# snake shedding - do's and don'ts?



## helzwash (Feb 5, 2010)

so a lot of people say not to feed them but a few people say theirs have no problem feeding os whenever mine starts to shed should i try him anyway or just leave him alone?

and i'm also assuming i shouldn't try to handle him?

how long on average does it take them to shed (excluding the typical signs eg their eyes glazing over - i mean from the start of the physical shedding) and do you mist yours?

thanks guys and gals - this forum ahs been a GOD send


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## Whosthedaddy (Nov 29, 2009)

My 2 that have shed with me so far have been chalk and cheese.

The Hognose takes around 13 days from the first milkiness to the Blue eyes and then shed. He has the right hump and lets you know about it when he is in shed. He'll hide and be completely inactive at this time so I don't handle or interact other than to check once or twice a week to see how things are going. He won't feed so I let him fast for this time. He soon makes up for it once shed.

He's kept on aspen at room humidity and isn't sprayed, no moist box, not nothing really other than given time to do it.

My Anaconda for his first shed got sprayed once a day, had a damp substrate (cocofibre / cyrpus mulch) and again like the Hoggie took 12 days. The next tim he shed he was on aspen with a large 9l RUB for a bath. He decided when he wanted to soak rather than me misting him more (he never went in the water bowl for his first shed) and it was done within a week?

I never offered prey for him either as inactive but again as soon as shed really wanted the rats again.


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## Trezeck (Sep 13, 2010)

When either of my snakes go into blue I still offer them food on the day it falls on. But it don't worry me if they don't accept it. If they don't accept it I will leave a thawed mouse in viv over night then check on it first thing in morning. If it's been eaten then great, if not then I throw it away and mark it a skipped feed due to shedding. 

Regarding misting, I gently mist my royal once a day and provide a hide with wet moss in it if she want's bit more humidity. It generally increases humidity in the enclosure helping her shed. 
When it comes to my corn, she has never had much of a problem shedding. I just provide her with a bigger bowl of water in her viv just to increase humidity a notch. 

I tend not to handle them while they are in blue, don't want to stress them out.

But I believe every keeper will have their own tricks and ways of helping snakes shed.

Hope this helps.


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## CollaredLizardGal (May 17, 2010)

I regularily feed my snakes on a weekly day (helps me keep track) 
i therefore would offer the food if it fell around the time of going into blue, but if I noticed the bluing before feeding day I will probably leave to shed first. :2thumb:


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## jasont21 (Aug 25, 2010)

my royal is offered food every weekend, wether in molt or not. and she has always taken it. Also isnt grumpy in the moulting stage and is still active. I just spray her in the evenings and make sure she has a water bowl big enough to fit in as she likes to soak in it around moulting. 
never had any probs


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## NT666 (Mar 2, 2008)

i have 6 snakes in all and no probs feeding in shed mode , sometimes they shed fully in one go sometimes they stuggle and i get them out of the viv and stick them in warm water in the bath and let them go though my hands soon comes off


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## Wilko (Mar 3, 2010)

Whether a snake eats when blue depends upon the snake. For example, Dot (my 2 month old motley anery) has just gotten cloudy eyes today, but still took the pinkie I left in her RUB for her. 
It's best to leave them alone - handle as little as possible, and if they're due a feed, quietly drop the food in the viv and leave them to it.
I feed my corns weekly, and if they don't take it when in the blue I feed them a slightly larger item the next time they're due a feed, or as soon as I've noticed they have shed.

When a snake actually starts shedding it takes about 10 minutes (depending on the size of snake ofc), but generally takes very little time unless the snake is having trouble shedding.

I don't mist my corns, and even though my year old male shed badly at his previous home, he shed perfectly well for me - so again it depends on the snake and species. If your snake needs higher-than-room-humidity, they generally benefit from the odd mist or two, or you could provide a humid hide (an icecream tub with a hole cut in the lid and damp moss inside), sat at the warm end of the viv. 
I believe snakes can shed badly due to both too little humidity and too high humidity.

Hope this helps :2thumb:


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## Silas (Aug 25, 2010)

The last time Silas shed it had been about a week since his eyes went cloudy, he became quite active so I fed him and then he shed fine within about half an hour. : victory:


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## heron (Nov 21, 2008)

My corn wasn't interested in food the first time it went into shed, so now I don't bother trying. I just offer food the day after it has shed.

I don't mist before shedding. Although sometimes I let it have a swim in the days leading up to the shed. It probably doesn't need it, but just makes a nice change of scenery


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