Why do snakes shed their skin? Why do snakes shed their skin

The outer skin of snakes, lizards, etc. cannot grow, so when the individual grows to a certain stage, the outer skin will hinder the growth of the individual and needs to be molted, such as the rattlesnake, the tail that it can make a sound is the residue after molting, and the longer the part of the rattlesnake that makes a sound, the more times it molts, which means that the older it is, and the snake, lizard, etc. will molt many times in their lives.

Snake molting is a physiological phenomenon, snakes begin to molt as soon as they are born, molting 2 to 3 times a year, up to 10 times. If the number of molts is high, the growth and development are fast, and vice versa.

Snake** is divided into two parts: epidermis and dermis. The epidermis is composed of four layers, from the inside to the outside, the germinal layer, the living cell layer, the stratum corneum A, and the stratum corneum. The intermediator between the living layer and the cuticle of the nail species is called the intermediary layer, and it is in this layer that the molting takes place.

Before the snake molts, the germinal layer cells enter a rapid proliferative process, forming a new epidermal structure under the intermediator layer, which also includes the living cell layer and the two cuticle layers. When molting, it may be the action of proteolytic enzymes produced by eosinophil granulosa leukocytes (which migrate from the dermal blood vessels at this time) that dissolve the old intermediator. As a result, the old epidermal structures on the surface of the intermediator are shed, and the new epidermal structures underneath it are revealed.

Young snakes grow rapidly and molt more often than older, stunted snakes.

Snake Island pit vipers are raised, and there are molts from late May to late August, but a large number of molts in the month. On Snake Island, the moon also picked up snake molts. Molting coincides with the active period of snake feeding, and molting is associated with "feeding."

Molting may be an inherent feature of the snake's life, and even if the individual does not grow, it will occur as long as the metabolism is still going on. Snake molting may be essential for snake growth and consumption.

Before molting, the snake is inactive, usually before molting.

6"11 days there are obvious changes in the eyes, the cornea is smoky blue, temporary blindness, and the body color is dull. After 3-5 days, the eyes regain vision, and after another 3-6 days, they begin to molt. When molting, the snake rubs the snout and upper and lower jaws vigorously, and when the mandibular horn skin is rubbed, it turns its head and rubs the upper collar.

After the upper and lower jaw horn skin is rubbed open, the horn skin of the head is easy to turn over, and the snake accelerates the molting speed with the help of obstacles such as tree branches, rocks, and grass. After molting, the snake body has clear markings, fresh and eye-catching.

Unlike other animals, snakes grow until the day of death. Their epidermis does not grow. Therefore, they need to shed their old skins. Adult snakes generally molt about 3 times a year, while juvenile snakes grow faster and molt more often.

Air humidity also has a great influence on snakes, generally 50 to 70% is appropriate. Too high is susceptible to mildew disease, pneumonia, etc., and the mortality rate in the south is high; If it is too low, it is not conducive to molting (especially pregnant snakes) because the water evaporates too quickly, affecting its continued growth and even causing death.

Snakes are ectotherms that change body temperature with air temperature, as snakes themselves do not have a well-developed thermoregulatory mechanism to produce and maintain a constant body temperature. The optimal temperature for snake activity is 20 30, and the growth rate of snakes in this suitable range also increases with the temperature rises.

Correct answer: Because the skin is itching.

01 The scales that wrap the snake's body cannot grow as the body grows. As the snake grows, the outermost layer of old skin will be damaged, and it will also be attacked by parasites, so it needs to be molted. After molting, the new skin appears newer, larger and more shiny.

The scales on the surface of the snake's body are derivatives of the epidermis, commonly known as scales, which are different from the bony scales of fish. Although the scales of the snake are arranged in the shape of a tile, all the scales are integrated with the epidermis and enclose the outside of the body to protect the internal organs and prevent excessive evaporation of water in the body. Large ventral scales also have the function of crawling.

