3 weeks. how can she be growing without any eating?

[mikem]

have you used Rid with <1y old snakes too?

yep. just make sure it's completely dried before putting the snake back in. i wouldn't bother using it though unless you actually see mites on her.

edit: oh and another place mites can come from is bedding. i've purchased bedding that actually had some mites in it. not sure how common this is, but it's happened to me once.

[aquamentus_11]

ok, cool

[EasternGirl]

I was wondering if an impending shed could be a possibilty. If she is shedding and growing, these are all good signs, Nate. She is apparently not hungry right now. I think she will eat when she is ready...I don't think she will starve.

[aquamentus_11]

is 2 times in less than month a normal rate of growth? tina, when were they born again?

[EasternGirl]

I honestly don't know what a normal rate for shedding is...it seems like different snakes shed at different rates. Hermes is almost 8 mos and he has shed twice since I got him at the end of November. He seems to be growing at a good rate. Seeley is maybe 2 years old, probably less...he doesn't eat well...and he sheds every couple of months. Cee Cee is full grown...and she has been shedding a lot lately...about every 3 weeks the last 3 sheds...but it's possible she is gravid.

[garterchick]

They were born in early July of last year.I think shedding twice in 3 weeks is within normal paremeters, I bet she'll start eating soon.

[EasternGirl]

Yeah, Nate...I'm thinking...my snakes go into shed mode a couple of weeks before a shed. It can take them a couple of weeks to get up to the cloudy eye phase, and then a couple of days to a week until the eyes clear up, and then it takes a few more days before they actually shed. Many garters want nothing to with food during the whole shedding process. So, if she has shed twice in the last 3 weeks...then she has pretty much been in shed mode the whole time you have had her, which could completely explain why she hasn't been eating. I would hold off on offering any food at this point and then as soon as she is finished shedding, offer food.

[aquamentus_11]

ok i'll try. she did try to eat that fish right after her last shed.

[EasternGirl]

What happened with that again? Why didn't she eat it?