What do snakes shed

But every so often, the shed skin can show dark brownish black stripes or blotches, because of melanin in the scales. Festival of Social Science — Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire.

Edition: Available editions United Kingdom. Become an author Sign up as a reader Sign in. A bush viper slithering out of its skin. You can even sometimes determine the species of snake from its skin because of banding patterns and other visible markings. Shedding skin is normal in the animal kingdom. In fact, all animals do it — even you. However, most animals don't shed their skin all at once like snakes do.

They do it gradually. Take us humans. We are always shedding skin cells — millions of them a day. But because skin cells are microscopic and it's a continual process, it isn't very noticeable. It helps remove parasites that could harm the snake, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Before a snake sheds its skin, it begins to look somewhat bluish in color and its eyes look opaque or clouded over, because the newly formed skin will cover its eyes, according to Washington State University's Ask Dr.

They can't see well during this time, so they sometimes find a safe place to hide out until they begin shedding. Snakes start the process of shedding their old skin by rubbing against a rock, tree or similar hard surface, Ask Dr. Universe reports. They typically rub a spot by their snout, so they can then slip out of their old skin by wriggling against rocks, plants and similar surfaces. Some snakes are able to shed their skin in water. After a snake sheds its skin, it is left behind, and sometimes people find the skins.

The skin is obviously evidence of a snake that is or has been nearby, but the skins also show a lot of detail, including the scales and where the snake's eyes were. You can even sometimes determine the species of snake from its skin because of banding patterns and other visible markings. Although it's perfectly natural, shedding is stressful for your snake.

The upside is that you can ease some of the stress by learning the signs that your pet is about to shed and taking steps to ensure that the process goes as smoothly as possible. Snakes constantly grow new skin cells and must shed the old ones. While humans continually shed skin cells in small quantities, snakes do it in a continuous sheet.

The interval between sheds depends on several factors, including the age of the snake as well as its growth rate and environment. Young snakes that are growing rapidly shed frequently—every few weeks—while adult snakes shed less often, sometimes only a few times a year or less. If you observe your snake carefully, you'll notice a few signs that indicate it will soon shed.

These are completely normal and are nothing for you to be concerned about:. To help relieve some of the stress your snake is experiencing, there are a number of things you can do during the shedding process:. Incomplete shedding is also called dysecdysis.