Hi my sister in law is looking after someones milk snake while they are away. She said it spent 2 days on its water bowl and now it has gone all crusty and stiff (she did check it is till alive). Has anyone got any ideas on what this could be. She has got her own python so she is not a complete noveice, but has never come across this before.

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Photo would be useful, I have a bit of experience with Milksnakes.

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Luke (The fish dude)

Photography gear- Sony a200 DSLR with 18-70mm alpha lens, Sigma (sony fit) 70-300mm and Manfrotto neotec tripod. Coming soon: One Nikon D700 with all the trimmings.

OK I will try and get her to send me one

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She said it also keeps putting its head under the water in the water bowl and bubbles come up almost like it is drowning itself

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It must be shedding its skin, What colour have its eyes gone? Like a milky colour? Snakes arent like humans, and would comin suicide... So dont worry about the water bowl thing, its doing that to get its skin moist so it can shed... Try and put a hiding place with some web tissue in there.... That would help alot, and put some wood in there so it can rub against....

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You either love me or hate me, Abit like marmite...

It could be having a bad shed, I have had one or two snakes that had 'crusty' skins before shedding. Sitting in the water bowl could indicate a low humidity level.

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Luke (The fish dude)

Photography gear- Sony a200 DSLR with 18-70mm alpha lens, Sigma (sony fit) 70-300mm and Manfrotto neotec tripod. Coming soon: One Nikon D700 with all the trimmings.

bad shed is the only thing i can think about that would make a snake crusty

She could try wetting it with luke warm water and rubbing very gently with a flannel, You can also you pure Aloe vera gel/cream (sp) on thier skin as a moisturiserand hibascrub (which you can buy in boots) it needs to be slightly weaker solution then on the instructions tho hibascrub will help if they snake has a skin infection but be careful to avoid the mouth and eyes

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Cats= Tia and Foxy
Snakes= Bruce banana cali king, Levi and Cookie commen boas and murphy commen boa
and four african land snails

I have seen crusty looking milk snakes before, some times it is just a bad shed. But I have also seen a couple with some kind of infection where the snake continually lost scales, the snake also looked swollen and sore. If in doubt, take it to a reptile vet.

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Pete



www.evolutionreptiles.co.uk
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soon as youre snake has cloudy eyes , wait till they clear then use a box with moss in it you still could use a moss hide now, but puttin some scrub on it is not a goood idea in my eyes , but thats just me , try misting the tank or viv and pete has the right idea

what is web tissue pls as i use moss?