• dingus@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    35
    ·
    1 month ago

    It seems like this would negatively impact the health of the snake. Do we have any scale-less snake experts?

    • LouisGarbuor@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      26
      ·
      1 month ago

      Not an expert, but I have heard that this isn’t a big deal for the snake. Scaleless rat snakes (which I believe the picture to be) have been found in the wild doing pretty alright. There is a benefit to be had from scales, but in captivity I imagine it is alright.

      Pretty sure I heard it from a video by All Canadian Reptile Girl

    • Communist@lemmy.frozeninferno.xyz
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      11
      ·
      1 month ago

      In captivity it’s fine, however some scaleless morphs are detrimental to survival, there are no safe scaleless ball python morphs for example, this is a rat/corn snake, they have one of the benign ones

    • intensely_human@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      8
      ·
      1 month ago

      I happen to be a scaleless snake expert, as a result of my extensive experience.

      The trick with hairless snakes is you have to keep them warm. Too little heat, and this guy will go completely rigid.

      Imagine an icicle made of blood, with a snake built around it. That’s your hairless snake with too little heat.

      Beyond that’s its basic hairless snake stuff: clothing, thermal tattoos, an endless supply of hairless rats, and little snakeweights to help them stay buff.

      It’s not easy raising these special creatures, but it’s very rewarding once you get over the unmitigable horror of feeling them crawl around your shoulders, and their habit of whispering as you shudder.

      Because of their lack of scales, they’re unable to vocalize, and hence they speak in a hoarse whisper.