When your snake is an artist (and question!)

[MissterDog]

Woke up this morning and I found this work of art. I kid you not, exactly as you see here!





Tapioca was kind enough not to poop in it so I could admire his work! However I DID find it beside a smell poo/urates lol.

Managed to unravel it and, ta-da! Perfect one piece shed! I'm a proud mama!







I definitely wanna keep this! Anyone have any suggestions or advise how to preserve snake shed?

[Coluber42]

I don't think you need to do anything to preserve it. I still have one from my old, sadly deceased corn snake that's been hanging on the corner of a lamp for years. I'd imagine that like any other natural material, it's best kept away from mold and bugs and stuff, and at a reasonably steady temperature and humidity, but the latter probably only matters if you're interested in preserving it museum-style for posterity so your great grandkids can show it to their grandkids.

[MissterDog]

I don't think you need to do anything to preserve it. I still have one from my old, sadly deceased corn snake that's been hanging on the corner of a lamp for years. I'd imagine that like any other natural material, it's best kept away from mold and bugs and stuff, and at a reasonably steady temperature and humidity, but the latter probably only matters if you're interested in preserving it museum-style for posterity so your great grandkids can show it to their grandkids.

I've seen some videos where the shed is cut at the belly so it can be flattened out against cardboard. Did you keeps your whole or flattened out?

I did notice his shed is a little dirty, some smears of substrate and near the vent I can't tell if there is a slight poop stain. Do you think I need anything to clean it or once it dries it's fine? I'm also considering putting sealant on it.

[Coluber42]

I've seen some videos where the shed is cut at the belly so it can be flattened out against cardboard. Did you keeps your whole or flattened out?

I did notice his shed is a little dirty, some smears of substrate and near the vent I can't tell if there is a slight poop stain. Do you think I need anything to clean it or once it dries it's fine? I'm also considering putting sealant on it.

I literally did not do anything other than take it out of the cage and hang it on the nearest available object, where it remains to this day. One of those things where you leave it there for long enough and then you don't want to get rid of it because you've had it so long, and now I don't want to because the snake who shed it is deceased after living with me for 19 years.

If it's dirty and that bothers you, clean it. Otherwise leave it alone. You can flatten it if you want it flat, keep it whole if you want it whole. It'll dry out and get maybe a little more brittle or fragile (and a shed snake skin is fairly fragile anyway), but not so you can't handle it without breaking it. It'll be fine.

[Ax01]

u can make some cute buttons outta them: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...shed-buttons-D




Edit: or u can put it in a really nice frame and hang it on the wall.

[hollowlaughter]

Laminating, beyond what was mentioned. Mount it on the paper with a light adhesive, run it through a laminator machine.