do balls get PMS

ok so moe is going into his first shed with me in his new cage. his eyes have not yet gone hazel but they do look different then they did 2 days ago. so i went to handle him today and he really got a curled neck and just sat there waiting for me to go near him. i tried to pick him up with some homostats and he struck. Is this because he can't see, or do they get moody during this time?

I've heard that bp.s will get more nervous and are more likely to strike while shedding because their eyes get cloudy, but Annie seems to get more... irritable when she's shedding.

u should call it PSS preshedding syndrome

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Originally Posted by alexrls

u should call it PSS preshedding syndrome

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Hehe.... Sounds much better than PMS!

Pss is it sounds cool... from now on PSS is what we call pre-Shedding Syndrome

It also seems fitting for a snake, since when you read it as it's spelled, it sounds like a hissing sound. :)

But yeah, shedding can be a stressful time for a snake. Their eyes get obstructed by fluid:nirvana:, so they can't see well, and I'm sure the stages of shedding can't be too comfortable:frustrate. So yeah, it's best to leave them be for the week or so that they're in the shed stages. Just bump their humidity up to 70-80%, and leave them be to do their thing. :)

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Originally Posted by Dylan

i tried to pick him up with some homostats and he struck. Is this because he can't see, or do they get moody during this time?

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While I agree on not handling a snake during blue, id also say id never dare to try to pick my snake up with my hemostats. Jules knows them and has associated them with feeding time.

My best eaters will stop and two days latter they have the blue eyes. They will eat after blues eyes are gone but before they complete the shed. Its best just to give them a break for awhile they are in shed.

It's my understanding, from reading 'Snakes in Question: The Smithsonian Answer Book', that a snake's nervousness during ecdysis is caused by more than just their cloudy vision. It can also be linked to their thyroid gland, which kicks into hormone production during a shed. I've also read that de-ecdysis can be the result of a malfunctioning thyroid gland (among other things).

So... I'd say, yes, they do get a slight case of PMS. ;)

-Jason

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Originally Posted by Cody

It also seems fitting for a snake, since when you read it as it's spelled, it sounds like a hissing sound. :)

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When I said it, it just sounded like piss. lol

It's normal for them to be a little "crabby" while they are shedding.