Questions about shedding...

[Trey Yeoman]

So my Queen Elizabeth is starting to shed... I'm almost 99% positive... she has a pinkish hue to her underbelly... her skin is kind of... dry? wrinkly... idk... mainly on her under belly though... so I keep spraying the tank every once in a while to keep the humidity up... and I keep her water bowl clean and fresh... and she has things to rub against... I would say its day 3 or 4... but this is my question (s)...
1. Can I touch her and stuff or should I leave her be...
2. Can I feed her? Because, I feed her once every friday... a medium sized rat.. and I missed her feeding this past friday... I was planning on going out today and getting her a rat... but if she is shedding... I don't know if this has adverse effects?
3. How long does the shedding process take normally?

Thanks guys!

[Alexandra V]

1. You can take her out for tank maintenance, etc. but it's generally best to avoid disturbing them when you don't need to.
2. Some snakes take food in shed, some don't, so you might just have to offer food and see if she takes it. It depends on the individual.
3. The shedding process can take up to two weeks, about 10 days from when the eyes go opaque.

[JLC]

So my Queen Elizabeth is starting to shed... I'm almost 99% positive... she has a pinkish hue to her underbelly... her skin is kind of... dry? wrinkly... idk... mainly on her under belly though... so I keep spraying the tank every once in a while to keep the humidity up... and I keep her water bowl clean and fresh... and she has things to rub against... I would say its day 3 or 4... but this is my question (s)...
1. Can I touch her and stuff or should I leave her be...
2. Can I feed her? Because, I feed her once every friday... a medium sized rat.. and I missed her feeding this past friday... I was planning on going out today and getting her a rat... but if she is shedding... I don't know if this has adverse effects?
3. How long does the shedding process take normally?

Thanks guys!

1. You CAN touch her...but seriously, she would prefer to be left alone. While we can't fully comprehend what they are going through, I believe the shedding process is probably very uncomfortable.

2. The only downside to feeding during shed is that they may refuse. If you don't mind taking that chance, then go ahead and try. Some snakes don't care and will eat at any time.

3. It can take as long as a week or so. The first signs are the pinking belly, as you've noticed, and sometimes the skin looks drier. Then they will turn very gray and their eyes will look like blue-gray disks. This phenomenon only lasts for a day or so, though...sometimes two. And then it clears up. 3-5 days after the blue phase clears up, they will shed out.

[steveboos]

1. You CAN touch her...but seriously, she would prefer to be left alone. While we can't fully comprehend what they are going through, I believe the shedding process is probably very uncomfortable.

2. The only downside to feeding during shed is that they may refuse. If you don't mind taking that chance, then go ahead and try. Some snakes don't care and will eat at any time.

3. It can take as long as a week or so. The first signs are the pinking belly, as you've noticed, and sometimes the skin looks drier. Then they will turn very gray and their eyes will look like blue-gray disks. This phenomenon only lasts for a day or so, though...sometimes two. And then it clears up. 3-5 days after the blue phase clears up, they will shed out.

^^^^ Perfect advise, follow the above and you will be fine!!

Just leave her alone and if you don't want to risk having to house a rat for another week or until she finishes shedding, i would skip feeding until she is done.

[Trey Yeoman]

Many thanks I guess I will just keep misting her aquarium ... will she be okay with not being fed for another 7-10 days? basically... two weeks of not eating... shes about 3foot long, maybe 3 and a half and a decent size (I haven't weighed her before, I should ) and she just passed a big um... human looking turd, feces... thing... it wasnt the urate or white feces it looked like human poop

[JLC]

Yes, she'll be fine to miss another meal. It wouldn't be much different than you missing breakfast and lunch in the same day. You might get a little rumbly in your tumbly, but there's no harm in it. So long as consistent meals resume right after the shed.