The Shedding Process of Snakes

Shedding, also known as molting or ecdysis, is a regular event all snakes go through. Shedding allows the snake to grow as well as providing a new and improved moisture barrier. Young, growing snakes will shed two or three times more than an adult snake. Adult snakes will shed several times a year.

You will have no trouble telling when your snake is about to shed his skin. About a week before the shedding process occurs, the colors of the snake will start to fade and the belly will turn pinkish. A few days later, his eyes will become bluish in color. When your snake's eyes change back to his normal color, it will only be a day or two before he sheds.

Your snake will remove his skin by rubbing against objects in his cage. This will take only a few hours. After the old skin is shed, the new skin will be bright in color and he'll look like your snake again.

If your snake is not properly hydrated, ill, has low humidity in his cage, or has parasites, he will have problems shedding.

Take the old skin out of the cage and examine it carefully. Check to see that the eye caps have been shed. If not, the old skin left around the eyes can cause vision problems or in extreme cases blindness.

Some experienced snake owners will wait until the next shed (to see if the eye caps come off) before removing the old skin around the eyes. Some will remove the old skin right away.

If you have never attempted to remove old skin from around the eyes, have an experienced person or veterinarian help you the first time you do it.

Place a couple of drops of artificial tears or mineral oil on the old skin. This will loosen the skin so you can manually remove it. Remove it with caution so you don't poke your snake in the eye. If the skin doesn't pull away easily, lightly mist your snake with lukewarm water.

If the old skin comes off in patches, the patches of skin left on the snake must be removed. The skin under the old skin can become breeding grounds for bacteria. The skin can become infected and sores can form.

To help your snake completely shed the next time, when you notice his eyes turning blue, increase the humidity and occasionally mist him. Another trick is to put some damp towels in his cage for him to crawl around on.

Making sure your pet snake sheds properly will help to keep him happy and healthy.