Photo/Illutration A striped snake sheds its skin in a rice paddy in Shiga Prefecture. (Shintaro Seki)

A nature photographer captured images of a striped snake molting in a rice paddy in Shiga Prefecture, a rare observation even among serpents in captivity.

With the weather warming up, snakes have emerged from hibernation and are shedding their skin as they grow.

Although it common to come across shedded skin, the actual molting is more difficult to witness. Snakes are vulnerable during the molting process and will seek safer, hidden places to shed their skin.

Photographer Shintaro Seki, 51, was looking at a rice paddy when he found a striped snake with cloudy eyes, an indication that it was ready to molt. The cloudy eyes are caused by fluid entering the gap between the old and new skin.

He later saw the tip of the snake’s nose crack open as it emerged from the old skin while its eyes became rounded.

The molting process was completed in about an hour, like turning a sock inside out.

“Its eyes were luminous and its body was glossy,” Seki said. “I was moved when I saw one molt for the first time. It is a moment that is not often seen even in captivity.”

Striped snakes are endemic to Japan and can be found throughout the country.

He advises people not to approach or touch a molting snake.

“Snakes are very nervous during molting, so watch over them gently,” he said.

Related News