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What is a molt

Moult (general definition)- the process of changing the covers of animals, which has a diverse character.
Among invertebrates, a typical molt occurs in nematodes, cephalopods, arthropods, and groups close to them. In most of these animals, molting is regulated by the hormone ecdysone 1. Since, according to molecular phylogenetics, these groups are related to each other, in recent times from unite under the name Ecdysosoa- Shedding. In these groups, molting is reduced to periodic shedding and change of the cuticle. Before molting, the inner layers of the old cuticle dissolve, and below it, hypodermal cells secrete a new cuticle. After a molt, the animal rapidly increases in size (usually by absorbing water or "puffing up" with air) until the new cuticle hardens, after which growth stops until the next molt (periodic growth).
Nematodes molt larvae (usually there are four larval stages), adult nematodes do not grow and do not molt. In most groups of arthropods (crustaceans, spiders, etc.), molting and growth continue throughout life.
Moulting in insects, as a rule, is repeated at the larval stage; in insects with complete transformation at the last molt, the larva turns into a pupa, and after shedding the covers of the pupa, the insect turns into an adult form - an imago. In insects with incomplete transformation during the last molt, the larva turns into an imago (only mayflies have a winged subimago stage, which molts one more time before turning into an adult insect. Adult insects do not grow and do not molt.
Among vertebrates, molting occurs in all tetrapods. They molt, shedding several layers of keratinized epithelial cells, frogs and toads. Molting is also characteristic of representatives of reptiles. Among reptiles, snakes periodically completely shed their horny cover, with the formation of the so-called. "Crawl out" - the discarded "skin" of a snake. In birds, during molting, plumage is replaced, and in temperate and subpolar latitudes, seasonal molt(spring and autumn) - change of winter plumage to summer. Sometimes it changes color snowy owl, white partridge). In mammals living in temperate latitudes, as a rule, molting also occurs twice a year - in spring, when thick winter wool is shed, and in autumn, when warm winter cover builds up. Often the color of this cover also changes, for example, in hares, squirrels, etc.

1 Ecdysones(from Greek. ekdysis- molting) - hormones belonging to the group of steroids (27-28 carbon atoms), stimulating molting and metamorphosis of arthropods.

Molting at snakes

Normally, molting is a complex process in which cells of the intermediate zone of the epidermis (several outer layers of living cells under the stratum corneum) proliferate and form a new stratum corneum, called internal epidermal generation. Roughly speaking, this is a biological process during which a reptile forms new cover and discard the old one.
Reptiles, in particular snakes, are preparing to “change their skin” for quite a long time, they are worried, they lose their appetite. The time preceding the molt is called the "blue eye" period by herpetologists. At the same time, snake skin looks lifeless, fades, fades, the pattern on it loses its clarity, and the eyes become dull blue. The behavior of animals during this period also changes: some become lethargic and move little, others are nervous and show increased aggressiveness. Poisonous snakes are especially dangerous: accidentally disturbed, they can actively attack and try to bite.

Cheney's carpet python (lat. Morelia Spilota cheynei), cloudy-eyed juvenile

White-lipped python (lat. Leiopython albertisii), cloudy-eyed juvenile

In most snakes, molting begins from the head, with the exception of burrowing snakes of the blind snake family (lat. Typhlopidae), which molt from the tail. At the same time, the exfoliated covers begin to slide, stretching and breaking away in the form of more or less long tubes. The discarded old "stocking" of the blind people does not turn inside out. Normally, the snake sheds quickly and completely. The discarded skin is called the "creep out" and is an almost complete cover, which is several cm longer than the snake's body. Very large snakes molt with a gap "creep out" under the weight of their weight. Lump molting occurs in sick snakes or living in adverse conditions(e.g. insufficient air humidity). It is especially important to have transparent "glasses" on the crawl - the stratum corneum from the eyes, since its untimely convergence can cost the animal vision: squeezing the eyeball leads to inflammation and even death.

