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n/a
deleted
21 Posts |
 Posted - 15/01/2010 : 08:09:27
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| i am doing a talk on my corn snakes as part of my coursework, and i cant seem to find out why they shed. first i thought it was just them growing. but they continue doing this through adulthood so it leads me back to the question of why do snakes shed? |
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HannahB
The Corn Snake Moderator
United Kingdom
5491 Posts |
Posted - 15/01/2010 : 08:22:32
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yeah you were right as it is because they are growing.
obviously when they are young they are growing much faster so need to shed more often, when they are older they slow down their growing so dont need to shed as often, although we might not be able to see the difference in size they will have grown a minute amount  |
2.0 Normal Royal Pythons - Q and Little One
1.0 Chihauhaun Mountain Kingsnake - Simba
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gingerpony
Queen Bee
United Kingdom
10455 Posts |
Posted - 15/01/2010 : 12:33:39
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exactly as Hannah said above, but just to add:
if they've had an injury they'll also shed more frequently as the wound heals. otherwise the 'old' skin would hold the shape of the wound and stop it from closing and healing properly. |
cornsnakes, ratsnakes, bullsnakes, boas and day geckos
Location:Leeds/York/Selby area |
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Stumpy
Hatchling
United Kingdom
418 Posts |
Posted - 15/01/2010 : 15:21:24
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We humans shed our skin on a regular basis.
If you look at a sink or bath of water after you have used it, some of the scum on the surface is comprised of dead skin cells.
A snake does not shed in this fashion, it does renew its skin but as one complete piece. |
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n/a
deleted
352 Posts |
Posted - 15/01/2010 : 16:16:38
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I'd not thought of it like that. quote:
Originally posted by gingerpony
exactly as Hannah said above, but just to add:
if they've had an injury they'll also shed more frequently as the wound heals. otherwise the 'old' skin would hold the shape of the wound and stop it from closing and healing properly.
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Kehhlyr
ǝʞɐɔ sǝʌoן
United Kingdom
8173 Posts |
Posted - 15/01/2010 : 19:10:37
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| Which is one of the reasons you'll find that snakes with scale damage will often shed more frequently than others. |
-=Kehhlyr - The Resident Loon
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n/a
deleted
21 Posts |
Posted - 27/01/2010 : 17:11:13
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| thank you everyone, wish me luck x |
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SexyBear77
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3796 Posts |
Posted - 27/01/2010 : 17:15:00
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| Good luck, sure it will be fine! |
9.11 Cornsnakes
1.1 Hogg island boas
1.0 Dwarf Burmese python
Location: Watford
Website- http://rassnakes.yolasite.com/ |
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Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 28/01/2010 : 05:03:42
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Let us know how you get on with your talk Valentina. Have you got a snake's shed skin to use as an example?? Then you can show importance of checking the eye caps and tail tip are present and explain why...and what to do it there is retained shed...
xxx |
  
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zandefloss
Hatchling
United Kingdom
245 Posts |
Posted - 28/01/2010 : 21:20:20
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I just wanted to add one of my own questions about shedding here - why is the shed not the same colour as the snake? I see that each scale is a different colour, but when it comes off it's just white? I'm confuzzled!
zan x |
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gingerpony
Queen Bee
United Kingdom
10455 Posts |
Posted - 28/01/2010 : 21:24:47
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| depends on the morph - i can see the stripes in my amel stripe's shed, the saddles on my ghost, caros, anery and caramel's sheds.......... |
cornsnakes, ratsnakes, bullsnakes, boas and day geckos
Location:Leeds/York/Selby area |
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HannahB
The Corn Snake Moderator
United Kingdom
5491 Posts |
Posted - 28/01/2010 : 22:33:39
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| thats how i tell my sheds apart.. monts have his saddle patterns on..libs and edison's are very similar but you can just see the stripes on edisons so you can just about tell them apart |
2.0 Normal Royal Pythons - Q and Little One
1.0 Chihauhaun Mountain Kingsnake - Simba
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gingerpony
Queen Bee
United Kingdom
10455 Posts |
Posted - 28/01/2010 : 22:45:24
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the only one with no patterning is my snow lol
i've got loads of sheds hung up and i can pretty much tell which is each snake's with the depth of colour and patterns (obviously Marilyn's sheds are a little more obvious and easier to pick out lol  ) |
cornsnakes, ratsnakes, bullsnakes, boas and day geckos
Location:Leeds/York/Selby area |
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zandefloss
Hatchling
United Kingdom
245 Posts |
Posted - 29/01/2010 : 00:09:13
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Will I be able to tell when my snake's older? I'm looking at her most recent shed now and I can't see anything!
zan x |
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gingerpony
Queen Bee
United Kingdom
10455 Posts |
Posted - 29/01/2010 : 11:46:16
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| with an amel stripe as she gets older you should be able to see a darker pattern where her stripes are in her shed skin, though with hatchies and young snakes it IS more difficult to distinguish |
cornsnakes, ratsnakes, bullsnakes, boas and day geckos
Location:Leeds/York/Selby area |
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n/a
deleted
876 Posts |
Posted - 29/01/2010 : 15:50:31
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| I can see quite clearly on SLinx shed her pattern and lighter/darker patches as well :) |
Slinky-Tallulah-Fairy-Bell
"My Heart has joined The Thousand for my friend stopped running today" |
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why do snakes shed?
