First shed ?

[GarterGuy17]

Im not sure if she getting near her time to shed but just a while ago I notice she had kind of a foggy outline going down the side of her body and tail about 2 inches away from the head. does this mean she is approaching a shedding period ? or not. Also her eyes are the same as always just this grey lining which I am worried about

[guidofatherof5]

She will take a faded/cloudy appearance when going into opaque phase (shedding).
Her eyes will go cloudy, then you will know she's getting ready to shed.

[EasternGirl]

Can you take a pic for us John?

[GarterGuy17]

I will try but I mean In pictures you cant really see it as much as in person.

[EasternGirl]

Right...but I may be able to tell you if it looks like an impending shed or not. Try to post one of your pics that you took of her before she looked like this, and then a new pic of her right next to it.

[GarterGuy17]

Well I haven't been able to upload any pictures but her color is gradually dulling by the day not fully dull but a few more days should do it. I'm pretty anxious though this being her first shed i'm pretty sure and mine as well , just can wait to see here color after she sheds :)

[EasternGirl]

Just make sure to keep the humidity up...mist a couple of times a day if you need to...and make sure she can soak in her water dish...oh, and also that she has something rough in her enclosure to rub against...you have a branch in there right? Then let us know if the shed comes of in one piece...if she has any trouble, let us know so we can help. Her eyes should cloud over first, and then clear up...then she will shed any day after that.

[GarterGuy17]

Well her eyes are normal just I can see that the dulling started from the back not the front is this something I should worry about ? my humidity is great actually I have no idea maybe because I have 2 water bowls in there one on both sides , I don't know but my humidity is at 60% :)

[guidofatherof5]

It all sounds normal.
60% sounds good.

[EasternGirl]

Sounds normal to me...just keep us posted.

[chris-uk]

Well I haven't been able to upload any pictures but her color is gradually dulling by the day not fully dull but a few more days should do it. I'm pretty anxious though this being her first shed i'm pretty sure and mine as well , just can wait to see here color after she sheds :)

Relax. Mellow out. She will shed when you're not looking. It's like a watched pot (as in, "a watched pot never boils").
It sounds like you have humidity right, so assuming there's a shed coming you should see the eyes go cloudy anytime soon. One of ours has been showing signs that he's going into shed for the last week or so (off his food, belly went blue, hiding away and really not wanting to be handled) but it's only today that his eyes have gone cloudy. With our checkereds I find that their skin is noticably dull for a couple of weeks before a shed.
Just keep a daily check to pick up on the eyes and sit back and wait for it to happen.

[GarterGuy17]

Relax. Mellow out. She will shed when you're not looking. It's like a watched pot (as in, "a watched pot never boils").
It sounds like you have humidity right, so assuming there's a shed coming you should see the eyes go cloudy anytime soon. One of ours has been showing signs that he's going into shed for the last week or so (off his food, belly went blue, hiding away and really not wanting to be handled) but it's only today that his eyes have gone cloudy. With our checkereds I find that their skin is noticably dull for a couple of weeks before a shed.
Just keep a daily check to pick up on the eyes and sit back and wait for it to happen.

Now I am completely positive still no cloudy eyes but half of her body is dull and her belly is blue-ish. So does this mean she wont eat ? Im saying because I need to get more pinkies on monday only have 2 small ones left which is for her meal dont want to give it to her if she wont eat it.

[guidofatherof5]

All you can do is ask her.:D

[EasternGirl]

Not necessarily...some snakes eat before a shed and others don't. Cee Cee and Hermes eat before a shed, Seeley won't. I always offer food if it is normal feeding time even with an impending shed...just in case.

[guidofatherof5]

Not necessarily...some snakes eat before a shed and others don't. Cee Cee and Hermes eat before a shed, Seeley won't. I always offer food if it is normal feeding time even with an impending shed...just in case.

I agree with Marnie. I have some snakes that eat before, during and after shedding and others that go off food at the first sign of blue phase (ecdysis, shedding).
Each snake has its own way of handling it.

[chris-uk]

Feeding isn't a good sign until you know your snake better. Our Vlad is about to shed (blue eyes yesterday) and hasn't eaten for the last week and a half. Lacrimosa (a Cuitzeo like Vlad) ate the day before her last shed when her eyes had cleared, and had eaten the day before her eyes went cloudy - so the same species behave differently.
Most of our others will eat right up to shedding, I've not had one eat when their eyes were clouded, but that could be coincidence that they haven't been at that phase on a feed day.

[Mommy2many]

Her brother just shed for the first time since I've had him (Sept 2011). He is now a pretty new shiny snake!

[GarterGuy17]

Her brother just shed for the first time since I've had him (Sept 2011). He is now a pretty new shiny snake!

Since you have her brother can you please tell me how old she is ? My guess was a couple of months but I don't know exactly. :(

[Mommy2many]

They were born the first week of August 2011.