Snake "crawls"

The first molt in kites occurs either immediately after birth, which is typical for viviparous and ovoviviparous species, or 7–14 days after leaving the egg (for oviparous snakes). Further, the young growth molts every 3-4 weeks, as it actively feeds and grows. With age, the frequency of molts decreases, and the intervals between them increase. Adult snakes shed their old skin once every 3-6 months, and some species living in complex natural conditions(for example, in the highlands) molt only 1 time per year. A snake that has just shed its skin has a beautiful, bright and distinct coloration.

Normal molting goes through several stages:

proliferation stage. At this point, the skin becomes dull and dull. In snakes, this stage is hardly noticeable.
The phase of molting divergence. Includes the formation of internal epidermal generation and the formation of a cavity with lymph effusion into it. Proliferation is replaced by differentiation of cells that make up a new stratum corneum on the periphery of the proliferate with the formation of a thin gap in intermediate zone(between three layers of old and three layers of new cells). After the formation of internal epidermal generation of cells, a cavity is formed - a zone of stratification. During this time, clouding of the eyes of snakes can be observed. The so-called blue-eye period.
The stratification phase. During it, the skin brightens and almost does not differ from normal. In the phase of stratification, lysis (dissolution) of the interstitial substance and adhesion (adhesion) of proteins occur, followed by molting.

Moulting disorders in snakes

Usually snakes shed their old skin very in a simple way: crawl out of it. The outer layer of the snake's skin is a single unit, from the goggles on the eyes to the tip of the tail. Blurred eyes are considered the first sign of molting in snakes. But in fact, in the beginning there is a clouding of the abdominal scutes, which takes two to four days. Then the eyes become cloudy for one to five days. The eyes become milky white later, and this color disappears earlier than in other parts of the body, which is of vital importance for the snake, since it does not see well at this time. The third stage is the clearing of the eyes, the fourth stage is the clearing of the abdominal shields and, finally, the last, fifth stage is the actual molting. Preparation for it takes from five to twelve days, the third and fourth stages are often quite short.
Before molting, many snakes lose their appetite and become irritable. Many species living in nature go in search of water in which they get stuck.
In healthy snakes, the molt itself takes from thirty minutes to several hours. It begins after the snake peels off the old cuticle on the lips, rubbing the tip of the muzzle on some rough surface. Then the snake begins to move the skin back from the head and, crawling among the bushes and stones, gradually, centimeter by centimeter, pulls off the old skin. Along with the old clothes, she also discards the "glasses" that protect her eyes.

Patterned snake (lat. Elaphe Dione) in the process of shedding the old skin

According to the materials of the sites: http://ru.wikipedia.org/, http://www.zmeuga.ru/ and the works of Vasiliev D.B.

Snakes prepare for the process of molting for quite a long time. They begin to worry, move a lot and lose their appetite. At the same time, the skin on their body gradually becomes pale, fading, the ornament loses its clarity. Gradually, the dying skin begins to exfoliate, which is practically not noticeable, and then the snake removes the dead skin with a “stocking”, as if crawling out of it.

The eyes of a moulting snake become cloudy blue, which is why herpetologists call this time the "blue eye period". Reptiles at this time become either very lethargic or vice versa aggressive, especially dangerous in this state. poisonous representatives kind. If they are even slightly disturbed, they can attack the "offender" and will certainly bite him.

Most snakes begin to molt from the head, and only burrowing representatives of the blind snake family - from the tail. A healthy snake sheds the old skin quite quickly and completely. The thrown cover is called a “crawl out”, it is a single cover, the size of which is a couple of centimeters larger than the length of the snake’s body, since it stretches when dropped.

At large snakes under the weight of the weight, the creep may break in some places. It is very important that transparent places of the eyes be present on the discarded skin, since the untimely descent of the stratum corneum from these places can turn out for the reptile big problems with vision. Under the pressure of the stretched old layer, the eyeball becomes inflamed, which can lead not only to a disease of the organs of vision, but also to blindness, and even death of the animal.

Violations in the process of molting in snakes can be observed when wrong conditions content. For example, great importance for a good condition, the reptile has a microclimate in the terrarium, primarily air humidity. An increase or decrease in this indicator provokes skin problems and diseases, and, consequently, pathological changes in the process of shedding.

