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Is this somehting that is ok....I mean I know some snakes go off of food while in shed but if they will eat should they eat....I heard somewhere that it is bad for them to eat while in shed...something like it is bad for their skin or something...sounded a little wierd to me...So I thought i would ask some of you what you think
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Scott
"Imagination is more important than knowledge" -Einstein

I feed my snakes while they're in shed. Theres nothing wrong with it, its just a matter if they'll eat or not. I think I heard somewhere that its actually helps the shed but I'm not 100% on that.

I've had mine regurgitate meals that were eaten immediately prior to "going blue". Now, I feed them smaller food items (ie. switching from 4 lg. fuzzies to 2 small fuzzies) when blue and haven't had any regurgitation.
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1.0.0 Great Plains Ratsnake
1.0.0 Corn, Lavender Aztec het for Amel
0.1.0 Black Ratsnake
0.0.1 Texas Rat (tame)
1.0.0 Broad Banded Water Snake, Hypo
1.0.0 Black Bassador Retriever
2.1.0 Godchildren, 1 Evil, 2 possible hets

"I heard somewhere that it is bad for them to eat while in shed...something like it is bad for their skin or something"

* No, that "theory" has zero truth whatsoever. The only real issue is whether they will or will not feed during this period. Many snakes seem to get confused about their surroundings during this time, and are much more irritable, which is very understandable.

What being fed usually tends to do, is make them more sluggish if they are just about to shed, and if anything, would tend to make them more willing to just sit coiled up digesting the meal, rather than being active and going ahead and actually shedding the skin.

Another theory as to why some might not eat during this time is,...this would make them just that much MORE vulnerable to other animals if they had full bellies on top of already having their senses compromised with being opaque. It's also very possible some might find it necessary to regurgitate a large meal because they are being handled, and would view this as a threat to their safety since their senses aren't what they would normally be. Snakes with full bellies in the wild will often regurge a mealfor probably two main reasons, 1), it will distract the predator with the expelled gut content, and 2), it lightens them up and makes them much more agile to escape any perceived predator.

These are all things commonly done in nature.

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

ok so if they will eat go ahead and let them....if anyhting it will only slow the shedding process.,,,got it I have really good feeders and i feel bad not letting them eat when they are in shed...especially when i know that they would eat...dont want my animals to miss a meal haha
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Scott
"Imagination is more important than knowledge" -Einstein

I understand your concern about not letting them eat while in shed, but a shed only lasts 5-8 days and snakes are perfectly fine not eating during this period. It will do them NO HARM if they do not consume any food while "blue". This is natural.

so don't be worried if your snakes don't eat while in shed.
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1.0.0 Great Plains Ratsnake
1.0.0 Corn, Lavender Aztec het for Amel
0.1.0 Black Ratsnake
0.0.1 Texas Rat (tame)
1.0.0 Broad Banded Water Snake, Hypo
1.0.0 Black Bassador Retriever
2.1.0 Godchildren, 1 Evil, 2 possible hets

I reckon the conventional wisdom behind not feeding a snake in shed is that the old skin is more fragile at this time and has a greater tendency to rip, leaving the new skin underneath vulnerable before it's ready for "prime time."

Is there any truth to this? Maybe. Maybe not. Who knows?

What we do know is that snakes tend to hide and not feed as readily while in shed. So why not let the reptile hide and not eat? It's what they'd do in the wild. I've always considered the shed cycle a time to give the snake's digestive system a break. That's just me and my way of looking at it.

Tim

Third Eye

good point
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Scott
"Imagination is more important than knowledge" -Einstein

Tim, what a gorgeous corn!!!

Most of mine will not eat in shed, but a few do. One thing I've heard of (and I've only heard of it once) was a large constrictor (boa or python) in a zoo that consumed a large meal prior to a shed. As the old skin rolled down, it bunched up around the lump in the snake's stomach and almost killed the snake by cutting off circulation. The man in charge of caring for the snake had to carefully cut away the old skin and the snake was saved.
I do have a large jungle carpet python that eats readily in shed and has never had a problem.
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http://www.cafepress.com/shedz

One thing I've noticed with a high consistancy in my corns and kings is that the yearlings and younger snakes will devour a meal whether they are in shed or not but most of my older snakes will turn down food while in the blue.