"It actually IS the skin off my nose ...

pavel

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 18, 2008
Messages
390
and the rest of me too, truth be told", said the snake. Yeah, "no skin off my nose" is really, really old school, but hey, that's just the way I roll. (Plus it was very fitting for the topic at hand.)

Snakes often seem to be sneaky about ecdysis (shedding). Unless there are issues, they seem to like to wait until no one is looking before they "undress". Then, just like a teenager, they leave their discarded "clothes" lying around until the "maid service" comes through to pick it up. Well the other day I happened to catch Osiris in the beginning stages of shedding and it dawned on my that I should take a pic while the getting was good.

For anyone who might be unfamiliar with the whole process (though, granted, that's rather unlikely on this forum ;)), if conditions are right, the skin is sloughed off all in one piece. Starting at the head the skin is peeled back (usually by rubbing the nose against a rough surface). The snake then slithers out of the old skin. The resulting shed is inside out, not unlike taking off a t-shirt.

So here you go:





 
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kylestl

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 23, 2010
Messages
95
Pretty snake, Is that an albino northern pine? I have an albino southern pine. Great snakes. Hows her personality?
 
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