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View Full Version : question/successful shed!! second one in one month's time! :)


snakems
03-09-2009, 03:06 PM
snakems shed the day before yesterday all on her own this time!
last time it broke a couple places along the length and she needed my assistance with the warm moist towels, this one was in one whole piece but i didnt see her in the process this time :(
Wish I was home when it happened I really enjoy watching it.
the VERY VERY end of her tail didnt come off though.... like an inches worth of skin so I did the towel bit for that.
as far as garter's shedding goes, does anyone else have that happen? This is also one of the multiple places it broke the last time.
Just curious. Nothing urgent as everything worked out great in the end :)
Snake lover 3-25
03-09-2009, 03:09 PM
maybe increase the humidity or give her a moist hide when it's time to shed?
adamanteus
03-09-2009, 03:12 PM
It is fairly common for the old skin to break at the tail, leaving a short section un-sloughed. You did absolutely the right thing to remove it, as over time this unshed skin will restrict blood flow to the tail tip and this section will drop off. Such a loss is harmless to the snake, but of course it is preferable that the slough is complete.
gregmonsta
03-09-2009, 03:15 PM
Definately :) well done .... we have a Florida blue with a few mms missing thanks to retained shed.
snakems
03-09-2009, 03:15 PM
It is fairly common for the old skin to break at the tail, leaving a short section un-sloughed. You did absolutely the right thing to remove it, as over time this unshed skin will restrict blood flow to the tail tip and this section will drop off. Such a loss is harmless to the snake, but of course it is preferable that the slough is complete.

drop off as in it will lose the part of the tail that still has old skin on it? :eek:
that's interesting! I never knew.
gregmonsta
03-09-2009, 03:19 PM
It tightens up and, as the snake grows, can restrict the bloodflow.
snakems
03-09-2009, 03:23 PM
It tightens up and, as the snake grows, can restrict the bloodflow.

im surprised I havent come across more stubby tailed snakes in the wild then!....
i suppose they know best as far as what's closest to the perfect environment for them during shedding though for a perfect sloughing.
gregmonsta
03-09-2009, 03:29 PM
Too true :) ... and slithering through wet grass etc is bound to do the trick ;)