Feeding juvenile while in blue/shedding

My little bci (i've only had 3 weeks) is going into shed. For the last 2 days he's had cloudy eyes. His feeding day was yesterday but I decided not to offer him food because I haven't quite got the humidity dialed in and didn't want to stress his body out anymore.
my question is: do you guys offer your snake food when you see them starting the shedding process? I know some snakes refuse food when in shed and others don't.
Also, about how long is the shedding process?

Thanks so much!

I personally don't offer my boas food when in shed,I'm sure some would eat but most take them self off into there hide or a corner till they have done normally 10-14 days.try to get your humidity sorted or he won't have a great shed
Hope this helps
Good luck with your new boa and don't forget to post pics

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I don't feed any of my snakes if they're in the process of shedding. They're usually really hungry after they shed anyway. Rich is right it takes them about 10-14 days to lose their old skin.

I feed my BP when in shed.
Idk maybe boas are diff

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Even though some snakes will take food while in shed, I avoid offering or feeding them until after they've shed. This is what they do in nature anyway. Some
snakes have bad (stuck) sheds if their hydration isn't optimal, & you can't tell ahead of time, plus many will refuse, so why waste the prey. I know many just
re-offer the prey to other snakes, but unless you've had all of them for a long time & are certain all are healthy, that risks transferring diseases or parasites.

I personally don't offer food while in shed (if I notice). This gives them a short period of time to rest from a constant state of digestion, and assures no issues arise if for some reason their humidity is not totally dialed in. Some also just won't eat while in shed.


Shed cycle length seems to vary, generally about every 2-4 weeks from first sign of shed to actually shedding. Before they go blue, it can be hard to tell, and it's definitely easier in darker individuals (except anery motleys apparently).


About a week before they go blue, their iridescence will take on a different appearance. Really hard to describe, but the closest I can say is it loses some of its luster and the scales take on a "fake" appearance. Likely from the loss of elasticity. 1-3 days before they go blue, the belly will turn pink. They'll go blue for anywhere between a week to 2 weeks, and then they'll clear up and look normal. At this stage, it's anywhere from 2-6+ days before they shed.


With albinos and my anery motley, it's mostly a guessing game until they go blue. lmao

Hold up I have some examples.

First sign of shed, back in 2014. He did not yet have a pink belly, and I was really going back and forth as to if he was really in shed. It had been almost a week since I had last had him out at the time, so I wasn't sure when he started to show.

I'm not sure if anyone can see the weird sheen I'm talking about? His skin also has less elasticity, so the way his skin folds at the bends is a lot more gradual, lending a lean look to him. (At the time I thought he may have been underweight.)

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/UypdHKB.jpg

vs his normal sheen and look at the time. Notice how in the picture above, all parts of his body are equally shiny, here the sheen is mostly focused on his dark areas and his background color is slightly lighter.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/PxNUVf9.jpg

This picture was taken 3 days after the first one, which is when his belly turned pink. I was checking him every day because I couldn't tell if he was in shed or not, and that's when I learned their bellies turn pink. XD I believe I posted on another forum, thinking he may have been burned.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/4IRYtES.jpg

The following day, he started to turn opaque.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/3CRUP1h.jpg

4 days after that, he turned fully blue, and finally, 5 days after that he shed. Total of 13+ days in that particular instance, but I've had him go as long as 3-4 weeks before. (Also notice the weird way the scales on his head separate? That's also a good indicator of a shed, even before they go blue.)

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/j4umSqe.jpg

It was mostly covered above but I will add a little...

I have never observed a wild snake hunting while in shed...I don't see wild snakes exposed while in shed.

In my care if a boa constrictor had been hanging out on the cool side of the enclosure it will choose a warmer body temp about 14 days before getting 'blue eyes'. Developing new skin requires energy and will change their habits...if you are observant you can predict a shed cycle before there are appearance changes.

I never feed or handle a snake in shed (or about to go into shed). -Neither of these things will cause a snake to burst into flames but the shedding process is a vulnerable time for a snake and there is nothing to be gained for the keeper (or the snake) it does, however, offer the opportunity to induce stress.

Depends on the snake. I know which will eat in shed and which will not; none of my live-only rat eaters will feed while in shed.

As for the others, if they're early in the cycle or if they're one of the ones that eats in shed, I usually offer a f/t feeder one size smaller than what they usually eat, and it gets offered wet to help the snake stay hydrated while shedding.

