Why not to feed during a shed

[DandelionDeity]

Is there any real reason not to feed a snake while it's in shed other than it might not strike? My guy has never refused a feed and seems to be in the blue phase (hard to tell, he;s amel) I was going to feed him two pinkies on Sunday but I've heard not to feed snakes when they're in shed. I'm pretty sure he would eat if I gave him the chance so I'm not sure if it's the stress or worry about that sort of thing?

 

[DollysMom]

If your snake eats in shed, fine and if it doesn't eat in shed, fine. I've had both. I usually don't feed in shed any more because the short fast doesn't hurt and they probably would remain in hiding and not hunt in nature. My corn snakes will both eat in shed and have never seen a mouse they didn't like.

 

[Twolunger]

Is there any real reason not to feed a snake while it's in shed other than it might not strike? My guy has never refused a feed and seems to be in the blue phase (hard to tell, he;s amel) I was going to feed him two pinkies on Sunday but I've heard not to feed snakes when they're in shed. I'm pretty sure he would eat if I gave him the chance so I'm not sure if it's the stress or worry about that sort of thing?

I don't pay much attention to the shed period. I've had corns eat one day and shed the next. If they refuse to eat I just try them again after the shed. I have corns that never strike, and I have some that rip the mouse off my tongs before I have it all the way in their container.

 

[Shiari]

I've had a couple that regurged when in shed, and once had a baby that I thought had had the post hatch shed get stuck while shedding at the point of the pinky. I had to help it. But those are betty unusual cases and the vast majority will eat without issue, or simply refuse to eat.

 

[67temp]

Normally I spread my feeding out over two days. If any one is in shed they get fed the first day. If they have refused then the feeder gets tossed to the next days feeding group. Most of mine will still eat in blue.

I've had one small corn that ate just after it came out of blue. 10 minutes later the snake had started to shed. Half way through the shed he regurged. He finished shedding then promptly ate his pinkies again.

 

[DollysMom]

Normally I spread my feeding out over two days. If any one is in shed they get fed the first day. If they have refused then the feeder gets tossed to the next days feeding group. Most of mine will still eat in blue.

I've had one small corn that ate just after it came out of blue. 10 minutes later the snake had started to shed. Half way through the shed he regurged. He finished shedding then promptly ate his pinkies again.

Very interesting about him eating the regurge. Nature is a pretty wondrous thing.

 

[Rich Z]

I've had a couple that regurged when in shed, and once had a baby that I thought had had the post hatch shed get stuck while shedding at the point of the pinky. I had to help it. But those are betty unusual cases and the vast majority will eat without issue, or simply refuse to eat.

This is a pretty important point, I think, about feeding newly hatched babies. That first shed, IMHO, is different from all the subsequent sheds. It is not very flexible, and yes, feeding a baby before that shed can have just this sort of problem, which if not caught, could actually kill the baby snake. That first shed appears to be designed to protect the baby snake from being in a totally wet environment while in development, so it's structure just seems to be different from all the other sheds the snake will go through.

As for adult, I too have had adults regurge when being fed while opaque. Snakes in this condition actually feel differently to me concerning their muscle tone, so I think there is more going on in the snake's physiology than just the old skin itself preparing to slough off. I doubt that in the wild that snakes are actively on the prowl looking for food in this condition, and there might be a real good reason for that.