Why Do Snakes Shed Their Skin?

What Crafty Clover says in this video

Intro

Hey there, curious minds! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Why do snakes shed their skin?

The Big Idea

A snake wears its skin like a tight sock! The sock cannot grow, so shedding lets the snake get bigger and replaces worn scales. Even the clear scale over the eye gets replaced. Lizards shed too, but often in flakes instead of one long tube.

Snake Grows

Step one: the snake grows. As a snake grows, its old skin gets too tight. A new layer forms underneath.

Eyes Cloud

Step two: the eyes cloud over. The clear scale over each eye turns milky for a few days. The old layer loosens, and the snake may hide because it cannot see as well.

Crawl Out

Step three: the snake crawls out. The snake rubs against bark to start a split near its lips. Then it crawls out, turning the old skin inside out, with fresh, shiny scales underneath. The shed skin even keeps the pattern of the scales.

A Closer Look

Let's take a closer look at a shed skin! The old skin tube looks like a ghost of the snake. The eye cap is the clear scale that came off too. The new scales underneath are fresh and bright. And the scale print shows the pattern, all the way along.

Quick Facts

Quick facts! A snake may hide more just before a shed, because cloudy eyes make hunting harder. Finding a shed skin does not mean the snake is still there. Lizards shed too, often in flakes instead of one long tube. Never grab a wild snake to help it shed. Leave living snakes alone, and stay back if you do not know the species.

Think Like a Scientist

Now, think like a scientist! With a grown-up, look at a photo of a shed skin. Can you see the eye caps? What job did leaving that old sock do? Write down what you noticed.

Outro

A snake sheds its old skin, so it can grow. Nature sure knows how to change clothes! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!