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20-01-2008, 03:43 PM
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Beginner's Guide to Moist Hides
As you probably know, when a snake is coming up to shed, they will 'go blue' as you can see below.
 This is your sign to take action. During the period between going blue and when the snake sheds his/her skin, you will need to increase the humidity in the viv to ensure that the skin is shed in one piece. There is a danger that if you do not do this, some of the shed is retained and does not come off cleanly. You should spray your viv with water a couple of times a day to raise the general humidity - there are humidity gages available which will allow you to monitor the levels. In addition to spraying, it is also very helpful to put a moist hide in the viv, which will give the snake a place to go so they themselves are able to regulate their own humidity. In my experience snakes are quite capable of 'deciding' that they need to do this. Here is how to make a moist hide. Firstly select a tub of some kind with a lid, that is of sufficient size for your snake to fit into. As with all hides, a snake will feel more secure if they are able to touch the sides, so don't choose one that is too big. In this example I will be using a margarine tub, but tupperware boxes etc will do the job just as well.  Take the tub and cut a round hole in the top. You should ensure that the hole is at least twice as wide as the snake. You do not want to come across your snake (as I have) stuck half in and half out of the hole because they decided to turn around and come back out again!  Once the hole is cut, get some Sphagnum Moss. This is available online in a number of reptile stores, and also on eBay. For this example I have used dried sphagnum moss, which comes in the form of a compacted brick. Break off a small amount and place it in the tub. Add water gradually and break apart the compacted moss piece by piece - you will find it swells and grows a lot as you so this. Keep adding water until all the moss is broken apart and it is saturated. Once you have done this, squeeze out all of the water that you are able to - this will give you the correct level of moisture in the moss. There should be no standing water in the bottom of the tub.  The final step is to put the lid back on and place it in the viv. Your snake should then make his or her way there! Ensure you spray the hide as well as the rest of the viv throughout the shedding period to ensure that the humidity is maintained. I would recommend putting a moist hide in the cool end of the viv so the heat does not dry it out.  Moist hides are also very useful if your snake does have a bad shed. If you find skin is still attached after your snake has shed, you should bathe your snake in warm (but not hot) water for 30 mins or so. Then place the snake in the hide and you should find the rest of the shed comes off without too much trouble. A little assistance can be given in removing the skin from the snake if needed. This is also an excellent way to remove retained eye caps (the scales that sit over a snake's eyes), as trying to do this yourself can cause serious damage if you are not sure how to do it safely. Good luck making your moist hides!
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20-01-2008, 03:48 PM
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Thanks i found this really useful
 I have a corn that was born with a few kinks in his tail so around shed , i'll add one of these, i'm sure he'll like it
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Two big babies Tammy the terrier and Ellie the yorky!  Two noisy Chins Betty and Bubbles. Cornsnake Guss the old grouch Royal python Savannah
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10-02-2008, 05:10 PM
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Moist Hide
Does the moist hide have to be nice and hot also how moist does it have to be ?
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Theplumber
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10-02-2008, 05:20 PM
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I use this for leos. and place mine in the hot end so its humid.
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14-02-2008, 05:44 PM
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Quote:
As Drummerkid says, you can put it in the hot end if you wish, it will need spraying more often to stop it drying out. I aim for the level of moisture where I have fully squeezed all the water I can by hand out of the moss. This is moist enough to benefit the snake, and ensures they are not sat in standing water for long periods which can lead to scale rot and other unpleasent conditions.
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simple and who needs to spend a bunch of money?? good post!
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