Do your BPs like baths?

[MontyAndMelissa]

Today, I took Monty, my BP, out and noticed he was a little chilly. I remembered reading somewhere that snakes like to swim so I put an inch or two of warm water in the bathtub, gave him a place to slither up onto if he didn't like it, and placed him gently in the tub. He absolutely seemed to love it. He swam around the tub like it was the best 5 minutes of his life. My question is, if he does indeed like this, how often is okay to let him swim? I don't want him getting stressed out, but he seems to enjoy it and its a good way to warm him up!

[albinos_rule]

Just for the record I have never given a ball python a bath, I really don't think they need it. If he is cold how about raising the temps in his enclosure

[MontyAndMelissa]

I've tried that, but we're having an unusually cold winter, he's been staying at around 76-80 on the cool side and 85-90 on the warm, but he NEVER goes to the warm side. I've had him over 3 months now and he's never even been on the warm side of the tank, unless he's basking (which he's done once). I had to soak him once when I got him because he wasn't shedding correctly, and he enjoyed that. I know he wasn't dangerously cold, but I can tell he is bored. I figure it wouldn't hurt so I wanted to try it out.

[KMG]

Your temps are fine on both sides so it does not matter if it does not visit the warm side. Your snake knows what it is so there is no reason to try to make it warmer.

Be careful when giving a soak as water that feels warm to you is usually to warm for a snake. Anytime I give a snake a soak I use my temp gun to make sure the water is no warmer than 85F.

[MontyAndMelissa]

It was at 84.6. He seemed to be very very happy, and very active after.

[albinos_rule]

I love how people can tell when their snakes are happy, sad, bored, blah blah blah etc. etc.

[calmolly1]

If you have an familiarity with your animals you can tell by their body language. I think that it is incorrect to read human emotions into what they are doing but it is pretty easy to see if they are relaxed (happy, like) or stressed (unhappy, sad) or in feed mode.


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[albinos_rule]

So if he bites you he is mad, if he doesn't he is happy? Maybe so on a very basic level, but I find it somewhat amusing how people think they "know" how their ball pythons feel...

[KMG]

So if he bites you he is mad, if he doesn't he is happy? Maybe so on a very basic level, but I find it somewhat amusing how people think they "know" how their ball pythons feel...

I get what you're saying and it gives me a chuckle sometimes too. While I do believe that you can learn your snakes behavior and tells it is usually the very new owners that think they know their snake is hungry, wants to escape, and so on.

However I did have a gtp that I believe was only happy if it was biting me.

[xXBASSXx777]

I've tried that, but we're having an unusually cold winter, he's been staying at around 76-80 on the cool side and 85-90 on the warm, but he NEVER goes to the warm side. I've had him over 3 months now and he's never even been on the warm side of the tank, unless he's basking (which he's done once). I had to soak him once when I got him because he wasn't shedding correctly, and he enjoyed that. I know he wasn't dangerously cold, but I can tell he is bored. I figure it wouldn't hurt so I wanted to try it out.

Hello, yes ball pythons can enjoy baths occasionally. But are you sure he wasn't trying to get out of the water? (baths for reptiles should not be "warm" closer to luke warm them warm) and with the cage, your're snake should spend the majority of his time toward the warm side, paired with this info and the fact he had a bad shed, I would check your cage out. He should have a hide on the warm and cool side. His humidity Probably is to low I'd check that. Lastly i would make sure the hot side is not to HOT. ( Also if you're humidity is to low try providing a humid hide.). If all is well, then maybe you just have "an odd ball" Pun intended.