Crotalus molossus shedding?

[zemmo]

Hi all: I'm lucky enough to live in NM with a healthy pop of my favorite Crot. One of my friends recently said that a herpetologist told her that C. molossus only shed once a year, in August. It seems unlikely that even mature snakes would only shed once a year, and only in August? Anyone have any real data? TIA, Alan.

[lady_bug87]

No idea but welcome!!

[zemmo]

Thank you.

[Tsubaki]

The whole 'In August' bit is weird, But adult snakes who only shed once a year aren't that uncommon. Some shed a lot ( Got an adult dwarf retic that sheds after every meal) and some shed very little (adult hognose that sheds once a yearish too, but i dont remember the month haha)

[Benjamin1975]

This species should shed about three times per year

[Aaron_S]

There is no set schedule for how many sheds a snake will have, let alone the month they will do it in. Snakes shed for various reasons.

Female who's going/gone through ovulation? Shed cycle.
Snake ate a large meal? Shed cycle.
Snake has external parasites? Shed cycle.
Snake got wounds from a predator/prey? Shed cycle.

Then there's just the natural shed cycle from being a snake.

[fedupdon]

i say bull ashit i have them shed every 3 or 4 weeks depending on the amount of they get

[Tsubaki]

And still some snakes are just that way, like I said my hognose sheds once a year at most. He's 7 and I have 4 whole sheds of his. Bought him at 3 years old. Had other hognoses that shed more frequently in the past. My reticulated pythons all shed in different cycles too, varies between once every 6 months to once after every meal.