Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My boys eyes are blue and it's clear he can't see nodda but he was acting hungry so I fed him. No problems he kept it down and I put it right in his face.
My question is there any harm feeding him right before a shed if he wants it and there's no chance for injury?
I know a little late to ask but I didn't think about it until after.
Thank you

Some of my snakes eat before a shed and some don't. However, there is a chance of shedding problems if the snake has a meal that is too large. The skin can bunch up around the lump in the snake's stomach and cut off blood flow and possible kill the snake. I usually don't feed mine during a shed cycle, but when I do, I offer smaller meals.
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Ok Thank you for future info. These were pinkie mice that a new mother decided to start eating so no large lumps.
The snake in question is 4 foot long mex black king and I decided I'd rather see if my snake would eat them rather then being killed by their own mother!!
To him I'm sure it was like a few M&M's
I know new moms sometimes take a second breeding to get it right but I'm a mother and it bothers me.

I would replace the cannibal mother ASAP, or just feed her off immediately, when I used to breed my own rodents, this would happen once in a while, for whatever reason(s). But the way I see it, spending all that time raising up adults to produce young for feeding, then they go and eat their young, is really going in the opposite direction, and is EXTREMELY counter-productive.

Sort of like picking the worst stock to invest in.

best regards, ~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

Where have you read that a snake can die from eating before a shed?? Was this in a book/magazine or is this coming from personel experience??

I am curious because I feed during sheds all the time without issue, and i have never read or heard of anyone ever having a problem with this?

Has anyone else ever heard of this??

~ Mike Russo

Sorry if I was unclear I didn't read or hear that it could harm or kill a snake to feed before a shed I just wasn't sure so I was posting to make sure.
I did figure it would be bad if I was feeding something that could attack the snake such as an adult mouse or rat but since these were pinkies I didn't think it would hurt.

I was really responding the following statement...

"However, there is a chance of shedding problems if the snake has a meal that is too large. The skin can bunch up around the lump in the snake's stomach and cut off blood flow and possible kill the snake."

I feel that this is completely inaccurate information.. And, I would be willing to bet that there is not one snake in the history of reptiles that has died due to a shed cutting off blood flow..

~ Mike Russo

I think if it occurs, it is extremely rare - as in your snake is more likely to kill itself by eating its own tail.
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I decided my old sig was too big.

Totally agree with Mike, using my own personal experience.
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Todd Hughes

I agree Mike!!

Maybe though the problem is the snake's skin not being easy to be shed off right after a big meal?

A few years back, I had fed a good sized meal to an albino nelson's milk that had gone " in the blue " really quick and out of it before shedding. I was not aware of this so I threw the mouse in, and a few minutes later after he ate, I noticed that he was shedding. Soon enough, as the skin was unraveling like a sock or stocking, it had reached the point of there the bulge was in the body of the snake, and it was unable to go any further. I carefully felt around and sure enough, the skin was so tight, feeling like a tightly wound rubber band around some object, due to it being rolled up in a donut-shed type way. It was really tight!!!!

Well, the snake had tried and tried, and even though the bulge was not completely huge, but still, decently sized enough, it still created this problem at hand of not being able to pass over the bulge. I waited and waited. Finally, I was able to carefully tear at the skin a little at the time and break the rolled up skin down, while suprisingly, the snake remained calm and relaxed, and the skin was then able to be shed over the bulge finally.

Perhaps this is what some meant about not feeding snakes during shedding, in terms of the possibility of something similar happening, in case by the time the snake sheds, the food item had not been digested much yet? In my case, the snake was fixing to shed right when I fed him though, which would technially still be classified as during a shed cycle.

Anyways, that is my experience.

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Genesis 1:1

I've had two regurgitations (a corn snake and a gopher snake) that I can't explain - other than that they ate while in blue. Neither regurged later feeding attempts after they shed, I don't know if it was related to eating in blue or not. Those two (along with any that always refuse in blue) I don't feed in blue anymore. Others I let them eat in blue only as garbage disposal.

There is a benefit to feeding in blue - when I feed my adult Okeetee in blue, he often craps about the same time he sheds - inside the shed, wrapping the turd nicely for easy disposal
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I decided my old sig was too big.

if my snakes died from eating during shed, I'd be out of snakes. Never had a problem. If I feel like trying to feed them in shed, I do it no problem. If they feel like eating, great. If not, that's OK too.

daveb

What???? have you ever had this happen personally? I have never heard this one before???
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Todd Hughes

My snake just shed last night for the first time with me.
SHe has been really reclusive recently, so I missed the blue eyes and dull skin thing and I didnt realise it was in a shedding cyle when I fed it on Tuesday. he very next day it shed without a problem, eye scales included... a completely intact shed.

I handled it today just to check it out and the new skin is fine and the snake has never been happier.

So from my very limited experiance, I would say it doesn't really matter. The way I figure it... snakes aint stupid. I could see the point if I lierally had to force feed. But I didnt, it struck at the rat pup straight away and the only reason it came out of hiding was because it knew it was the day to be fed. If they shouldn't eat... I believe they wouldn't eat. They know whats best for themselves.

Duane
California King

Most of my snakes will eat during a shed cycle, I see no harm whatsoever. Feed it!!!
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Todd Hughes