Shedding Layers

Snakes, like most other reptiles, frequently shed their skin. Now, since I have had Marbles she's only shed once back in June. And if I'm being completely honest, I didn't know about how to care for a snake when they're shedding. The first time she shed was about less than a month after I got her and I didn't care for her properly. I didn't keep the humidity high enough which caused Marbles to shed in pieces as opposed to in one long piece.

Came home to a shed today!

Last Monday Marbles didn't eat but yesterday (Tuesday) she did. I was actually quite skeptical on if I should feed her since she is shedding, but I figured since she didn't eat last week she could be hungry and dehydrated (snakes get most of their water from their food they eat as opposed to drinking water).

The other day whenever I noticed that she began shedding, I became determined to do it the correct way so it'd all come out in one piece. To accomplish this, I kept everything the same with Marbles- feeding routine, temperature, enclosure, fresh water refilled often- with the exception of handling and humidity. I did my research and found that I needed to increase the humidity from the normal 60% - 65% to 70% - 80% so she would be comfortable during this time. Also, I refrained from handling her while shedding because that could cause stress and possibly hinder the shedding process.

What a great shed!

I got home from work, saw the shed in the enclosure and was ecstatic when I pulled it out to find it was in one piece. Part of it tore off while I picked it up but it was just a little part so that's alright. I measured it and Marbles is currently 2'10"! Almost 3 ft long! The last time I weighed her she was about 415g (about a pound).

Now that she's shed and everything is good hopefully I can start handling her more!