Thread: What to do with snake skins?

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Alright, this might be a bit unusual, but I have a pet ball python. He sheds about once every 2 to 2-1/2 months or so. Right now, I have two of the snake skins unraveled and saved. He might shed one more time before Halloween. I had thought about putting them in a potion jar, but I was wondering if anyone else might have other ideas to display them more?

Thanks in advance!

I think the potion jar is the best idea. I am envious that you have a "free" supply of them. Also if you where doing a swamp theam you could always drape some over props with spanish moss or put some on top of a tombstone.

Ooh - ditto on the extreme jealousy!

I like the idea of them being draped over other props, or else you could "mount" one in a lifelike pose like the ghost of a snake and display it in a bell jar.

Don't really have a swamp theme going on, and I don't have enough of them for putting them around the haunt to have a too great of an effect. I had thought about framing them and labeling them with the scientific name for ball python. If I can't figure anything else out, I'll either do that or just the potion jar. Talkingcatblues, I like your idea of "mounting" it under a bell jar, but do you have any idea how I might go about doing that?

Originally Posted by lksmart

Talkingcatblues, I like your idea of "mounting" it under a bell jar, but do you have any idea how I might go about doing that?

Maybe a very thin wire (so as not to be noticeable) bent in the desired shape and glue the skin on top of it? Do any of the sheds have the head skin intact or is it mostly just body pieces?

Since it is a ghost snake, you could start it partway up the wire to make it look like it is floating in the jar. Or instead of wire if that is too visible, glue threads across the inside of the jar in strategic locations and drape the skin over them?

Or if you have a skin that is too big to display curled up in a jar, since we are talking a python here, you could also do the same thing with threads mounted from the ceiling in some room in your house. Maybe stiffen the skin a little with spray starch or something - some of the materials experts on the forum could probably give you better direction here - and then mount it floating from threads in the air above a stairway or in your bathroom? If you don't have the head part of a shed intact right now that probably wouldn't be too hard to recreate by cutting one end of a body piece for the shape and poking up eye scales into it. Could be pretty spooky to see it floating through the air at you, so to speak. You could highlight the outline of it with a little UV paint also, to add to the ghostly effect.

If I have time, I'll give it a go with the wire. He's not that big yet (a little shorter than the length of my arm), so it should be manageable. If I ever do get it done, I'll be sure to post.

P.S. Thanks for the ideas catblues.

I have little oddities like that, that I always collect. Dried up frogs, bird skulls, snake skins, etc. I haven't really found anything to do with them, so just kinda scatter them around my potion jars. People are always curious about them.

I really like the cloche idea though! Since it will be covered there would be no air movement. Maybe just arrange some T-Pins in the base of the cloche and drape it on top? It would be more visible than real thin wire, but have more of that mad scientist type feel.

T-Pins? Have no idea what those are. Could you maybe post a pic?

I have a corn snake that I have skins from & never thought to use them at Halloween! I will probably just put mine in a jar. I always set them aside because it feels wrong to throw them away. Great ideas.