Montana’s Shedding Season: Staying Cautious Around Snakes

If it weren't enough to stay cautious around snake during the summer here in Montana, It could be worse during this time of year.

via GIPHY

Snakes molt or shed multiple times a year. However, after talking with a farmer I know from outside of town, I learned that it's a good idea to give venomous snakes their distance during this time of year.

Why you ask, during the shedding season, snakes are shedding their old skins and that includes their eyelids and that spells trouble for them in some cases because it messes with their sight. they can't see as well as they usually do if not at all.

How does one know that a snake is molting or shedding?

Looking at a website on Molting 101 at lovetoknowpets.com, snakes have some very distinct looks and behaviors when they slithering out of their old skin:

They give clues in the capacity of a person having the snake as a pet, but the signs can be the same in some cases on farmland as well as in the wild hiking around.

-The snake's eyes look a little duller than usual and begin to cloud over.

- The snake is rubbing against anything available - rocks, branches, etc.

- You see other pieces of old skin by the animal.

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If you see any of these signs, it might be a good idea to make as much distance as possible to not become a supposed threat to a blind snake with venomous fangs. Bites can be deadly if you're far enough away from civilization and can't get to a hospital.

via GIPHY