Random Soaking?..

[Robert093090]

Ok so i got home today and for the first time EVER i notice one of my snakes soaking, here she is all comfy in there...

Now...i checked her for mites or any little bugs crawling over her and she looks clean and i checked the water and theres just little particles of the reptibark. She also looks like she might be starting to go into shed because her stomach is pinkish. As for humidity and heat, he tub stays between 50 - 54% humidity with a cool side of 78 - 80 and the warm at 92 thermostat controlled. Do they just randomly soak?

[mackynz]

If he is going into shed I would bump the humidity up to 70%. Mine is in blue right now, his first shed with me.

[MrLang]

They have been known to do pre-shed soaks. Do you offer hides? Sometimes they go in the water bowl for security. If the snake is doing that, it's putting itself at risk of sickness or scale rot to be secure and you need to give it other options. If you have other hides that are as tight and secure as the bowl, it's probably just getting ready to shed.

[Robert093090]

If he is going into shed I would bump the humidity up to 70%. Mine is in blue right now, his first shed with me.

This would be her first shed too and i usually bump the humidity when i see them turn pale white and that has always worked for me.

[Robert093090]

They have been known to do pre-shed soaks. Do you offer hides? Sometimes they go in the water bowl for security. If the snake is doing that, it's putting itself at risk of sickness or scale rot to be secure and you need to give it other options. If you have other hides that are as tight and secure as the bowl, it's probably just getting ready to shed.

Yes she has a very secure hide plus my rack is black and my room light is always off, that helps with that. Maybe she will be my first to do a pre-shed soak.

[mackynz]

Yes she has a very secure hide plus my rack is black and my room light is always off, that helps with that. Maybe she will be my first to do a pre-shed soak.

Does she just have one hide? Is it on the warm side? She may be looking for a secure place on the cool side and that is all she has.

[Vasiliki]

I've heard so many stories about snakes that just randomly soak. Everyone tends to freak out and wonder if 'something is wrong'. If she's just soaking casually, I wouldn't worry too much. You say her tub is secure, she has a secure hide and might be shedding. I'd say that those are all likely reasons she could want a soak.

If she's in there for a prolonged period of time, then I'd worry. Otherwise, she's just having a dip for some reason. I wouldn't fret it if you've checked your husbandry and can't find anything immediately wrong.

[Robert093090]

I've heard so many stories about snakes that just randomly soak. Everyone tends to freak out and wonder if 'something is wrong'. If she's just soaking casually, I wouldn't worry too much. You say her tub is secure, she has a secure hide and might be shedding. I'd say that those are all likely reasons she could want a soak.

If she's in there for a prolonged period of time, then I'd worry. Otherwise, she's just having a dip for some reason. I wouldn't fret it if you've checked your husbandry and can't find anything immediately wrong.

The ONLY thing is that she doesn't have a hide on the cool side but she always chills in the open and she isn't stressed because this girl the most calm BP i have ever had.

[Robert093090]

So i caught her soaking half of her body, am i over reacting or should i just change her repti bark and clean out her tub?

[Robert093090]

Ok so i figured out why she might be soaking. I have a layer of bounty under the reptibark so she soaks and then goes to her hide and digs down to the paper and soaks it, so the humidity spikes to 70%+. I took her out now and she was super moist and the inside of her hide was all full with water from the condensation.