Helping Jake shed

[Catherine]

You are right, we think Jake might be a girl. It is hard to tell with the spine being damaged. He just might be a male that didn't develop right. He could be probed, but I don't like to do that to my healthy snakes. I would never let it be done to Jake.

Snakes shed when they are ready. Females shed before they lay eggs. When snakes grow, they shed. As they get older they shed less because they grow less. Shedding helps them renew their skin and repair any damage. However, if any skin is retained it can cause problems.

I thought Jake would lose the end of his tail when I got him because he had a build up of unshed skin. I soaked him in Shed Ease(special product to help reptiles shed) and helped with his next shed and it all came off. It is critical that the shed come off the eyes or a snake can lose its sight. Snakes do not have eye lids. They have a clear scale over each eye. It must come off. I am glad Jake can do that himself.

We do have an interesting bond of trust. When I first got him, he couldn't poop without help. I had to do that too. It makes shedding seems so easy now.