With an increase, the skin is affected by bacteria and fungi, as a result, erosion appears on it, and, therefore, the old cover comes off much more difficult. With low humidity, the skin dries out, and therefore does not come off completely, but in parts. As a result, some fragments can remain on the body and form rings that compress parts of the body, squeezing blood vessels and nerves. This situation may result in necrosis. Reduced humidity also contributes to the poor convergence of dead skin from the eyes, which can lead to blindness and even death.

Injured reptile skin can also disrupt the natural course of molting. Most often this is due to the presence of potentially dangerous objects for the snake in the terrarium. This is, first of all, live food. Mammals intended for feeding can injure the soft tissues of the snake with their teeth. This leads to microabscesses and disrupts the molting process. Also, skin injuries can be the result of a burn from a heating or lighting device.

Lack of vitamins, macro- and microelements also lead to pathological molting. With a long absence of food or the wrong diet of a reptile, molting may not proceed correctly. Overnutrition leading to obesity or increased speed growth of the animal, lead to the fact that the snake will not have enough biologically active substances to form a new skin.

Today, many exotic animal lovers keep snakes as pets. Such a pet requires from the owner some knowledge about the image and life cycle of the ward, for example, about the molting process. What reasons encourage reptiles to shed their skin and how this happens - we'll talk in this article.

Why does a snake change its skin

Shedding, or peeling, in a snake is a natural biological process. There are several reasons why it is needed:

• wear of the old skin;
• renewal and cleansing of skin cells;
• shedding of skin due to growth (debatable factor).

Did you know? The process of skin renewal made the snake one of the symbols of medicine, along with the rod of Asclepius.

How to prepare for a drop

Reptiles, feeling the approach of the molting process, try to get enough first of all. This is necessary because it takes long time and lots of energy. The reptile cannot hunt during the preparation and the molting itself: it sees and smells poorly, feels weak, and has no appetite.

This condition makes the animal extremely vulnerable to natural enemies, so it tries to find a secluded place for the duration of peeling.

Depending on the species, reptiles can be dangerous, aggressive, and will attack anything they see as a threat. Most of all, this applies to poisonous species.

Stages of physiological preparation for skin shedding:

1. Within 2-4 days, the shields on the belly turn pale.
2. In about 5–7 days, the mucous membrane of the eye becomes cloudy, turning into a milky bluish color. During this period, vision is greatly reduced.
3. The eyes gradually clear up.
4. The pallor of the abdominal shields disappears.

Did you know?According to the undamaged old skin of the reptile found, according to the pattern of scales, one can easily determine what kind of snake it belonged to.

How does she do it

The whole procedure for shedding the old skin takes from half an hour to several hours. As the cells of the new skin begin to divide, the old layer begins to stretch and crack in the muzzle area. The reptile helps him to overstrain, rubbing against the existing rough surfaces - stones, driftwood.
When the dead layer is sufficiently opened from the side of the head, the reptile begins to wriggle, rub against the roughness, gradually crawling out of the "old clothes". It is noteworthy that the old layer is turned inside out, like a stocking. Usually the "creep out" is kept intact, but very large individuals may have breaks.

Important!If moltinggoing on pieces, and not a whole skin, which means that the animal has health problems and urgently needs to be shown to the doctor.

In the video below, you can see how the process of replacing old skin with a new layer takes place.

Video: how a snake sheds its skin

When and how often

As mentioned above, this process is a normal biological phenomenon. The frequency of molting depends on such factors:

The first peeling, depending on the method of reproduction of the reptile, occurs at the age of 7-14 days of age.
Future updates skin happen about once a month. As you grow older, the interval between procedures increases: 1 time in 3 months, 1 time in six months. Old individuals molt 1 time in 1.5–2 years.

Important!During the skin renewal period on the wearer house snake there is an increased responsibility, since the pet requires enhanced care.

In conclusion: shedding the skin is one of milestones in the life of reptiles, laid down by nature. During this period, the reptile is vulnerable, but can also be dangerous, especially if it is poisonous.