Why do pythons shed

Like other reptiles, ball pythons shed their skin regularly as they grow. A healthy ball python should shed its skin in one piece once every weeks or so. As they prepare to shed, the scales will loosen, and you may notice its eyes turn blue and opaque. Snakes are unique among wildlife for many reasons, and one of those reasons is their ability to shed their skin in its entirety.

We don't see this from other animals, so why do snakes shed their skin whole? Put simply, snakes shed their skin because it doesn't fit anymore or because it's old or worn out. When snakes grow, their skin does not, so they outgrow it. When this happens, they shed their outer layer of skin. Snakes can shed their skin as often as once a month, although it's usually only a handful of times a year at most, according to Animal Planet.

The process of shedding skin is called ecdysis, and many factors can affect how and when snakes shed, including species, age, weather and temperature, nutritional health and the presence of bacteria or parasites. Younger snakes typically shed more than adults, because they are still growing. Snakes also often shed their skin before reproduction or after giving birth.

While shedding their skin is part of a snake's growing process, it has another purpose as well. As a young python grows into adulthood, its shedding may gradually slow. On average, an adult may still shed every 45 to 60 days. Other reasons that ball pythons shed include response to trauma, dirty conditions, or injury. Overhandling can cause stress and lead to more frequent shedding.

On the contrary, a snake that does not feed well may not shed as frequently as a healthier snake because it may stop growing. A ball python snake should always shed its skin in one piece, starting at the head. This process can be likened to a sock slipped over the arm up to the elbow and peeled off so that the sock is inside out once removed. During the period of decreased activity, a snakes eyes become dull and take on a blue hue.

During shedding, snakes secrete a fluid to help separate the old skin from the new, and this fluid runs under his specialized eye caps, resulting in the opaque or blue quality of the eye. The eyes become clear again in about 7 to 15 days, and the snake starts actively rubbing against rough surfaces to aid him in removing the old skin.

Along with decreased activity, snakes eat less when they begin to shed. Some snakes might eat in the very early phases of shedding, but most stop eating until their eyes become clear again. In the wild, snakes brumate in cold weather.