What Happens When Your Ball Python Has a Shade of Blue on Him?

Ball pythons are a small species of python that are nonvenomous constrictor snakes. In the wild, they are native to Africa but do well in captivity. All snakes shed their skin, and the frequency at which they shed depends on many different factors. Ball pythons that have a shade of blue on them are going into shed.

  1. Function

    • The ball python's skin does not grow with it, as with all other snake species. In order to grow its skin, the ball python must shed it. Ball pythons shed their skin to grow, to heal injuries, to combat skin irritation from mites or other pests -- and sometimes just because. The snake's old skin will completely separate from the new skin underneath, and while the snake is still covered in its separated, old skin the snake will appear to be an opaque blue color all over, including on its eyes. The snake may appear blue for several days to a week.

    Behavior

    • Because the snake's eyes are also shedding the clear scale that covers them, the cloudy blue color covering their eyes makes it difficult for the snake to see. The snake may be more nervous than usual, or more aggressive even if it is normally calm and tame. The snake may rub its nose on objects, at which point it creates a break in the old skin that it can slither out of. The snake may also soak in its water dish.

    Frequency

    • Baby snakes that are growing at a rapid pace may shed as often as once or twice per month. Adult snakes may shed only once per year. However, snakes that have experienced injuries such as cuts or burns will have to shed several times to fully heal the injury. A snake with mites may also shed more frequently in an effort to get rid of them.

    Problems

    • A snake should shed in one complete piece, unless it is healing from an injury, at which point the shedding skin may come off in pieces. If the snake is uninjured but the shedding skin is flaking off, or it has pieces of old skin stuck to it, the snake does not have enough humidity in its environment to shed in a healthy manner. Ball python humidity should be about 60 percent, although a humid box can be provided. A humid box can be as simple as an upside down plastic tub with a hole cut in the side that is filled with moist moss or soil.