Reptile & Amphibian Forums

how can you tell if your snake is getting ready to shed? I know the eyes get cloudy looking but that's all I know. Are there any other sighns before that?

Usually the color will get dull even before the snake's eyes get cloudy. Some snakes are more obvious then others but they just won't have the same luster. Miami corns for instance will get a drty gray color where they may have been a cleaner white before. Also, some snakes will go off feed, but it varies. Some snakes eat right on thru their shed cycles. Most will refuse food when cloudy, but some even before hand. Hope that helps?
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
Jorge Sierra

My Site > www.Sierrasnakes.com

I agree, they will take on a duller hue just prior to actually turning opaque(blue). And if accurate feeding and shedding records are kept, you can pretty much tell right about the time the snake is due to shed next time from looking at the previous shedding intervals from the records too. I stick a piece of blue "painter's tape on the front with the date I notice them in "blue", that way I know which ones are about to shed, and whether or not to feed them depending on if the individual snake feeds in shed or not. Right now I am watching these shed stickers for their next breeding introductions.

I keep "post-it" stickers on the fronts of all my snakes containers for writing down all feedings/sheds. And you can easily see things at a quick glance as needed.

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -Serpentine Specialties

Sometimes before the shed cycle is evident by the blue eye caps, the snake will not want to eat. But some will eat during this cycle. too. When the eyes turn blue and the scales become dull looking that is about midway in the shed cycle. Then the snake will look normal again with clear eyes, and after that will shed. Be sure to provide a moist sphagnum moss hide for the snake to facilitate the shed process.

A Glad container with a hole cut in the top works well.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

Forgot to mention, this is a pair of mating snakes, with the one not mating in full blue. You can see how dull she looks compared to the mating pair.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

Thank you all for the info. This snake is new, I got him about 4 weeks ago. It's been about 10 years since I had a snake.