bathing your snakes

[recycling goddess]

how many people actually bathe their snakes? i noticed one of the photos in the contest is in water and then someone in a thread mentioned taking them into the bathtub.

i didn't know they needed to go into the tub and bathe... do they?

(i'm talking about all kinds of snakes here not just balls)

[monkeywrench133]

All of mine get a soak at least once a week. Especially Slinky, my BCI, because every time I soak her, she poops. Much easier to clean up than in her cage. Both of my Tics have been in shed for the past week, so they've been getting 1 hour soaks twice a day. Some people never soak their snakes, and they do fine. I do it to help keep them hydrated, and keep an eye out for mites. But it isn't really a necessity.

[Johar]

hmmm, do you put them somewhere? or u just get a bowle in the cage and soak them in?

[Adam_Wysocki]

Shedding is natures way of giving snakes a bath.

-adam

[monkeywrench133]

It depends on the size of the snake, some I put in a rubbermaid tub, some a kitty litter bucket. Whatever you use, make sure it has a secure lid with some air holes. Either way, don't make the water much higher than the snake's body. For example, Slinky is about 2 inches "tall" at her widest point, so I put in 2" of water. Peaches is only about 1" wide, so she only gets 1" of water. If its just the regular weekly soak, I'll leave them in for 1/2 hour, if they're in shed they get a full hour.

[jglass38]

The only time I bathe the snakes is when they drag themselves through their own crap. For me its not worth taking the chance of them catching a draft and possibly developing a URI. My apartment (except for the snake room) has a lot of windows and can be drafty.

[Adam_Wysocki]

The only time I bathe the snakes is when they drag themselves through their own crap. For me its not worth taking the chance of them catching a draft and possibly developing a URI. My apartment (except for the snake room) has a lot of windows and can be drafty.

Perfect!

Unless they have stuck shed and need to soak to get it off, they just don't need it.

When the albinos and pieds are really nasty from crawling through their own crap we wipe them down, but other than that, there is no reason to give them a "bath". With ball pythons, there is more potential for bathing to do harm than good.

-adam

[monkeywrench133]

"Quote:
Originally Posted by jglass38
The only time I bathe the snakes is when they drag themselves through their own crap. For me its not worth taking the chance of them catching a draft and possibly developing a URI. My apartment (except for the snake room) has a lot of windows and can be drafty.




Perfect!

Unless they have stuck shed and need to soak to get it off, they just don't need it.

When the albinos and pieds are really nasty from crawling through their own crap we wipe them down, but other than that, there is no reason to give them a "bath". With ball pythons, there is more potential for bathing to do harm than good.

-adam"

I don't want to sound critical, but maybe you guys should spot clean more often.

And R.G. was also asking about snakes in general, not specifically BPs.

[Adam_Wysocki]

I don't want to sound critical, but maybe you guys should spot clean more often.

So when my snakes soil their cages at 1am and crawl through it while I'm sleeping I should set an alarm or something? Give me a break.

Being nocturnal, ball pythons typically deficate at night and then crawl through it.

If you didn't want to sound critical, how did you want to sound ... friendly?

And R.G. was also asking about snakes in general, not specifically BPs.

Well, since I don't have experience with every single species of snake, I can only respond with regards to the species that I do have practical experience with. I'm not sure what the point of this statement was?

-adam

[JimiSnakes]

LMAO. I think crap adds character.