3344 TR Narative

Sammy Snakes Scary Skin

Near the Tallulah River in Georgia lives a little Rough Green Snake names Sammy. Lately Sammy has been having some trouble. See, usually Sammy has a beautiful green sleek and slender body, but for the past few days his color has been kind of dull and flaky, he even has a grayish tent to him. Sammy’s gray, flaky, dull skin isn’t his biggest problem. The thing that has been bothering him the most are his eyes.
Not only has this dull yucky color taken over Sammy’s entire body, his eyes are also filmed over with a grayish tint. Usually snakes can’ see very well to start with. Snakes track there prey and sense danger through vibrations and heat sensors on there heads. Snakes can see shapes but they can’t see clearly. So imagine what Sammy feels like when he can hardly see at all. If you were to look through these eyes made from tissue paper you would know exactly how Sammy feels. How do you feel? Is it scary not being able to see? Can you guess why Sammy can’t see? Sammy is going to shed his skin. Snakes shed there skin to allow room for growth and to rid themselves of parasites that may have been attach to there skin. Snakes shed their skin by brushing against something hard and rough, like a rock, and creating a rip in their skin. Usually, this rip is started at the nose and mouth area. A snake continues to work on this rip until it can shed its skin completely. Snakes shed their skin quiet often. Many snakes shed more than once per year with some species shedding twice a month. The shedding process is scary to Sammy because this is his first time shedding his skin and he has no idea what to expect. A snake about to shed is referred to as being "in the blue." The signs you will see indicating a snake shed is about to take place are: skin becomes dull; the eyes become cloudy and grayish, and an increase in nervous behavior. Why would Sammy be nervous? Sammy is nervous because he can’t see! In the wild snakes are vulnerable to predators during shedding and like there privacy until the process is complete. It is hard to believe but snakes have many enemies’, large birds, wild boars, mongooses, raccoons, foxes, coyotes and even other snakes. Today is the day Sammy will shed his skin. He has been waiting for almost 2 weeks for this. Sometimes this process can take a while, but not for Sammy. Since Sammy is a small snake it takes him no time at all to peel out of his skin by moving across a rough log. Wahla! Sammy skin is nice, green, and shiny again.
Finally, Sammy can relax. He is no longer afraid of the things he couldn’t see or what might be lurking around the corner to gobble him up. Sammy can go on living comfortably for now, because in no time at all he’ll have to do it all over again. However, this time Sammy will be more prepared and know exactly what to expect.