Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Does a snake only change skin colors when it sheds or can it change colors before it sheds?

I ask cause it seems my black rat snake has gotten darker but he hasn't shed yet. I know he's supposed to get darker with each new skin, but I didn't know if the skin could get darker even when it's not shedding.

A snake that changes color from juvenile to adult is constantly changing, but very gradually. It often lasts up to around 5 years before the full-on adult coloration is noted, and sometimes even longer.
The shed is the most dramatic, noticeable change, usually, but if you are extremely observant, sometimes you can note a difference between sheds.

>>Does a snake only change skin colors when it sheds or can it change colors before it sheds?
>>
>>I ask cause it seems my black rat snake has gotten darker but he hasn't shed yet. I know he's supposed to get darker with each new skin, but I didn't know if the skin could get darker even when it's not shedding.
-----
...and I think to myself, "What a wonderful world."

They'll change color temporarily for a few days prior to shedding, but it's usually not by much and usually toward a duller bluish or grayish cast. That's caused by a secretion of oil between the old and new skin layers, which serves to loosen the old skin in preparation for shedding. The bluish cast is most notable at this time over the eyes, which take on a milky blue appearance. Herpers who refer to their snakes as "blue" are referring to this pre-shedding phase. Once the bluish color clears up, the snake will then shed a few days later. And then you'll have a nice, clean, pretty snake again!

You might notice a slight overall darkening after shedding, but in general the pattern fading that is typical of Black Rats is a gradual process that goes on for many years.
-----
MichaelB

Heh, that actually wasn't what I was referring to. I have had a kingsnake for a few years, I know what shedding looks like (though, yeah, two days or so after I noticed it he went blue). When I noticed it though his eyes were completely clear and I was noting that the darkness on his scales got darker (like in the middle you can see some grey/blacking and its getting greyer and blacker).

But it appeared to me the darkish tint on his scales is getting darker, and his head markings seem to be disappearing. But he hadn't shed yet so I thought it was odd since I only read they changed color when they shed. Some one else responded saying they do change slightly even when not shedding, it's just usually more noticeable after they shed.

His head is looking more and more grey/black though .

Yeah, I kinda thought you were getting at the general pattern fading, but since you mentioned a reference to shedding, I thought I'd throw that out there. Oh well...

Interesting, though, that you can actually notice the darkening and fading of the pattern over the period of, say, one shed. I always thought that the fading was so gradual that it would be hard to notice the difference over that short of a time span. But I believe it is a constant process, and they don't necessarily have to wait until shedding to show signs of darkening.

The head darkening is typical of both Black Rats and Texas Rats. I have an intergrade of the two; she's pushing 3.5 feet now, and has managed to retain a rather attractive yellow-brown body pattern (so probably more Texas Rat than Black Rat). But the head pattern is gone, and she now has the typical charcoal-gray head of a Black and/or Texas Rat.
-----
MichaelB

Well, I've noticed more change in his skin between these two sheds than after any of the two sheds he's had with me.

And he better be a black rat or I'm going to be really pissed. I already have one snake I'm not sure he was what he was sold to me as (A Mexican Black Kingsnake that some one just mentioned could be a Florida intergrade since he's a half foot larger than what mex black kings are supposed to be at their biggest, that and he has a ton of yellow and white spots all over him).