As animals grow, different processes happen. Hermit crabs
find a new shell to call home. Lobsters shed their shells and grow new ones. Flounders have one eye migrate to the other side of their
body. For our three
green anacondas on exhibit, it means it’s time to molt, or
shed, their skin!
 |
| All stretched out |
To start the process, the snake first “loosens up” the skin along their
body by secreting fluid in between the old and new skin over the course of a
week or two. Once ready to go, the snake rubs their head against an object, snagging
their skin on a rock, tree root or some other obstacle, causing the stretched skin to split and start peeling off.
 |
| The perfect spot to take off that skin |
The skin comes off in the same way
you might peel off a long sock-if you pull at the top, the inside becomes the
outside! The molted skin will sometimes come off as one piece, including the scale that
covers each eye!
 |
| The white part is the skin being shed |
The New England Aquarium’s anacondas molt fairly often, depending
on how fast they have been growing. And with over 30 feet of snake on exhibit, there’s usually some molted skin to be seen.
 |
| Newly molted skin |
When a particularly nice molt happens and the skin stays in
one piece, the aquarists will often lay it out
on the tops of tanks to dry it out. After some additional preparation and
cleaning, educators can then show it off to visitors and behind the scene tours.
And though the skins get stretched a bit, it still gives us an idea of how
big the snakes are!
 |
| A recent molt left to dry |
 |
| Close-up of the scale |
The aquarists will remove any pieces of skin that are left
over, but not before many fish in the exhibit have a snack. And
while the fish make for a colorful exhibit, as well as
tiny snake skin vacuums,
these fish are part of an important conservation initiative.
 |
| Small fish, big project |
Project Piaba works to foster sustainable trade at a commercial level for wild-caught aquarium fish in the Rio Negro basin of Brazil. By working with fishers in the area
to create a sustainable fishery for these common hobbyist species, this in turn
provides protection to this vital rainforest ecosystem from harmful practices
and habitat destruction. It ensures these fish, and the anacondas, have a
healthy home for future generations and supports local communities along the Rio Negro.
 |
| In the trees |
With fewer visitors in the building, now's a great time to visit and "hang" out with the anacondas. You may see them with a new, brightly-colored skin and some fish with a tasty snack!
Love 'em or hate 'em, snakes are fascinating and important parts of our blue planet. Keep reading about these slinkly reptiles with a blog about anaconda check-ups with our vets.
0 comments:
Post a Comment