Jeff - shedding his skin

Jeff  has shed most of his skin, and I do not think he has been entirely happy about it.  

So for a few days he was grumpy, skittish, did not like to be handled and could not be bothered to chase the crickets.  So there were always one or two crickets left over each day.   Just too much effort, I think.

Apparently this is normal behaviour, during the process of shedding old skin.   Which is very uncomfortable, apparently.   Not that Jeff could tell me.   My source of information being the internet, of course.

Jeff looking at me, through the window.   The skin from his back is hanging from the side of his neck.

Adult lizards lose their skin about once a year, but babies lose it as they grow bigger.   So it is important to keep an eye on them, and recognise the signs, such as the skin becoming light coloured and grey, and eyes becoming puffy.  I only found out when I picked Jeff up, and his skin started to break up. Panic, for a few minutes anyway.   Then he went straight into a warm bath, which he appeared to enjoy.

 Baths are really important during this time, as it keeps the skin moist, and makes the skin easier to shed.   It is also important not to try and peel off the skin, as this can damage the new skin underneath.  

So Jeff has only a few patches of old skin left, on his head, and is much happier, and chasing after the crickets each morning, and catching them all too.   So no more having to remove crickets in the evening, before Jeff goes to sleep, so that they do not bite him during the night.

But it appears that the skin will come off his tail and legs much later.  Oh joy!