Snakes lack glands, no sebaceous glands or sweat glands, etc., which is one of the characteristics of snakes, so they are often dry, and the epidermis is prone to keratinization, turning into a layer of dead cells. Therefore, when the snake body grows to a certain extent, it is necessary to shed the ** and grow it again, and at the same time, the scales have been mutilated after a certain period of wear and tear, and they also need to be replaced with new intact scales. It can be seen that molting is the law of snake growth.

Snake molting is cyclical and can molt about 3 to 4 times a year. The process of molting is quite interesting, generally from the upper and lower lips to take off, and then the head ** loosens, then like people take off their stockings, the head has fallen off the skin turned outward, with the help of rough ground or rock cracks, or the mouth of a branch, from the head to the torso slowly come off, and finally from the end of the tail to shed the whole old skin.

Whenever the old skin on the snake grows in a way that makes it uncomfortable, it sheds the old skin alive. The molting process is extremely painful: it clings itself to grass, wood, tree roots or stones, and uses all its strength to expand its umbrella-shaped neck to the maximum, enduring the sharp pain of tearing to completely shed the old skin little by little.

Molting has many benefits for snakes. First, the outermost layer of damaged old leather can be replaced; Second, the skin of the snake can be removed from parasites such as maggots.

Snake molting is a physiological phenomenon. The whole body of the snake is covered with scales, which are formed from the cuticle of the epidermis and have the effect of protecting and preventing the loss of water in the body. It is tough and impermeable, but it does not grow as the body grows.

When the snake grows, the outermost layer of old skin will slowly be damaged, and it will be attacked by parasites such as maggots. So peel off.

Because when a snake grows, its skin does not grow with it, so the snake must shed its skin in order to grow. Snake shedding is a normal physiological phenomenon, and snakes generally shed their skin every 2-3 months. Due to the different species of snakes and the different regions in which they live, the interval between skins is also different.

When the snake sheds its skin, it has to go through the process of rubbing its body, so they choose to choose a rough surface and use bricks, tiles, branches and other materials to help drag away the old ones"Outerwear".Every time the snake drags its skin, its body grows a little longer.

Upstairs, hehe, snakes are reptiles, you're talking about arthropods such as locusts, they are different, but the principle of molting is similar. The outer skin of reptiles, such as snakes and lizards, cannot grow, so when the individual grows to a certain stage, the outer skin will hinder the growth of the individual and needs to be molted, such as a rattlesnake, the tail that it can make a sound is the residue after molting, and the longer the part of the rattlesnake that makes a sound, the more times it molts, which means that the older it is, and snakes, lizards, etc. will shed their skin many times in their lives.

Snake molting is a normal physiological phenomenon, snakes generally have to shed their skin every two or three months, and every time a snake molts its skin, it has to grow a little.

People find that snakes shed more skin during the summer months. Because the snake hibernates, the snake is rarely active during hibernation, grows slowly, and only after the weather is warm, it comes out to move and look for food. When hibernating, the nutrients in its body are almost consumed, and in spring, when they come out to move, the time to grow their bodies also begins, so the molting of snakes during this time is more concentrated.

Another theory is that the outer layer of the snake's scales is dead cells, which cannot grow with the development of the body, so they fall off every once in a while, which is called molting. When molting, start at the corners of the mouth and rub against a rough stone or tree trunk to make the skin fall backwards, just like taking off a sock, and remove the entire outer skin.

Why do snakes shed their skin?

Why do snakes shed their skin? Snakes are covered with scales all over their bodies, but these scales are different from those of fish. The scales of the snake are made of the outermost stratum corneum, so they are called scales.

It is relatively tough and impervious to water, and it does not grow as the body grows. When the snake grows older, it needs to molt its skin once, and the new scales are larger than the original. Snake scales not only prevent water evaporation and mechanical damage, but are also the main tools for snake crawling.

Snakes generally shed their skin every two or three months. When the snake molts, it chooses rough ground or twists its body around a tree branch, and takes off its old "coat" by rubbing it and puts on a "new coat". Therefore, snakes can often be seen at the mouth of stone caves or on tree branches.