Pets Keepers Guide Forums

Snakes shed their skins regularly.
After your pet snake shed its skin, what do you do with it?
It would be a waste if you throw it away, wouldn't it?

Snakeskin wallet?


Snakeskin bag?


Snakeskin boots?


Snakeskin belt?



Any other good ideas?
What do you do with yours anyway?

That idea is way off base. I would be rich if it were that simple. I just tossed a shed yesterday so I can't get you a picture. All of the items you have above are tanned skin, the same way you would leather from cattle. Meaning those snakes died to provide that skin. Or fake snake skin, which is common too. Snakes only shed an outer layer of their scales, the outer layer of skin. Mammals do the same thing, in tiny particles, typically called dander. So their "skin" is very much intact. Shed skin is very very thin, generally clear to yellowish, sometimes depending on the actual snake there may be a bit of darker colour left from a pattern, but nothing like you have above. That is a whole skin removed from a snake. Here is a pretty good picture I found online of a shed skin.

Too bad. Why can't we get what we want without hurting the snakes.
Actually I thought about it, since I wasn't sure if the shed skin can be used for products, I asked anyway since I know snake experts like you would correct me if I am wrong.

So there is absolutely no use for the shed snakeskin?

If you google it, people do preserve it. I have never looked into it, as I see it all the time. I have considered tanning the skin of a few animals that have passed on, but normally at that point I have other things on my mind, and it's something that has to be done fairly quickly, so I'd have to find and pay someone to do it. It would be a neat way to preserve and remember an animal, much nicer than stuffing animals as some do. At least in my opinion

What a great way to remember your dear passed away snake friends, every time you put on your belt, take your wallet, put on your boots, grab your bag, before you go out.

You can tan the snakeskin yourself. It is not that hard, at least from the way how it looked on TV. Although, you might still need someone to make the fancy belt, wallet, boots and bag for you, unless you are skillful enough to do it yourself too. The photos of those snakeskin products look very well done. It will take a lot of skills to make something like that!

Don't buy any of those snakeskin products, for the reasons mentioned. They promote the killing of snakes and other reptiles for fashion; it's stupid.

There are a few cool uses for shed snakeskin though: you can display a really clean shed on your wall; makes it a cool decoration. You can also donate them to science centers or schools with biology classrooms; it helps teach kids and adults about snakes, and helps them to be more respected and understood.

(04-30-2012, 01:25 PM)Black Mamba Wrote: [ -> ]Don't buy any of those snakeskin products, for the reasons mentioned. They promote the killing of snakes and other reptiles for fashion; it's stupid.

I haven't bought any, and I don't plan on buying. Although I have to admit they look cool. Wish there is a nice fake substitute.

Ram, I'd been wondering just the other day if shed snake skin could be made into cool stuff like people make stuff with animal fur. I should have remembered snakeskin boots and wallets, but as Fishbone said those snakes had to die to provide that beauty since the shed skin wouldn't look like those products. That was something I didn't realize! Interesting post with good information - thanks! And I liked the idea of donating the skins for science.