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View Full Version : Crotalus molossus shedding?


zemmo
11-25-19, 09:33 AM
Hi all: I'm lucky enough to live in NM with a healthy pop of my favorite Crot. One of my friends recently said that a herpetologist told her that C. molossus only shed once a year, in August. It seems unlikely that even mature snakes would only shed once a year, and only in August? Anyone have any real data? TIA, Alan.

lady_bug87
11-25-19, 02:46 PM
No idea but welcome!!

zemmo
11-25-19, 04:47 PM
Thank you.

Tsubaki
11-30-19, 09:44 AM
The whole 'In August' bit is weird, But adult snakes who only shed once a year aren't that uncommon. Some shed a lot ( Got an adult dwarf retic that sheds after every meal) and some shed very little (adult hognose that sheds once a yearish too, but i dont remember the month haha)

Benjamin1975
12-07-19, 09:30 AM
This species should shed about three times per year

Aaron_S
12-08-19, 05:18 PM
There is no set schedule for how many sheds a snake will have, let alone the month they will do it in. Snakes shed for various reasons.

Female who's going/gone through ovulation? Shed cycle.
Snake ate a large meal? Shed cycle.
Snake has external parasites? Shed cycle.
Snake got wounds from a predator/prey? Shed cycle.

Then there's just the natural shed cycle from being a snake.

fedupdon
12-19-19, 11:48 PM
i say bull ashit i have them shed every 3 or 4 weeks depending on the amount of they get

Tsubaki
12-20-19, 05:01 AM
And still some snakes are just that way, like I said my hognose sheds once a year at most. He's 7 and I have 4 whole sheds of his. Bought him at 3 years old. Had other hognoses that shed more frequently in the past. My reticulated pythons all shed in different cycles too, varies between once every 6 months to once after every meal.