Why does she soak?

[NOLAcuber]

I got Penelope about 2 months ago. I've noticed her a few times soaking in her water bowl. The first time she was in blue, about a week after I got her. The humidity wasn't quite up to par, so I didn't think anything of it. Once or twice since then I've caught her soaking. Checked her over to make sure of no mites. No little black dots and made her slither threw a paper towel a few times to make sure. Over the last week I've noticed her doing it more. I tried feeding last night, and after20-30 mins, she didn't eat. After I removed the rat she went strait for a soak. The temp and humidity are where they should be, ~80 cold ~90 hot with 60~ humidity,2 similar hides. She's not in blue and I don't really see any dulling in her color. She did have a "larger" meal last week. She seemed to have a little trouble getting past the shoulders. It took her almost a full week to poop. With the smaller live rats, I'd feed on Wednesdays and she has "normally" pooped on Fridays. Do some just like to soak? The BP, Max, I lived with before seemed to loved to "have a bath". About once a month, we would fill our bath tub with about 2-3" of luke-warm water and Max seemed to love it. I would hold Max by the tub and would slither into it. Swimming about for a bit, then settling down and doing a lazy kinda swim. Belle didn't seem to worried about it. I would hold her for a while next to the tub, and she would drink a little. Other than that she didn't seem to want anything to do with it. Again, do some just like to soak in their water bowls? TIA

[Andylee11]

...Could be to warm for her liking if your cold spot is fluctuating above 80 . Just a thought ... I had one snake that lived in her water bowl for quite awhile after changing subtrates , it was like she didn't want to even touch the cypress . Lol

[Fraido]

~90? Why approximately? How are you measuring temps, and what is your heat source and how is it controlled? It might be possible that your hot side is actually too hot.

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[JoshSloane]

~90? Why approximately? How are you measuring temps, and what is your heat source and how is it controlled? It might be possible that your hot side is actually too hot.

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Keep in mind that all the measurements of heat and humidity that we take are all approximations. None of the tools available to herpers will give anything close to an exact number. Even the best IR heat gun still has 1-2% of error built in. The 90 degree hot spot in and of itself is dogmatically derived.

[Fraido]

Keep in mind that all the measurements of heat and humidity that we take are all approximations. None of the tools available to herpers will give anything close to an exact number. Even the best IR heat gun still has 1-2% of error built in. The 90 degree hot spot in and of itself is dogmatically derived.

Definitely kept in mind, just making sure it's not an estimation and is being kept track of.

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[JoshSloane]

Good stuff! I honestly hope that heat tape gets phased out in the upcoming years. Using ambient heat only has really been great for my herps.

[NOLAcuber]

I'm using thermometers with with probes on both sides. I have an analog thermostat controlling the UTH, for now. I plan on getting a herpstat 2 and animal plastics t-8 soon. I also have a CHE on a dimmer towards the middle, to help with ambient temps since I'm in the north west. The ambient temp in her enclosure is usually 77-79. Even with the top pretty much covered up. I'm gonna get a plexiglass piece cut for it with just a hole cut for the CHE. Hopefully that will help with ambient.
I'm thinking it's just something she likes to do. She doesn't soak long less than 10 mins.

[Fraido]

I can certainly see the benefits! I'd like to do that, but I am not a fan of a really warm room, and since I only have my one snake it's probably a little costly to give her her own room and heat it up for her, haha.

To OP, there are BPs out there that just enjoy a good soak, if your temps are as close to 'perfect' as possible and there are no mites in coming weeks then you probably just have a girl with a quirk! I have limited knowledge, but I can't think of any other reason she would enjoy a soak.

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[chrid16371]

Your thermometer with probe for the hot side is under the substrate and placed where the middle of the uth is right? If its hanging in the air your hot side is probably much hotter than 90. I actually use 2 thermometers with probes on the hot side, one under substrate and one above and spot check a few times a day with a temp gun but its not necessary I just like to know exactly what my temps are at all times. Make sure under your substrate in middle of uth isn't higher than 93, if it is and you lower your thermostat and the top of the substrate isn't 88-90 you will have to remove some substrate until your within the 88-90 range.

[NOLAcuber]

I have the probes for the thermometer and tstat under the substrate on top of the glass next to each other. I have about 2-3" of substrate. Will try the second probe on top of the substrate just to make sure, as she likes to burrow a bit on the warm side. She's in a 40g exo terra terrarium on aspen BTW.