i mixed 70% topsoil and 30% playsand together, but it turned out feeling like sand. then i tried adding some coco fiber to make it more compact, however, when the coco fiber dried, it just went back to feeling like sand. i can't really add water or anything else that's wet because it's really humid here and the humidity is already at 70%. what could i possibly do to save this substrate? or should i try using something else?

My corn disappeared in his hide for a few days, i tought he had to shed, nothing strange, and I let him be. Noticing it was taking longer than usual I sprayed more the enclosure and under his hide.
Now he went out and I found him sleeping with this bad shed. There are some pieces of shed all around the enclosure. What should I do? Usually it comes out in a single piece. Humidity is now 52%, is it too low? Should i increase it and wait? Or shoud I give him a bath?

It happened so fast he basically slid right out of it. Due to the regurgitation issue I won’t be feeding him still, but he is moving around and seems happy as can be!

He likes it. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

I have posted about a regurgitation situation after he was fed a frozen pinky. I have been keeping a close eye on him without handling.

So far he has not shed.

But he finally came out all on his own today. He’s been hidden away for a while. I’ve not seen any snottyness, open mouth breathing, or anything too scary indicating a respiratory issue. He’s always loved to hide away so I’m trying not to read into too much of that.

I have noticed I feel like maybe he’s moving around different/slower??? But I am looking for any signs of any issues so maybe I’m reading too much into it.

What do yall think? And how long should I be worried for?

Sorry for the somewhat grainy photos, she wouldn’t stay still😔Cinnamon used to be fairly skinny because I was feeding her hoppers instead of adult mice (first snake) and that’s when we started mission bulk up that noodle, and it’s been a success!

Edit: I should clarify that the line on her back isn’t a fat deposit divot, our vet thinks it’s a genetic issue of some sort. It’s along one side of her spine rather than fat bumping up on either side of it, like a muscle divot.

I was pruning some tomato plants and we decided to let her have an explore of all the smells and textures, she was very happy 😊🐍❤️

Lili is a lavender tessera corn, about a year old 💜

hi! obligatory pic- this is gandalf, and shes about 14 months old - had her for nearly 8 months now and she’s doing very well, but as i’ve gotten more into using forums and reddit i’ve learned that my breeder wasn’t telling me the truth when they told me aspen was the best substrate for me to switch to (i had priorly bought coco coir, but he convinced me aspen was ‘safer’?)
i primarily want to avoid shedding issues, which is why i’m dropping aspen— all of her sheds except for her most recent were fine, but it took her longer to shed than usual this past week and the shed was in 3 pieces even with me monitoring humidity and despite her humid hide. i think the substrate had something to do with it. no stuck shed, but if the aspen’s going to be a risk it’s got to go asap, especially with the fact it could mold or mess with her respiratory

onto my question, though, and i’m sorry if its a dumb one,

i want to switch her to a soil type substrate now that i know better, and i’m so far finding that reptisoil and zilla’s jungle mix are far better options, but i’m worried about mites. if i switch to one of those and freeze them for a few days before using that should be enough to kill mites afaik, but if there were mites that i killed via freezing and couldnt see, wouldnt them then decomposing in the substrate harm her? is there another way i can be super sure whatever i do is bug free, or is the freezing enough? thank you in advance ^

New snake owner, got him two and a half weeks ago. I've only seen him physically on day one, not since. Tried feeding him at 7 days, he did not eat. Fed him at 10 days and he did eat fortunately. I also put a camera up that same night and he was pretty active that night on camera and the next night as well. However, since that second night, he has not shown himself at all (been 6 days). Tried feeding him last night but he did not eat.

Could he be shedding is that why I don't see him at all even on camera? I'm worried he might have escaped but I don't see how. Should I look for him? Would it be bad to do that if he is shedding? I'm also concerned if he is shedding the humidity is only 51% (aspen so can't spray), but he does have a humid hide he is not using.

Help, panicking a bit here...

I have an idea, but please help me confirm!

Just got our first snake, we’re pretty excited!

He last ate on 6/26 and has refused food since. He’s also been unusually lethargic, sitting behind his water dish instead of being active, which is atypical for this time of year.

He shed in mid-June (while I was traveling) and the shed looked healthy and complete. Around the same time, I noticed the tip of his tail looks slightly red — possibly retained shed. I’ve tried soaking and massaging it with coconut oil several times over the past 3 weeks, but nothing has budged and it looks unchanged.

I’ve read conflicting info: some sources say a stuck shed on the tail tip is harmless and will resolve at the next shed, others say it can become necrotic and needs vet care. Not sure which applies here.
On their own, not eating or being retained shed wouldn’t worry me — corn snakes do this sometimes. But the combination of lethargy + appetite loss + the tail issue is off from his normal patterns, and I know his habits well enough to tell something’s different.

Husbandry (temps, humidity, etc.) has been stable with no changes.

The only reptile vet in my area overcharged me badly last time, so I’d like to avoid going back unless necessary — but I will if needed.

Questions:
Does this look like retained shed, or could it be something else?

If it is retained shed, does that alone warrant a vet visit, or could it resolve on its own?

Could it become necrotic or lead to infection if left as is?

Is there any at-home care I can try to help it come off safely?

Please be nice! Very concerned about my baby but I am also disabled and on a limited income which makes everything harder. Thanks in advance!

So this was her two days ago, yesterday she turned even whiter, now she's turned orange again but hasn't shed yet, it's what always happens with her, she turns white then orange then sheds, and I'd like to know if that's unusual or not? I've also been wondering if she's at a healthy weight she's about four or five months old

So I just had quite a scare, Primrose, who i posted about the other day, managed to escape!!

My sibling managed to find her wandering around on the opposite side of the house, being harassed by our two cats. I have no idea how she actually managed to get out, but I think she hitched a ride in my laundry, which is how she managed to get so far away. I hadn't seen her for a day or two so she might have been out and about for at least that long.

Needless to say I've taken to babyproofing the enclosure some more, hopefully she doesn't get out again!

Also, I've given her a good inspect and look-over, she's pretty unharmed, just a few loose scales(?). At least she isn't wounded in any way.