shedding & appetite

[crzy_kevo]

i think george is getting close to shed her scales are looking duller than normal but my main question is do garters have reduced appetite when preparing for shed?

george has only eaten half a worm then refused to eat anymore

[gregmonsta]

Most books advocate against in-shed feeding and, as a rule I do my best to avoid it. I've had my radix refuse a meal prior to going blue before. Nothing to worry about after shed snakey will eat with gusto

[crzy_kevo]

ok thanks she must be going into shed i saw the slightest bit of blue in her eye too almost can't tell its there so im sure she must be going into shed

[infernalis]

She'll be hungry again soon.

[Stefan-A]

I've only had one snake that wouldn't eat while in the blue phase and I don't think feeding them needs to be avoided.

[crzy_kevo]

well like i said shes not totally in blue phase yet you can still clearly make out the eye colour and shes just a little bit dull how long before she will shed her skin?

[Stefan-A]

4-7 days, depending on her age. About.

[crzy_kevo]

ok so i should start seeing more blue in a couple days

[Lori P]

Mine seem to sometimes go off feed prior to shed and then sometimes not... I don't think there's a hard fast rule. But one thing that does seem consistant is their hunger after they shed!!

[Garter_Gertie]

Speaking of this...

Last Sun Ripley had an incomplete shed. On his back, down from his head a bit. I mentioned to Dave we needed to soak him and get that off. Dave said this had happened before, it was no big deal and Ripley had been soaking in his water dish. So, I kept my mouth shut.

Dave's on vacation today and when I got to the park, Ripley looked HORRIBLE! The incomplete shed was worse and he was just laying there, lethargic. It was Sun and he wasn't snooping around for his bunny! Not good.

I told one of the interns I wanted her to soak Ripley, since he's not that fond of me and I think she's more of a snake charmer, at least with Ripley, than I am. I filled Ripley's betatine tub full of cool water - hotter'un hell today, in the 90's and the AC hadn't been turned on yet. I was thinking being too hot was also contributing.

So, I filled the tub while she tried to get Ripley out of his tank - he was at the other end. He did something he's NEVER done - went whacko and was hissing as though he was going to kill someone. I told her to be careful, I was not going to give in to Ripley, and she eventually got him out.

You would NOT believe the skin we got off that poor snake! And how quick he calmed in the water; Jo's excellent with him - very slow and deliberate. He hunkered down in the water, one time going under!, and let her rub and rub and rub. Even rub his chin and his nose! I'd told her I'd read about the bath on here and that we would have our old Ripley back as soon as that dead skin came off. That that was why he was grumpy, plus prolly being hot.

She must have worked on him almost an hour, rubbing, pulling, rubbing, pulling - always being careful to not pull too hard or too much.

And his head? We got a complete 'cap' off the top! Complete with the skin off the eyes! No wonder Ripley was unhappy!

Once all the skin was off him, that was it. He wanted NOTHING more to do with his bath. She dried him and cuddled him, never putting him back in his tank until after the presentation and it was time to feed him. We'd gotten him a really small rabbit since he'd not been acting himself and when I went to feed him he was at the far end of the tank. He came flying over, struck at the rabbit and it went flying outta my hand. He made a poor save, constricted it, and then HISSSED LIKE CRAZY at everyone by the tank. I told them to not move, he'd find it and eat it, which he did with relish - not hotdog relish... - and then he searched his tank for a second. Ripley was back to his Sunday form!

Thanks for what all you guys put up here. Had I not known about bacteria and how the dry skin is so uncomfortable on snakes I'd never have done what I did today. Ripley also thanks you.