Shedding question

Norm66 · 05-04-12, 09:55 AM

and I know it's not 100% knowable but....

Is shedding, and the process leading up to it, painful for a snake? Uncomfortable? I can't see how it could be anything less than uncomfortable: the current outer skin is too tight (I know I've been there myself), the process of the liquid building up between layers and then the peeling off has to impart some level of discomfort. And surely at minimum the actual shedding process (though I still haven't actually witnessed it) must be fairly tiring.

The reason I ask is that my boy Malaki, the Burm, just seems miserable. He usually meets me as soon as the lid comes off his tub, likes to hang out with us on the couch and fights to go back in. He's been in pre-shed (haven't seen him actually turn blue but we may have missed it, he's obviously dull) for over a week and I got him out last night because his bedding needed some work. He wound up curled up between the couch back and a pillow hiding. And when I put him back He actually crawled *into* his tub which is virtually unheard of. He definitely wants no part of us (he hissed, but not the serious danger hiss) and just generally isn't himself. I regret having to get him out because I don't want to add to his discomfort.

Our other snakes seem to show some level of grumpiness around shed time but not to the extreme that Malaki does. Or maybe we just notice it more because he's normally so much more outgoing than the others (our JCP excepted).

So what say you? Actual pain? General discomfort? Hmmmm?

SpOoKy · 05-04-12, 10:14 AM

IMO it is just a general discomfort. I would think of it like in the winter when we are dried out and itchy. Because it does effect their vision also, they are probably feeling vulnerable and insecure. Not sure though, this is just what I would think happens.

CDN_Blood · 05-04-12, 10:37 AM

There's a reason they go out of commission during a moult - it's uncomfortable. A new layer of skin is forming over the old layer, and there's a liquid secreted between the two during the process. If you were to compare it to humans, it'd be like wearing two wet suits with a thin layer of water between each. Movement during this time is limited for a reason.

I'm a very firm believer in not disturbing a snake during this process unless absolutely necessary. It really ticks me-off to see people handling them during this process - it shows a total lack of understanding, period.

Burms seem to almost suffer during this time, in my experience. Don't forget that as their skin renews itself, so does the skin in and around their nostrils, and on a Burmese it's particularly noticeable. You'll see that they have a difficult time breathing and often gasp through their mouths. It's a sign that they're horribly uncomfortable because their breathing is interrupted as the skin in and around their nostrils grows. I personally think it get's totally plugged for a Burm during this time, and anyone who has one will notice the plugs on the shed skin. I don't think they suffer any more than any other snake, but it's more noticeable because of their size.

Will0W783 · 05-04-12, 10:43 AM

I agree that it must be quite uncomfortable for them. My Burm almost sounds like he has an RI when he goes into shed. You can hear the whistling and gasping because his nose is totally blocked up. The first time he shed I thought he had pneumonia, but as soon as his skin shed, he was perfectly fine again. My carpets also seem pretty uncomfortable during shed- they whistle and get defensive and a tad snippy. And my cobra is downright evil when he's in blue.

I imagine it must feel somewhat like peeling a sunburn? The skin doesn't just slide off= there is some degree of resistance, so it can't feel very good.

shaunyboy · 05-04-12, 11:16 AM

as kimberly said,i find my carpets to look uncomfortable during the shedding proccess

24/7 they tend to go and hide away,or sit right under their ceramic bulb,they don't appear to be there usual selves

some eat some don't,so these days i just don't bother offering prey,if i notice they're quite far into the shedding proccess

imo,shedding does make them act miserable

cheers shaun

Rogue628 · 05-04-12, 02:38 PM

I agree that it's uncomfortable. When mine are showing signs of shedding, I try to not bother them as much as possible. However, most of mine will eat while in the process of shedding, although every once in a while one will refuse (but rarely my burms). The only time I touch them is when I have to clean their cages and then I usually put them in another tub until I have their tub put together again and move them back as gently as I can.

Although some of mine seem like it doesn't bother them at a glance, when I really pay attention to them, I can tell it does. They don't move around as much, maybe even stay in their hides, and one of my burms is really grumpy when she's in shed. I absolutely HATE it when I have to clean her tub during her shed time. She becomes extremely defensive with hissing and (what I call) shrugging off my touch. She always gives that 'look' as if to say, "touch me and I bite". If I have to clean her tub, I usually try to coax her out as gently as possible. The boyfriend is either trustingly brave or stupid (I haven't decided which since he's hard headed about them) and after cooing to her and firmly but gently touching her, she usually lets him pick her up with much fuss. I then give the quickest cleaning possible and back she goes. A few hours after shedding she is her usual happy self, wanting out so she can lay on the bed or couch...you know, you're typical Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde complex.

My other burm is a bit grumpy a few hours AFTER she sheds. She just started this behavior a couple of sheds ago. It's the only time I've ever heard her hiss. She just lays there and hisses when you touch her, but once you have her out of her tub, she's just fine.

Norm66 · 05-08-12, 07:10 AM

Thanks for all the input folks. I appreciate it.

Malaki shed night before last so he's back to his usual self now. Unfortunately he had a strange shed. I called it looking at him pre-shed, the front 2/3 of him was blue like normal but the back end never did cloud up properly and never did get that milky white thing going on. Predictably, the front 2/3s was perfect and the back he only got shed on the bottom (vent and tail tip are fine but the last 2' there's some stubborn shed left on, all at the top of his body. We used a damp warm towel on him last night but the stuck-on stuff was really stubborn. Since it's not anywhere important (face, vent, tail-tip) I'm inclined to just let it stay there and wear off over time.