[EasternGirl]

Oh...so she's just a little younger than Hermes. He was born in July. Well that gives me more of an idea for feeding for you John...especially since I talked to Steve yesterday and he was telling me that I should probably feed Hermes more than I do. I was feeding him a half a pinkies worth of food every 4 days...but Steve said I could step that up to every 2-3 days. He said to just watch for the bulge to go down and then feed him again because young garters need the food to grow. I notice that Hermes digests his pinkies in about two days...so I am going to start feeding him every three days...half a pinkies worth of food. You could do the same with Jade.

[GarterGuy17]

Well I have been gone all day and come home to realize her eyes we very blue ! Yes almost out of this shed hopefully it comes off without a problem !

[guidofatherof5]

Should happen shortly after the eye go back to clear. Within hours or as much as a few days.

[GarterGuy17]

I will be taking a picture or how she looked before and after shed just to show her difference in color. It has changed a lot because of the shed can wait to see the bright again :)

[guidofatherof5]

I will be taking a picture or how she looked before and after shed just to show her difference in color. It has changed a lot because of the shed can wait to see the bright again :)

They do look so clean and fresh after a shed. Then they go get pooped on. :D

[EasternGirl]

Keep us posted!

[GarterGuy17]

4031 Just wanted to upload the picture of her eyes :)

[guidofatherof5]

It does look like they are going into or coming out of blue phase(shedding).

[GarterGuy17]

Yesterday was the first time I noticed the blue eyes so I'm guessing going into.

[EasternGirl]

Yep...she should be shedding a few days after they clear up.

[GarterGuy17]

Well I guess she was coming out of ( blue phase ) since they cleared up already :)

[guidofatherof5]

Be sure to check the shed to be sure it was a complete shed.
It's also great seeing them right after a shed.
Crisp and clean.

[GarterGuy17]

I know I cant wait , but i'm so nervous at the same time her humidity is at 50% but all she does now is borrow since I put the aspen back in her tank. Not as active as she used to be , I feel as if before she was to small to burrow or she wasn't comfortable but now she loves it.

[EasternGirl]

She should shed very soon now...probably in the next couple of days.

[Mommy2many]

I love shiny new snakes!

[GarterGuy17]

I just got home and the first thing I notice is something white in the cage , so she is shedding as we speak !!

[guidofatherof5]

Keep us posted. Please.

[GarterGuy17]

She just shed completely in one piece but I feel as if the back half of her body changed color. Maybe its just me but once I charge my camera I will upload the pictures

[guidofatherof5]

Complete shed is good news.

[GarterGuy17]

This is the full one piece
Cloud went up to smell it !! :D

http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w441/GarterGuy17/P2040089.jpg

Then this is just a picture of her after the shed very bright :D

http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w441/GarterGuy17/P2040107-1.jpg

[guidofatherof5]

Good looking Red Sided.

[GarterGuy17]

Thank you very much , I will be sure to tell her that :)

[angrygamer]

Nice, Glyph shed this morning too!

[EasternGirl]

Cee Cee is getting ready to shed any day now. Jade looks very pretty. It's funny because her shed is white like my albino, Hermes' shed. My other garters sheds are more of a tan color. So glad that Jade had a successful shed...do you see where the eyes were and the very tip of the tail?

[GarterGuy17]

The very tip of her tail is fine on the shed , the little black scab like thing on the tip came off with the shed I expected that since it wasn't completely healed but now it was time to heal before the next shed. about the eyes I'm not completely sure since it looked like the front busted open but I do see the top and bottom of her head perfectly.

[EasternGirl]

Can I see another close up pic of her head? I'm looking back at the pic you took after her shed and trying to determine if I think she retained a little on her head.

[GarterGuy17]

Sure if I find her inside the aspen !

[EasternGirl]

Lol...good luck with that. Btw...I posted pics on my Marnie's Snakes thread of platforms I made using plastic stackable bins I bought for $1 each at Kmart. They're black...so they create little dark cave like cubbies underneath for the snakes to hide in...problem is, the snakes like them so much...they never come out of them now and I can't see them because it is so dark in there! Check them out if you get a minute.

[GarterGuy17]

http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w441/GarterGuy17/P2050111.jpg

http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w441/GarterGuy17/P2050113.jpg

http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w441/GarterGuy17/P2050118.jpg

http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w441/GarterGuy17/P2050119.jpg

all sides :) tell me what you think

Now this is the transition of color , from bright to dark is this normal ?

http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w441/GarterGuy17/P2050115.jpg

All opinions welcome !

[guidofatherof5]

My opinion is you have one fine looking Red Sided garter (T.s.parietalis) there.

[GarterGuy17]

Thank you :)

[EasternGirl]

Okay...no retained shed that I see...must have just been the way the light was hitting her head in that one pic. She looks great. What an adorable face....she looks like she's saying "What? What do you want now?"...lol. You mean the way her tail gets a bit darker at the end? I don't see anything that looks like a problem...just looks like she gets a little darker towards the end. Probably has to do with the scales being closer together there.

[GarterGuy17]

Yea your probably right she makes a lot of faces !! :D

[angrygamer]

Gorgeous little snakie you've got there.