One of the most common topics I receive questions on, is snakes shedding their skin.
People who have never owned a snake want to know how it works. New snake owners are always worried that something is going wrong, or want to make sure they are doing everything the right way.
Every snake sheds its skin throughout the entirety of its life. And whereas it’s usually a routine process, there are times when problems can arise that a snake owner needs to be aware of.
So today I want to answer many of the most common questions I hear from people regarding snake shedding, and hopefully even dispel a few myths out there.
Why Do Snakes Shed?
Most people will tell you that snakes shed because the outer layer of skin doesn’t grow with the rest of the body.
This isn’t entirely true. If it were, you wouldn’t see a baby snake double in size over the course of a month without being in a state of constant shed. While the outer layer of skin doesn’t grow and reproduce cells like the inner layers, it does stretch to accommodate the reptile.
Why do snakes shed? Snake shedding can be caused by a combination of factors. Growth can certainly play a role, but there are also other things to consider such as weather, humidity, metabolic rate, wear and damage to the skin, and even brumation and mating cycles.
The bottom line is, the snake’s body decides when it is ready to shed much like your own body does.
Believe it or not, all animals shed. Including humans. Most animals shed their skin in flakes however, rather than in one complete piece.
How Often Do Snakes Shed?
Snakes can shed as often as once per month, but typically they only shed a few times per year at most. Most adults will shed one to two times per year, and sometimes even skip a year. Younger ones will shed more often since they are growing so much more rapidly.
You should also know that shedding in the wild is much more sporadic than it is for captive specimens.
In the wild, snakes are not fed prey at routine times. Sometimes they may eat more than one meal in a week, while at other times it may take them several weeks to catch a meal.
Weather can also play an important part in the shedding frequency. Wild snakes don’t have the luxury of a consistent environment like captive snakes.
Super hot days can keep a snake from coming out very much. On the other hand, cold days can cause them to go into brumation, which is basically hibernation for reptiles.
How Long Does It Take A Snake To Shed?
The shedding process for snakes starts long before the skin peels off. It takes time for the outer layer of skin to detach from the layer underneath. This can be as fast as a few days, or as long as a couple of weeks. Once the skin is ready to come off however, the snake is usually able to wriggle out of it in anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours.
Sometimes they will shed rather quickly, while other times it can take quite awhile.
Having rough surfaces like bark or rocks can help the process go more smoothly and quickly. This isn’t required for all of them however, as some species like the ball python will often shed in their hide without stretching completely out.
This doesn’t take into account the times when the skin does not peel all the way off in one complete piece. Sometimes skin can get stuck, and not come off until the next shed cycle.
How To Help A Snake Shed
Most pet owners want to do anything and everything they can to help their animals, so it’s natural to want to help your snake when it is shedding.
The best way to help your snake shed is through solid husbandry practices, not physical assistance. Trying to remove the skin yourself can cause injury, so let the snake handle it. Your part is to ensure your snake is well fed, well hydrated and healthy overall. Proper temperature and humidity are crucial to your snakes ability to shed, as is a stress free environment.
Make sure to read a quality guide, and perhaps even join a group or two that are specific to your breed of snake. You can gain a lot of insight and wisdom this way!
Here is a great article about maintaining perfect humidity to get you started.
What Does A Bad Snake Shed Look Like?
Maybe you’ve heard about “bad sheds” or “stuck sheds”, but you don’t exactly know what that means, or what it looks like.
In a perfect world, a snake will shed its skin in one entire piece. Sometimes however, it will shed in multiple pieces. Worse yet is when some of the skin comes off, but parts of it are still left on the snake’s body or eyes.
This can be anything from small areas of old skin left anywhere on the body (quite often the eyes or tail), all the way up to the majority of the body still being covered in old skin that hasn’t shed.
Any time a snake does not shed its entire skin in one continuous piece, it is referred to as a bad or stuck shed.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, you can also have a snake that sheds in one complete piece, but parts of the new skin go along with it.
Part of the shedding process involves a layer of lubricant that builds up between the outer and inner layer of skin.
This lubricant helps separate the outer skin, and aids in its removal.
If that layer of lubricant isn’t sufficient to cover every scale, there may be a few scales, or even small patches that peel off along with the old skin.
You’ll see an outline of where the scales should be, but that area will be dull and leathery feeling.
This is usually caused by a lack of hydration, and is one of the reasons why proper husbandry practices are so important.
How To Fix A Bad Shed
You wake up in the morning, see your snake has shed, and notice there is still some old skin that didn’t come off.
How do you fix a bad shed? A bad shed is not usually a big deal, and is easily fixed by simply raising the humidity in the enclosure. Raise the humidity to the high end of your snake’s recommended range. You might also try setting up a humid hide box so it gets an extra dose of moisture. The skin should come off on its own either before or during the next shed.
The only time you really need to be concerned is if there is a stuck shed cutting off blood flow. This typically happens on the snake’s tail.
