Shedding is a normal part of life for any reptile. When they’re young, it happens more frequently to accommodate their growth. When they’re mature, it happens less frequently to keep their skin and scales in good condition.
If your heat, humidity, and diet are within range, you should have no issues with shedding. Unlike snakes, which shed their skin in one piece, ackie monitors shed their skin in pieces. Avoid “helping” your ackie shed by peeling old skin off for them, as this can actually hurt them. The skin underneath is new, soft, and very sensitive!
If your ackie has stuck shed, pour water into the substrate to increase available humidity. Using special supplements like Arcadia ShedSupport can also help. Shed that is stuck around the toes or tail is particularly dangerous, as the stuck shed will gradually constrict that limb until it loses all circulation, dies, and falls off.
You may be tempted to soak your ackie to assist the shedding process. If your ackie is dehydrated, then yes, this can help, but it’s not something you should have to do. Ackies generally do not encounter large bodies of water in the wild and are thus very stressed by water. It’s best to simply make sure your humidity is correct within the enclosure and avoid soaking or bathing altogether.
More ackie monitor health topics:
- Egg Binding
- Egg Cycling
- Gout
- Impaction
- Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD)
- Mites
- Obesity
- Parasites
- Prolapse
- Respiratory Infection
- Sexing