Two sheds in a little over a week?

[AK907]

Well, this one is new to me...

We rescued a female normal ball a couple months ago. She has always been really dark. Well a little over a week ago she shed. Two days later she was in blue again. She shed again tonight. She is also a LOT lighter than I've ever seen her. I had to re-check my tubs! I didn't know where my dark girl went! I've had snakes shed twice in the same month, but never this close together. Anyone?

Right after shedding a little over a week ago...


Pic I took of her tonight while cleaning tubs...

[Kymberli]

The only reason for shedding twice so soon that I can think of would be due to an injury of some sort. Could she have cut herself somehow and now gone into two shed cycles to assist healing?

[Skiploder]

....................injury to the scales (physical, bacteria, fungal, etc) or an effort to get rid of mites.

[AK907]

Thanks for the responses.

Nope, no injuries, no mites and the vet has recently given her a clean bill of health. I keep her tub clean as humanly possible. It gets cleaned and sterilized with bleach at least once a week unless she destroys it. She eats like horse too. She has really been fattening up lately. That is my only guess is her growing like mad since I got her (she was a couple hundred grams underweight when I got her). She has been shedding roughly every 3-5 weeks since we got her. I'll just have to keep an eye on her and if she sheds again, I'll take her in.

[Ladybugzcrunch]

Interesting! I am having the same problem with my gecko. She has shed three times in the past 2 weeks - very strange. She is 13 years old and just got over a 4 month hunger strike. She started this shedding when she started eating again. Did your girl have a fasting period? She looks huge! Has she been bred? How much does she weigh?

[ed4281]

Did she breed this year? She looks kinda like she's gravid in the pic?

[thewesterngate]

Did she breed this year? She looks kinda like she's gravid in the pic?

I was thinking the same thing.

[AK907]

I didn't breed her and I do not feel any eggs. She was most likely full of poop in the pic. I've had her a couple months now and she is close to 1,200 grams. She has not skipped a meal since we got her. She was in need of some groceries when we got her. She has filled out a LOT. Wish all our balls would eat like her.

[Jessica Loesch]

She is really pretty after her second shed, almost glowing.

Maybe she is having a hysterical pregnancy.

[Ladybugzcrunch]

Maybe she retained sperm from a breeding before you obtained her? I think she is experiencing rapid growth due to proper feeding which followed malnourishment. She may surprise you with some eggs though - she does seem to be glowing. Either way - nice snake and good job.