Excellent to hear of your new acquisition!

Coluber mormon, like all snakes, tends to become a duller color before shedding. This is because of a fluid which runs between the old skin and the new, which acts as a moisturizer and allows the snake to shed without incident. During this period, snakes will become duller and often their eyes turn blue, activity levels drop and they generally refuse food. This is most likely what is occuring with Greenbean.



After snakes experience external trauma, such as lacerations and punctures, they will often shed their skin to help accelerate the healing process. In essence, they simply replace the old sking for a new one, and this helps heal external injuries. This would also seem to apply to Greenbean.



A ten gallon tank is probably small, but it is a great sign that the snake has accepted food without incident. I would recommend a larger cage. Perhaps, 24" by 24" by 24", or larger if you plan on keeping him. I highly recommend you do as racers are rewarding captives.



Also, I would recommend replacing the substrate with leaf litter (preferably oak), or ground coconut, or a mixture of the two as I have found this to work best. You could also provide branches for climbing if you so desire. Your temperatures are good.



Any more questions, feel free to ask here or at my e-mail below.



Good Luck!
-----
Roy Blodgett

Green Man Herpetoculture

royreptile@yahoo.com



1.1 Drymarchon corais

1.1 Pseustes sulphureus

1.1 Masticophis taeniatus taeniatus

0.0.1 Coluber mormon

1.1 Lampropeltis getula californiae (desert phase)

1.0 Boiga dendrophila dendrophila

1.1 Corytophanes cristatus

1.2 Varanus acanthurus brachyurus (Mt.Isa)

2.3 Pogona vitticeps (snow and red/gold)

1.0 Iguana iguana



“All men lie enveloped in whale-lines. All are born with halters round their necks; but it is only when caught in the swift, sudden turn of death, that mortals realize the silent, subtle, ever-present perils of life.”- Herman Melville

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