Any ideas on why he might have only gone blue at the front? I wish now I'd have gotten a good picture of it but I just assumed it was in progress and the rest would turn eventually. Heat and humidity are the same as they've been all along when he shed perfectly. If anything the humidity might be a bit higher since the house furnace hasn't been running and his tub's heat hasn't run as much due to it being warmer.

jaleely · 05-08-12, 08:25 PM

I haven't seen a partial "bluing" before. If it bothers him, i would just stick him in a damp pillowcase for a few hours and let him slither around to get it off. I say this, not knowing how big he is *lol* maybe moist towels over him or something...you may have to let it come off on it's own, unless you can get him to cover it in a bath until it gets pliable.

Most of my snakes just get stationary and hide, during a shed. However my one hognose snake gets completely, utterly sad and miserable. He will follow me to the corner, stare at me, and is really, really fussy. He "asks" me to make it better *lol* i know i know...but i can't describe it any other way. He is the one i can always gauge what he wants. I swear to you, when he wants his food warmer, or wants something different (sometimes he wants it smaller, and it can't have any other smell on it, it must be brained, and it must be a certain temperature) I have tried all these things in different ways and it only works when it's just right...and each time something is wrong, he will check it out....then look RIGHT up at me, at my face. It's a little strange...and very consistant. I know snakes aren't really that smart, and i know he may not really be asking me...but it's really funny and sure seems like it.
ANyway, he gets very miserable for a whole couple weeks before a shed. He like, has PMS *lol*

I leave everyone alone when they go into blue. Usually i can tell when its' going to happen by their behavior, for sure.

Oh yeah, i forgot to say, except for my female sand boa. She doesn't even care one tiny bit that she's shedding. She eats, acts the same, everything. She's the only one!

Kettennatter · 05-28-12, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaleely

[...]
Oh yeah, i forgot to say, except for my female sand boa. She doesn't even care one tiny bit that she's shedding. She eats, acts the same, everything. She's the only one!

My sand boa acts the same, you can hardly tell the snake is in shed before it happens. My king snake on the other hand hides during that time, and also doesn't take it lightly if you try to touch it during the cycle.

This morning I picked up my new BCI, who I got a little over a week ago. She had settled nicely into her enclosure, and because it was "boa weather" (hot an humid) I decided to take a good look at her outside. She seemed perfectly fine until I finally noticed the eye caps. (Sorry snake, my fault!) Now she is also trying to sleep it off.

What I am, somewhat inarticulately, trying to say is: I'm surprised how different types of snakes seem to react to shedding.

jaleely · 05-08-12, 10:12 PM

I forgot to say that my 11 year old ball also sleeps a lot, before a shed. Usually he cruises around looking for a girlfriend or a meal, but he curls up and sleeps right through being in a cycle. He's older, so i guess he's figured out it's just easier that way *lol*

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/gener...-sleepers.html

Strutter769 · 05-08-12, 10:38 PM

Great topic, Norm! I don't have any experience with Burms (cuz I'm Boa Boy, lol), but whole-heartedly agree with what's already been written. I think from the initial bluing up to the actual aged has got to be a very uncomfortable, very insecure time. I can't imagine losing (for the most part) my vision at the precise time the skin over my entire body (including my eyes) has reached its expiration date. I picture the actual shedding to be a huge relief! I imagine it to be like taking off a sock that's been so tight all day that it's left an impression on your leg.... except instead of just your feet and lower leg, it's your entire body. Gotta be such a relief! And to be able to see again!

Can you imagine for a baby snake? You're at the bottom of the food chain, *in the freakin' jungle of all places* and once a month, one out of every four, five weeks you can't see?! That alone has to be terrifying!

And there you have it.... my humble opinion.

Thank you. *bows to the readers*

jaleely · 05-28-12, 02:21 PM

lol I agree! It's all in the personality of the snake. Kind of like humans i guess. When i get a bruise it *hurts* and i walk around with this horrible mark for two weeks. The same thing can happen to my husband and he doesn't even know it's there and it fades within days.
I figure it's kind of like that. Some take it stoically, and perhaps have better processing systems to just deal with the shed, whereas for others it's a dramatic event.

I just try to provide humidity, food, and hopefully it will get their process acting properly so it goes easy for them. I still feel sorry for most of them though!

Fredricks · 05-28-12, 03:29 PM

I think I may have mentioned it before, a pet shop I was in once, the guy held the boa by the back of the neck, and literally pulled the shed straight down and off. I definitely cringed

Kettennatter · 05-29-12, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fredricks

I think I may have mentioned it before, a pet shop I was in once, the guy held the boa by the back of the neck, and literally pulled the shed straight down and off. I definitely cringed

Ah, what a painful thought. That's one way to end up with an irritated snake. Any idea why that guy thought it was a good idea?

Fredricks · 05-29-12, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kettennatter

Ah, what a painful thought. That's one way to end up with an irritated snake. Any idea why that guy thought it was a good idea?

I didn't stick around to ask. I had already been annoyed with their I don't care about you attitudes. When I saw that I knew it was my cue out of there