If a stuck shed is cutting off blood flow, consult a veterinarian immediately.
There are definitely some things you should NOT do with a stuck shed.
- Do not try to peel or pick the skin off yourself.
- Do not use tape to try to peel off the eye caps if they are stuck.
- Do not give the snake a bath if it doesn’t like water (like ball pythons)
Bad sheds are almost always due to husbandry related issues, and should be fixed with husbandry related practices.
Should I Feed My Snake When It Is Shedding?
Many guides and enthusiasts will say, no you should not.
In the wild, a snake will sometimes stop eating when it is starting to shed. Part of the process involves the skin on its eyes, referred to as “eye caps”, which dry up and impair the snakes vision. During this time the snake feels vulnerable, and defensive. It may bite, but only to protect itself, not to eat.
This can be a stressful time for the snake.
In captivity, offering food will only stress the snake out, which is unhealthy. If you are feeding live prey, your pet can be in a dangerous situation. It will be more vulnerable to attacks from the rodent, or whatever it is you are offering as prey.
Now that I’ve given you the technical answer, I want to follow it up with an answer based more on my personal experience.
A lot of captive snakes that are well taken care of, don’t stress as easily and some will eat even when they are early in the shed process.
I still would not recommend leaving a live rodent alone in the cage with your pet, but offering it a frozen mouse or rat that has been thawed generally won’t be an issue.
If it’s feeding day and your snake is shedding, go ahead and offer food as long as it is early or midway through the cycle. If you find that it has no interest in the food, simply wait until after it’s done shedding to feed. Then you’ll know not to offer that particular snake food anymore when it’s shedding.
You can’t go wrong either way.
Missing a meal is no biggie for the snake. On the flip side, while long term stress is extremely unhealthy for snakes, an occasional stressful moment here or there as you are learning your snakes preferences, won’t have any long term effects.
Notice I said “as long as it is early or midway through the cycle”. I try to avoid feeding if I feel the skin will come off in the next day or two. If it is trying to wriggle out of its skin right after it has eaten, the process can cause it to regurgitate.
Should I Feed My Snake After It Sheds?
Stick to your regular feeding schedule.
Should you feed your snake after it sheds? The shedding process itself has no impact on the level of hunger for a snake. They aren’t any more or any less hungry after a shed than they were before the shed. What determines whether or not they should be fed is their metabolism, size, age and most importantly, when they were fed last.
If your pet had a meal on a regular feeding day even while they were shedding, then feed it again on the next feeding day.
If it missed a feeding day due to shedding, you can either wait until the next scheduled feeding, or you can feed it right away and switch your schedule up.
Either way will have no major impact on the overall health of your pet.
Can You Handle A Snake While It Is Shedding?
Obviously you don’t want to handle your snake when the skin itself is coming off, but what about during the rest of the cycle?
There are two schools of thought on this, and I’m sure you’re smart enough to figure out what they are!
Some owners say it is fine, while others say not to do it.
Of course there are also some snake owners who handle their pets daily, while others feel you should only handle them when absolutely necessary even when they’re not shedding. And don’t forget, there are also many people who believe reptiles shouldn’t be kept as pets at all!
The bottom line is, there’s no concrete right or wrong answer for snakes as a whole. It comes down to your opinion and personal preference. Some snakes easily adapt to being handled with few signs of stress, while others will be more timid during the process.
Part of the joy of owning reptiles is learning your specific pet. If it seems to prefer being left alone, then leave it alone. If it acts completely the same regardless of whether or not it is shedding, then continue doing what you’ve been doing.
Learn your pets unique behaviors.
Behavior Changes Caused By Shedding
Even snakes who readily accept handling while shedding will exhibit some common behaviors associated with this cycle.
The degree to which they exhibit these behaviors is what helps me decide whether I should leave my pet alone, or if it is OK to get it out.
- Activity level – A snake that’s starting to shed will often times become less active. You’ll notice it is exploring its enclosure less, and possibly becoming more reclusive. They might spend a lot more time in their hide.
- Defensiveness – Sometimes it can become more defensive. Your snake may snap into the familiar “S” curve when you open the cage, meaning it is prepared to strike. It may flinch when touched, or pull its head back. These are signs that the snake is scared and stressed.
- Sensitive to touch – This is another common sign as the skin becomes more tender, and your pet becomes more uncomfortable. Some snakes experience this more than others.
- Refusing food – Not all snakes experience this, but some certainly will.
When Can You Handle A Snake After It Sheds
If you love handling your pet, but avoid doing so when it shedding, I have some good news for you.
The moment the skin comes off, your snake will return to normal! Continue to handle at your leisure.
Summary
As you can see, snake shedding is not as mysterious as it’s made out to be.
For the reptile owners out there, husbandry is the key to a good shed. Nothing can beat perfect heat and humidity levels. This is true for pretty much every aspect of a reptiles life.