need help

hey guys do any of ur IJ carpet pythons soak for long times in there water? ares is young still maybe 1.5-2.0 feet. he has been in the water for a while. i have never had a carpet python.

any thoughts?

thanks

I don't have and have never worked with IJ carpets, but my coastal carpet has never once soaked.

The first thing I'd do is check them for mites.

i have not seen any mites. he soaked all night long. any ideas?

stuck

i have a 1.5-2 ft IJ carpet python. we left yesterday and he was in the water. we got home and he was still in it. this morning he is still in the water. any ideas? i looked for mites but dont see any.

if u have any ideas please help

stuck
ps: i posted this in another part of the forum but thought it might get seen here more

hope this mini guide helps:

1) how's the weather there? No...I'm serious. Here in Manila, it can get QUITE warm during the day, causing my pythons to stick REAL close to their water bowls (although why I haven't "caught" them bathing, eludes me).

2) how's the skin? duller than usual? the eyes cloudier than usual?

3) how long has he been with you?

4) some snakes just like water more than others; I recall my afrock who just HAS to chill out in his water bowl no matter what (even after defecating in it....eeeeew...imagine my dinner when I get home from work and the stench of his "waste water"...yuuuck!). Never kept a Morelia but I guess some species (or individual members!) tend to bathe more often than other species.

5) is he dehydrated? Here's a link to help out.

Do update us ASAP :)

we have had him for 2 weeks. the weather here is still cool. but it did get into the 70s yesterday. but most the time its been in the 30-40s and night time going down into the 20's. he looks the same as he always has. he has eaten two times for us. we were thinking maybe he is getting ready to shed. but the eyes are not cloudy yet. just hope he is all right. he is are sons and his first pet he has had real intrest in.

thanks for the ideas

stuck

hi there. 2 meals in 2 weeks sounds good so far. If he IS getting ready for shed, they may:

a) refuse meals
b) stick close/bathe in water
c) be inactive
d) (some individuals) be extra nippy
e) his colors should get darker (gradually)

Anyhows, some more pointers/questions:

1) any idea how old is he? (depending on age, he might go to the shed phase afterall...)

2) did you check if he's dehydrated or not? (see the link I posted earlier)

3) here's a caresheet from NERD that should be helpful just to check if the cage temps/humidity are set up correctly

4) how's his muscle tone? when you handle him, does he just limp? (if the answer here is yes, rush to the vet....this was the symptoms of one of my retics before he died the next day; the vets did extend his life for another day tho :(...)

5) where did you obtain him? maybe that particular snake already has a reputation for loving bathes.

6) how often has he passed wastes? just remember with snakes; their poop is just like regular poop. the "white stuff" is their version of urine (often called urates).

7) How are his hide box(es)? I'm just guessing that if a snake doesn't like his hidebox(es), he might use his water bowl instead....

8) if he is healthy in all aspects (feeds well, well hydrated, good muscle tone), just accept the fact that he's a pseudo beach bum :D

he is late 09. still pretty small. i got him out of the water today. he went around some. i left and came back and he was in the water. i feed him today. he came right out of the water to get his food. after he ate he went under the heat lamp rested for a little while. next time i checked on him he was back in the water. he is just always in there. just strange to me. i have seen some poop not a hole lot but some. he looks healthy.

thanks for the ideas.

stuck

hmm. re-examine the temps his cage is currently configured to and compare that to the temps recommended by NERD's caresheet; how big/small is the variance?

so far, you mentioned:

1) no mites. good

2) "looks healthy"; I will assume that you checked him for dehydration using the info in the link I posted earlier. good.

3) how often does he pass wastes? if regular, good.

4) kinda late question but when was his last shed? based on my experience, my retics and ball python usually shed on a monthly basis.

At the top of my head, I can guess that his "excessive" soaking is due to any of the following:

1) heat in cage is too high

2) getting ready for shed

3) he's a pseudo beach/pool bum :)

4) (sorta related to #1) his hides are situated in rather "hot" areas

well the other day his eyes started going blue. so it looks like he is about to shed. he has been out of the water for a day and a half now :) so hopefully the shed goes good and he gets back on track.

thanks for the help

stuck