Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I checked on one of my snakes that had just completed her Shed. As I looked at the shed I noticed dried blood at the cloacal vent area of the shed skin. I then checked the snake and noticed that she has blood showing around her cloaca..not flowing or anything , but simply present around the edges of the vent as if there is blood there just inside the vent. This one has me dumbfounded , so I was wondering if anyone else has experienced the same issue.

I put same salve on it just in case she hurt a scale or something in the shed that caused it and will keep a check for her next bowel movement to see what it looks like. I will get her to a vet if it doesnt clear up very soon. But would like some feedback if anyone has it.

Any ideas?

Do female snakes experience Menstruation blood in this way possibly? What type of Menstral process do female snakes go through and what visible signs are present as they do ?

No, snakes do not menstruate.

What you described in your initial post can occur in both males and females, and as soon as their very first shed.

-Joan

>>Do female snakes experience Menstruation blood in this way possibly? What type of Menstral process do female snakes go through and what visible signs are present as they do ?

This is often seen in such commonly-kept species as corn snake and ball python. It is normal and nothing to be alarmed about. When the old skin detaches from the delicate tissue around the vent, some tiny tears occur resulting in a very small amount of blood being lost. No treatment is necessary.

-Joan

>>I checked on one of my snakes that had just completed her Shed. As I looked at the shed I noticed dried blood at the cloacal vent area of the shed skin. I then checked the snake and noticed that she has blood showing around her cloaca..not flowing or anything , but simply present around the edges of the vent as if there is blood there just inside the vent. This one has me dumbfounded , so I was wondering if anyone else has experienced the same issue.
>>
>>I put same salve on it just in case she hurt a scale or something in the shed that caused it and will keep a check for her next bowel movement to see what it looks like. I will get her to a vet if it doesnt clear up very soon. But would like some feedback if anyone has it.
>>
>>Any ideas?

thanks for your posts. This happens to be a florida King 2 yr old female that I was questioning about.

interesting stuff, I"ve never seen this in any of my snakes... I think I"ll start checking, curious

FYI, it was said that snakes to not menstrate. This is correct, but it wasn't said that this is so because snakes do not have a placental uterus. Menstration in mammals is the shedding of the lining of the uterus after egg fertilization and implantation did not occur. In snakes, the follicles travel down a duct very similar to the follopian tubes (my mammilian spelling sucks) and into an shell gland instead. This is where they either develope, as in vivaporous species, or where a shell is formed in the ovoviparous species.

Ian

I'm at a lack of a really good resource for herp repro anatomy and physiology. DeNardo's chapter in Mader's book is adequate, but I'm a diagram-and-photograph person, and I don't find it's detailed enough. (Hmm, is the chapter more detailed in the 2nd ed?)

Any suggestions? My knowledge in this area of herpnatomy is mediocre at best.

Thanks,
Christina

Unfortunately I'm in the same stack as you, and am awaiting my new Mader book to arrive. I have heard it's more comprehensive, as well as updated, in many such areas. As you know, it also has tonnes of colour pics for those picture people

Ian