Still learning..is it normal...

[MarkyMcFly]

Basically I got my blood to eat after about a week or so I guess, they person I bought her from said she's real shy about eating...wouldn't eat in front of him...he'd have to leave a small mouse in the cage at like 1 am, close it up and see if it's still there in the morning basically. Not the safest technique I know, but it's just a mouse and not a rat, so I wasn't THAT upset about having to try that.

When I got her he said she was due to eat, I tried it my way *classic drop mouse and watch for what happens* after about 4 days of her getting comfortbale and got nothing at all. Finally after a little more time I tried the drop it in overnight method, and she did eat. Woke up that morning, mouse gone and she was burrowed in to the aspen. Checked for and small bite marks from the mouse and seen nothing.

So, after eating she spent about 3 days buried under the substrate I decided to pull her out and see if everything was ok, I assumed it was fine so I set her in her water bowl. This was about 4 or 5 in the afternoon. I woke up this morning and she was STILL in her water bowl soaking.

So my questions...is it normal for them to burrow and stay that way for days at a time and then to soak for more than a little bit of time? Like...12 hours and may still be in there?

Thanks for your answers and help guys!

[dragonboy4578]

My bloods will bury or hide themselves for a few days after they eat. As for the soaking it my be a touch excessive. Bloods love to soak, but mine don't usually do it for much over an hour or so. Did you check it for mites? It could also be that your enclosure is to warm for them. I hope someone with more blood experience can give you better guidance...

[MarkyMcFly]

My bloods will bury or hide themselves for a few days after they eat. As for the soaking it my be a touch excessive. Bloods love to soak, but mine don't usually do it for much over an hour or so. Did you check it for mites? It could also be that your enclosure is to warm for them. I hope someone with more blood experience can give you better guidance...

Oh mannnn, mites didn't even cross my mind. I'll have to check for those!

If anything I thought it might be chilly in there, the temps are like 75-78 ambient with a hotspot around 88. Although now that you mention it...my temps did fluctuate last night and my UTH spot was up to about 93ish

[MarkyMcFly]

So this problem pretty much worked itself out, I don't know if she was just dried out or what, but I changed the bedding I had over to newspaper, and she seems to like it...however..

That's the last time my snake has eaten!! So it's been what...about 40-50 days now...

I'm starting to worry...She appeared to be going into shed...had all the signs (got pale, eyes cloudy) and then....nothing. No shed anywhere to be found...like she just decided to say "Eh, I'll shed later" ....I had accounted her not eating to that...but no...I really just don't know now.

Maybe it's a little cool? Ambient is around 77-78 and warm spot is about 85-86? The humidity is usually around 45 i'd say, and I even took to misting the cage once a day or so wen I thought she was shedding, had the humidity up to about 75 or so. I'm just not sure, she's getting skinny and I don't like it!!!

[kristan]

She will shed. They clear up for a day or two beforehand.
After she sheds you might want to try taking a f/t rat pup and put it under the newspaper (I'm assuming she burrows under it).

[Anna.Sitarski]

if you can keep her ambient temps 80-82(up to 85 should be ok) without a hotspot she may eat better. They don't really need those. And one of my females without fail after she eats soaks herself for about a day. keep an eye on mites and yes they burrow and can be very shy. I do F/T and my little red female wouldn't eat in front of me so I left it and it would be gone. Now she strikes her food. And loves to ambush, scares me sometimes will burrow and I can't see her, bring the rat on tongs and she almost leaps up. They do love to burrow and hide remember they are partially water snakes and are ground snakes.

[snakey68]

hi marky 1st off welcome the world of bloods they are great snakes and have a character about them you dont often see in general when talking about captive snakes.

Bloods will sometimes lay in water for a day or more if they can do so comfortably, over the years keeping mine they do well given ample water supply but you need to change it alot if they are able to get in and lay in it as they also drink large amounts of water at times.



they will take full advantage during pre shed time and even during shedding if need be.

As far as them burrowing yes if they can they will simple as that, as many snake species will given the means to do so, no need to worry about that.