Ball Pythons in the pool

My wife and I noticed that our snakes were spending a lot of time in their water dish, spilling most of the water out before they had a chance to drink it, so we put a "pool" in for them. Now we understand that when they are preparing for shed they will spend a lot of time in the water, but our 2 largest snakes, Shiobahn and Shiva, spend most of their time soaking in the pool. I thought perhaps the humidity in their tank wasn't high enough, but the multi-function device shows the temp on the hot side staying in the low 90s, and the humidity in the high range - 45% to 55%. Is the humidity too low still? I didn't think BPs spent so much time in the water.

I'm willing to bet they have mites. Ball pythons don't usually soak like that. Its pretty unusual and often an indication of another problem.


Either they have mites, or they don't feel safe in their enclosure.

Are they both in one tank?

Sounds like mites to me as well.... You would see the evil little black suckers in the water <or what's left of it> when you take them out. And to answer your question, yes.. You need to bump up their humidity when they go in to shed. 65-70 ish <I thinks.... >.

BPs rarely soak if their husbandry is perfect and they are healthy. They don't really soak to prepare for sheds either. In fact, bathing will ruin an oncoming shed.
You might get an odd BP once in a blue moon that may soak for the heck of it, but its not common.

A BP will soak if:
1) they have mites
Or
2) your temperature is actually incorrect and is hotter than you think and the snake is trying to cool down.

How are you measuring your temps and humidity? And where in the enclosure is it measuring temps?
From what you said, your humidity is a little on the low side if its 45%. It should be more towards 60%. But its not a huge deal unless they going into shed.

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Ambient temps in the low 90's is too hot.
If that temperature is directly on the hot spot fine, but it sounds like low 90's ambient air temperature.
If the air temp is low 90's, you have your reason for them soaking.

It also sounds like co-habitation?

That is weird, once in a red moon Trouser likes to move his water dish near his enclosure on the hot side...

For all of you suggesting our snakes may have mites, I can assure you that they do not - we treated them for mites about a month ago, and there are no dead mites floating in the water, nor are we seeing any on them nor on us when we handle them. I have the thermometer on the hot side down near the temp probe - just checked it is reading 97 - way too hot so I have turned the thermostat down. I think I will move the heat lamps back over to one end of the cage to improve the temp gradient between the hot and cold sides of the tank. BTW, the tub that they soak in is located in the cold side of the cage. I think moving the lamps back to one side will increase the humidity as well as there is a water dish on that side as well.

Make sure they have sufficient hides as well. BPs will substitute a water dish for a hide if they feel insecure. The high temps are probably your main issue, though.

sounds like you have both snakes in one tank? not sure if this problem could be related to that..