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Been a couple months since a posted a pic of this gal. She is doing well and putting on weight and length. She had a nice complete shed today so I snapped some pics. Also, notice the last pics, there are some red little 'hooks' on the shed right at the cloaca? Are these normal on Bulls?

These pics aren't A stuff, just some shots I snapped outside of her cage.

And a chap-stick for size reference...

Still has rosy cheeks

and here's some pics of her shed...little red hooks on the inside of her skin. What do you think of these? Haven't heard any info on these things before on Bulls - just boas.

Thanks for viewing
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- Matt

1.0 Black Milk '04
1.0 Andean Milk '06
0.1 Eastern King '97
0.1 Bullsnake '09

Don't know about the "red hooks", but she's a very nice looking little Bull. Good pics. Thanx for sharing.

reako45

it's actually not a question but an indicator. only females leave those in their sheds. i don't know what they are either but my female corns, milks, kings leave the same marks as well. it's a good way of telling the sex of an animal when you're not sure.......

Very interesting thanks for the responses. She's a nice little snake for sure, not a single hiss has come out of her.
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- Matt

1.0 Black Milk '04
1.0 Andean Milk '06
0.1 Eastern King '97
0.1 Bullsnake '09

Matt, your little snake is looking great, nice and round!
Here is a pic of a shed from a friend's king snake collection:
The snake that had this shed was fine. But if I had this happen I would for sure make certain the snakes had humidity boxes (moist sphagnum moss hides).
I'm guessing these marks the females leave are tears in their vents on the edge of the vent opening which must be a very fragile area. Female snakes have a pair of scent glands just inside the vent area. When she is ready to mate she drags these scent glands over the ground and leaves pheromones to attract males. Maybe this area is more prone to injury from shedding, as the old skin peels off.

pyromaniac, thanks for the post about female scent glands, makes sense. however these are part of a normal female shed & are not due to an injury as almost all female colubrids leave these behind. it's very common & actually helpful when one isn't sure which sex is which initially. all my female bulls, milks, kings, corns etc. have always shed w/ this trait & it is merely just a great indicator of who is what & nothing to worry about.....

That is good to know. I am going to closely examine all my snakes' sheds in the future.

Interesting and thanks! And yea, as Dan pointed out, these are like little hooks with no bleeding, they're actually attached to the shed and they remind of the little vestigial hooks that are on boas, the remnants of long ago legs.
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- Matt

1.0 Black Milk '04
1.0 Andean Milk '06
0.1 Eastern King '97
0.1 Bullsnake '09