"In blue" is snakey slang for "about to shed". (Sorry, I copied my original post from a reptile board and forgot to clarify!)

Since he was about to shed, he has an extra layer of skin over everything. It's what causes his eyes to be that silvery-blue color, and it dulls the rest of his colors too. He's normally a very rich red around the face and silky ebony everywhere else. In these he's a nice burnt-orange around the face and silvery black over the rest of his body. VERY handsome, but not at his full potential IMO. The first few days after he sheds, he positively glows.