A lot of great info! Thanks everyone.
Thanks for the photos Cloudtheboa, those help a lot.
Richardhind1972, I'll post pics of the little guy once he's done with shed!

My boas will def eat when they are blue but I don't offer if I know they are. In my opinion they they seem uncomfortable during the shed process and I don't want to couple that with trying to digest a meal. Prob wont hurt them but I like to keep it as stress free as possible for them. None of them are EVER in danger of starving. lol

So my little guy shed earlier today... all rolled up so I had to unroll to make sure eye caps were there... is that typical for their shed to be completely rolled up? My corn's shed is left in one long piece.

good news--all in one piece!

question: since we're behind and his feeding is it OK to feed him today or should I wait a day or two ?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Saml8

So my little guy shed earlier today... all rolled up so I had to unroll to make sure eye caps were there... is that typical for their shed to be completely rolled up? My corn's shed is left in one long piece.

good news--all in one piece!

question: since we're behind and his feeding is it OK to feed him today or should I wait a day or two ?

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I almost always get sheds rolled up like an old sock from all the snakes. Feeding the day of shed is fine, I usually wait until the day after so I can handle them for a bit when their colors are at their peak the day of shed


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Saml8

...

question: since we're behind and his feeding is it OK to feed him today or should I wait a day or two ?

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The boa is not behind on feeding...;)

Does anyone remember Gus Rentfro? Some folks here, I'm included, have boas from his Rio Bravo lines.

Gus used to post frequently on various boards and he was/is an authority on the boa constrictor. I was able to chat with him by e-mail a few times years ago.

One quote I remember went something like this. "It is nearly impossible to under feed a boa constrictor but it is entirely possibly to over feed one".

That may not be the exact wording he used but the message is what is important.

I look at the shed process as an excellent time to let a snake clean out and reenergize. The shed process utilizes energy as does digestion, I don't like to mix the two. I prefer to let the shed take place, which is almost always followed by some type of waste elimination and a period of inactivity then feed afterwards.

If you are feeding a boa constrictor prior to it eliminating waste from the previous feed, you are likely over feeding.

CAN you feed a boa during shed? Sure you can.

There is really no need to do so though.

If you are going to concentrate on anything during the shed process, make it about maintaining proper humidity levels in the enclosure and providing security for the animal.

Gio- I've had him for about 4 weeks and he pooped within the first couple of days of me getting him but I haven't seen a poop since. He is on cypress mulch so I guess it would be possible I've missed it although I've looked. The last time I fed him was March 23. You don't think I should feed him untill he poops again? Does it matter how old they are… He's about 10 months old.

thanks for the insight!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Saml8

Gio- I've had him for about 4 weeks and he pooped within the first couple of days of me getting him but I haven't seen a poop since. He is on cypress mulch so I guess it would be possible I've missed it although I've looked. The last time I fed him was March 23. You don't think I should feed him untill he poops again? Does it matter how old they are… He's about 10 months old.

thanks for the insight!

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If he's in shed, and hasn't eliminated since your March 23 feeding, let him shed and eliminate. He's almost a year old and should be fairly established, meaning he's not a struggling baby looking for his first meal. He should also be relatively settled having been with you for 4 weeks.

I do remember when my boa was younger, he'd hold waste a bit longer. My guess is younger animals use every nutrient they can for growth and possibly process their food more efficiently and produce less waste. I'm not certain but it is a thought I've had.

Eventually you will see a very predictable feeding and elimination cycle.

I don't feed my boa over the winter months, but I have been surprised within the first month of not feeding him, to come across some unexpected waste. I don't think you need to wait for an extended period of time to feed but again, if he's in shed just wait for him to complete the process and feed within the next day or two.

I don't generally wait for feces, but my babies start out 10-14 days from birth. Some of my boas go within a week or two, some take 2-3 weeks, and a few (mainly my sunglow) will hold onto 3-4 meals and poop every few months. For this reason, I mainly just stick to a schedule, but if your boa ate March 23 and is a habitual slow pooper, tomorrow is the soonest I'd probably feed it.

Boas hold onto a store of feces pretty much all the time; even when my boas are in the middle/at the end of a winter fast, a quick X-ray has shown a very large, healthy store of feces.