quote:

---

Originally posted by mikerichards

i read an interesting article earlier, made complete sense.
once the snake is blue, the skin is separated, its dead, and completely waterproof!
Misting whilst the snake is blue is kinda like watering a dead plant, too little too late.
If your setup is correct, and humidity right, then you have no need to mist, or give a damp hide.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Louise32

I dont use moss boxes for any of my corns.

Never had any shed problems.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by lotabob

See I am of the opinion and can be corrected if I'm wrong that the skin once dead ie once the skin goes cloudy which is the skin seperating from the new skin underneath as CentricMalteser said once that secretion process is over the dead skin will dry out and cause a bad shed as it is brittle. The humidity is to help keep that layer moist enough to still have a small amount of flexability while they shed. All skin is to an extent water resistant but not totally sealed so humidity does help but like Mike says too, if your humidity is correct the skin is already hydrated so has retained moisture once it seperates. So to summarise, moss boxes etc will help but not to any massive extent and the best way to aid a shed is to keep the snake in ideal conditions 100% of the time.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by mikerichards

quote:

---

Originally posted by lotabob

See I am of the opinion and can be corrected if I'm wrong that the skin once dead ie once the skin goes cloudy which is the skin seperating from the new skin underneath as CentricMalteser said once that secretion process is over the dead skin will dry out and cause a bad shed as it is brittle. The humidity is to help keep that layer moist enough to still have a small amount of flexability while they shed. All skin is to an extent water resistant but not totally sealed so humidity does help but like Mike says too, if your humidity is correct the skin is already hydrated so has retained moisture once it seperates. So to summarise, moss boxes etc will help but not to any massive extent and the best way to aid a shed is to keep the snake in ideal conditions 100% of the time.

---

I am not entirely sure as to why bad sheds happen, but, once the skin is dead, when the process has started, its incapable of retaining, or absorbing moisture, try it, the next shed you get, see if you can get any water to pass through it, i havent tried it yet.
The blue is not the skin separating as such, its a fluid that is secreted between the layers of skin, i think thats what you mean, but i thought i would point it out anyway.
there are many things that can have an effect on how well the snake shed its skin, obviously its environment, stress is a big one, it upsets the bodies natural balance, and as such, a lot of normally standard processes are not done properly.
dont forget though, if you have a busy viv, then you are more likely to have what appears to be a 'bad shed', when in reality, there is so much stuff in there, that the snake has not managed to do it without catching it and tearing it.
A real bad shed basically looks like the skin exploded off the snake, my big boa was awesome at doing that!!!
the thing is, if you have a correct setup, with the right temps and humidity, then you do not need a damp hide at all.
i am fairly certain that in the wild, a damp hide doesnt appear when they are about to shed.
Get the habitat right, you wont have any issues.
in 23 years, i have never had to give a damp hide to a corn.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by CentricMalteser

M
skin is very water repellant and waterproof, however, because the skin is dry and brittle, microscopically, because the snake is too big for its dead skin, there are microscopic tears, so for instance if soasked in water prior to snakey breaking free, you would in fact be able to start peeling it back (like you would on the tail), and NO I AM NOT RECOMMENDING THIS! lol

where as a light misting, or a moss box, would not have this effect as the dead skin is not submerged into complete water, and therefore would very highly unlikely help with a shed

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by gmac

quote:

---

Originally posted by CentricMalteser

M
skin is very water repellant and waterproof, however, because the skin is dry and brittle, microscopically, because the snake is too big for its dead skin, there are microscopic tears, so for instance if soasked in water prior to snakey breaking free, you would in fact be able to start peeling it back (like you would on the tail), and NO I AM NOT RECOMMENDING THIS! lol

where as a light misting, or a moss box, would not have this effect as the dead skin is not submerged into complete water, and therefore would very highly unlikely help with a shed

---

you never ever peel back a snakes tail that has been retained even after soaking.

The moss box is to raise humidity to allow the snake to shed itself without intervention, that may well stress it by taking a partially sighted, possibly jumpy and defensive snake and submerging it in water, and to say the moss box is unlikely to help is really quite short sighted and naive. The moss hide has more than proven itself to work.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by CentricMalteser

stop being padantic

---