Reptile column

I was reading Dr. Mader's "Ask the Vet" column in this months Reptiles. The question asked was about wrinkled specs-pg 18. What caught my eye was this paragraph by Dr. Mader about shed spectacles.

You said you know the eye cap came off with the last shed. Are you sure there was not an additional eye cap under that? I have see retained caps shed in layers, leaving previous spectacles in place even though the snake shed the most recent one.

How can this be? Either my understanding of the shedding process has been incorrect for the past 30 years or Dr. Mader needs to explain this one better. Is he under the belief that the new layer of skin is formed over the old layer? Maybe I am missing something?

You're not missing anything, he's contradicting himself...if the snake shed its most recent eyecap, then any previously eyecaps would come off above it.

It isn't the first time he's given incorrect advice. A few years back he questioned a readers decision to occasionally feed cooked, store bought chicken egg to a monitor as opposed to raw (his quip was 'you don't see monitors eating cooked eggs in the wild, do you?'). You have to cook it, otherwise the avidin can create a biotin deficiency.

You said you know the eye cap came off with the last shed. Are you sure there was not an additional eye cap under that? I have see retained caps shed in layers, leaving previous spectacles in place even though the snake shed the most recent one.

It was poorly worded. I think the "most recent one" refers to the previously retained cap. I have dealt with snakes with multiple retained caps. It does seem odd that the snake could shed, complete with eyecaps, and still have retained caps. Usually, they either come off together, or they get left behind, because they are adhered to each other.

I admit I'm making the assumption that the shed skin came off in one piece from the head.

Originally Posted by hhmoore

I took it as meaning it shed the older (top) cap, but left the one from the current shed

That too is what i took it as.

It was poorly worded. I think the "most recent one" refers to the previously retained cap. I have dealt with snakes with multiple retained caps. It does seem odd that the snake could shed, complete with eyecaps, and still have retained caps. Usually, they either come off together, or they get left behind, because they are adhered to each other.

I figured it must have been worded poorly and he should have included more of an explanation. Probably seriously confused the questioner though. Harald are you saying that you've seen older eye caps come off and they appear to be connected to the shed? I have to admit, if that happened, it would have caught me off guard. I would have assumed there weren't any more eye caps remaining.

Originally Posted by kmurphy

I figured it must have been worded poorly and he should have included more of an explanation. Probably seriously confused the questioner though. Harald are you saying that you've seen older eye caps come off and they appear to be connected to the shed? I have to admit, if that happened, it would have caught me off guard. I would have assumed there weren't any more eye caps remaining.

I have had snakes with retained eyecaps shed, and the retained caps came off with the shed (ie, the slough had both the "current" cap & the retained cap - the appearance usually being just an extra thick cap). Once there are a couple of caps stuck, though, the tendency seems to be for the slough to separate/tear and leave the caps in place...though given the proper conditions, the snakes can sometimes manage to get them all off.

That said, it is not inconceivable to me that a snake with a single retained cap could shed, and have the old cap come off with the slough & the "current" one remain stuck in place. There can be different amounts of slough left with a retained caps, and different levels of adherence...if conditions are manipulated (or other efforts are made) to ensure separation of the outer cap with the shed, but are insufficient to allow the release of the one below it, as the slough peels the newest (bottom) cap may be more stuck in place than the older one. Since the older one is now adhered to the currently sloughing skin, it is peeled off, and the tension created might not be sufficient to pop the underlying cap as well.
I hope that made sense.
Usually, though, if I am dealing with a retained cap, I either remove it manually before the next shed, or I intervene just before the actual slough begins...separating the skin at the lip line & peeling it back (taking special care at the eyes to ensure all caps come with it). Once the eyes are clear, I leave the snake to finish by itself...unless there is a fully retained shed.

I hope that made sense.

Actually it did make sense. The second time I read it. Like you I deal with retained eye caps as soon as I see them. Thanks for the explanation.

Kevin