I have a female, just over a year old... she had been feeding normal and shedding normal since I got her in Dec 2007...

She hasn't eaten in maybe a month? She eats hoppers. Last time, about 2 weeks ago maybe, she grabbed one, thought we were good to go, but she let go and has been hiding in her rock ever since. She is acting like she has in past before shedding, but it just seems to be taking too long and instead of just being dull all over color wise, the top layer of skin looks white in spots on her head and down her back. I looked for pics or similar descriptions online but couldn't find anything. Her back white spots look more like she was out and about while someone was painting and she got tiny dabs over overspray; her head looks more like dry skin, just really white in the cracks around scales...

She spent a lot of time in her water the weeks before hiding in her rock, and I haven't seen her out on her heating pad to get warm at all. She is pretty cold to the touch, and obviously has lost weight.

She hasn't been the typical ball python as far as when you hold her, she tends to go exploring rather than ball up, and she continues to act like herself when Itake her out. Seems alert and interested...

So is this just a normal slow type shed or is there something else going on?

Its normal for a BP to go months without eating. Its just their nature. What are your temps? Did she have a complete shed last time?

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MARSHA
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Do the white spots wipe off ? My boa had mineral stains after soaking in her water for days. Our water is a little hard!

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I have to admit I dont know the temps. Previously she has shed in not fully one complete, but she normally leaves a full middle section, thats roughly 70% of it, with remainders on the tail and head. I wasnt truly worried about the not eating, it was mostly the coloring. Because she isn't dull all over, but white in small spots.

I dont have experience with mites or anything like that so I didnt know if it would be a sign of another skin issue, or if it was just a drawn out shedding.

Temps and humidity have alot to do with their shedding and appetite. So you need to get a thermometer and hydrometer.

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MARSHA
A man without a woman is a bachelor, A woman without a man is a genius!.

We have enough youth, how about a fountain of smart!

I wiped her body and tried to do her head... looks like the spots are gone off her body.
She did not want me messing with her head, but what I got to, seems much better.
Would you recommend using purified water?

I started using bottled water (not distilled) or mixing bottled with the tap water. This made a difference for us.

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The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." - John Bingham

My bp when I first got him when he was so young, he did not eat for a full year. He's 6 years old now and eating good. He will have his days where he won't eat.

The humidity should be around 65% when he is not shedding but when he is getting near shedding get it up to 70% or so, and do a few soaks.

Are you saying that you don't have a thermometer in the tank? This is imperative. Proper temperatures are absolutely essential to the health of your snake.

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Merlin,
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You definitely want to have thermometers in your tank, preferably digital ones as they are the most accurate. You can't guess on temps with snakes, it's very important for their health. If they are too cold they will not eat because they cannot digest properly. Too cool of a temp can lead to sickness like respiratory infections as well. Too warm can cause issues too so you really need to know what the temps are. Humidity for them is important too because if its not correct the snake can have shedding issues as well as health issues.

If you don't already, you need the thermometers and hydrometer. The health of your snake depends on it.

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