First Time Shed Questions

[wonderwhitters]

I always feel like such a snake noob when I post about "first time" happenings on here. That being said, I wanna make sure I am doing everything in my power to ensure Poe is incredibly healthy and has the best life imaginable. That being said I have a few questions.

1. Judging by these photos, I am guessing he is going into blue? When I got him out today for a brief handling, I noticed his eyes are much cloudier than they were yesterday.

2. The last 24-48 hours or so, I've noticed his scales seem less "against" his body, and slightly "lifted". I even noticed when he moved backwards slightly they almost would lift up a bit in a spot or two. Is this normal, or does this happen more when they are approaching shed? They seemed a lot smoother/tighter against him previously.

3. Do they look a smidge dehydrated prior to going into a shed? I notice in his "bent" spots when he's curled up, his skin looks more wrinkly than normal. I have yet to catch him getting a drink, but he currently has two sources of water in his enclosure, so I'm assuming he's smart enough to drink when he needs to?

4. I was planning to feed him tonight or tomorrow night. I'm guessing I should now wait until he's completed his shed? His weight in the last few days went from 113g to 120g, so I'm not too concerned about waiting a bit prior this feeding, as I'm happy to see he's continuing to steadily gain weight, even though we've only had one feeding so far.

5. Not exactly a shed question, but is it odd I've yet to find any poop in his enclosure? He ate last Tuesday, and the only time I've found poop was when he pooped in his travel bag upon arrival. My breeder (who has been fantastic in answering so many questions) said he'll more than likely poop after a shed, and they LOVE to do it in their water bowl. LOL.

I *think* that's all of my ridiculous questions. Again, I know I sound like a big time snake noob, but I really truly care about making sure he's 100% happy & healthy.

Thanks in advance for answering them! <3

[Bogertophis]

Yes he's going into shed, & his skin (as described) is normal. Best NOT to handle snakes in shed...besides the fact they tend to be shyer & moody, their body
secretes moisture between the old & new layers to facilitate the old skin coming off soon, and their skin is more fragile at this time.

They do not need to eat at this time (& they sure don't in the wild, they lay low & there's no room service...they are built to fast), in fact since both digestion &
shedding uses up moisture from their body, not all snakes are good at managing both simultaneously (especially if they have any health issues going on that you
may not be aware of). What I'm saying is that even IF you have a snake willing to eat, it's best to wait...as a meal can sometimes result in a terrible shed that
sticks & only comes off in a million pieces, or only with your help. So follow "nature's plan" & leave them alone during their shed.

It wouldn't hurt to put a tiny bowl of water up to his face to encourage him to drink...there's a little "helicopter snarent" in all of us. Or mist him directly,
many snakes drink water droplets off their own coils as they do in nature. Many snakes lay low instinctively even when a nearby drink would surely help them.

If you have an extra-tidy snake, he or she may even defecate IN their old shed as it comes off, leaving you a very long baggy-to-go... Many snakes do save it up-
they don't go once per meal normally, & problems are rare.

[wonderwhitters]

Yes he's going into shed, & his skin (as described) is normal. Best NOT to handle snakes in shed...besides the fact they tend to be shyer & moody, their body
secretes moisture between the old & new layers to facilitate the old skin coming off soon, and their skin is more fragile at this time.

They do not need to eat at this time (& they sure don't in the wild, they lay low & there's no room service...they are built to fast), in fact since both digestion &
shedding uses up moisture from their body, not all snakes are good at managing both simultaneously (especially if they have any health issues going on that you
may not be aware of). What I'm saying is that even IF you have a snake willing to eat, it's best to wait...as a meal can sometimes result in a terrible shed that
sticks & only comes off in a million pieces, or only with your help. So follow "nature's plan" & leave them alone during their shed.

It wouldn't hurt to put a tiny bowl of water up to his face to encourage him to drink...there's a little "helicopter snarent" in all of us. Or mist him directly,
many snakes drink water droplets off their own coils as they do in nature. Many snakes lay low instinctively even when a nearby drink would surely help them.

If you have an extra-tidy snake, he or she may even defecate IN their old shed as it comes off, leaving you a very long baggy-to-go... Many snakes do save it up-
they don't go once per meal normally, & problems are rare.

All of this is super helpful info!! Thank you so so much!! Once I realized he was in shed today, we snapped a couple photos and put him right back away, as I could tell he was starting to get tense/antsy. His comfort always comes first!

[Zincubus]

Everything seems to have been mentioned already by the guys / gals but .....

Once in shed I spray the viv daily and then once I notice the eyes have cleared up and it’s getting back to normal looking colour ( difficult to see in Albinos) then I start spraying well a few times daily ... this results in a perfect shedding experience each time ... in my experience


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