Question:

Does a snake go blind when it is about to shed its skin?
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Actually, a snake does not go blind. It does shed its skin many times during the life cycle. At this point, the skin has become somewhat of a hazard to the snake in terms of preventing comfortable growth or simply preventing the acquiring of a slick new skin with less drag while crawling around. The snake has no moveable eye lid so the skin is all one large covering, including that area over the eye itself. This appears to be a clear cap which allows the snake to see through it. At the time of shedding, the snake's skin has become dull and drab, and the area over the eye cap is cloudy. Before the skin is sloughed off or shed, the snake must see through this rough and cloudy surface. This would cause a blurry or shadowy view of the world beyond, much like when we look through a shower curtain. The vision is still present, but the view is far from perfect! It typically consists of movement and shadows only. During this period, the snake may rely more heavily on other senses or tend to be more dormant.
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Happy Trails!