Snake Bath

Like someone said, be careful of the temperature if you do need to bathe them for some reason. I use one of those glass thermometers they sell for pet fish to monitor the temperature during my bearded dragon's baths. If you guess, you could guess wrong and either overheat or chill your reptile. The thermometers sell for only a dollar or two, and are pretty accurate. I highly recommend getting and using one just in case you ever need to give your snake a bath (stuck shed or whatever).

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Originally Posted by JodanOrNoDan

LOL. Everyone knows what I think. I think Deb said it best. It is not an anaconda. A ball python's idea of recreation is laying around with an occasional tongue flick.

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In the evening they actually love climbing IF they have branches in their vivs .

Mine's never seemed to be much into climbing except occasionally when he's hungry (and incessantly this month because he wants to mate - he's finally settling back down). Admittedly, he's currently outgrown the hanging perch I made him but he does still climb on his suction cup plants right now. He'll have a T8 w/shelf soon. I personally feel it's good to provide them as many species appropriate enrichment options as possible, even if they never use it, which is why a big enough water bowl to swim in is definitely nice if it's an option.

There are some very cool videos out there of snakes getting their food out of a puzzle box and similar things. I've been working periodically with my ball python on him getting his food out of an open cardboard box (like a tunnel), making him work harder for it in other ways, etc. He really does show improvement as I work with him on it even if he'd rather that the food come directly to his face.

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

In the evening they actually love climbing IF they have branches in their vivs .

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My younger males and animals less than 1000 grams will do a little exploring at night if they have not just eaten. The majority of the animals I have are 2000+ gram females that do not voluntary move any more than it takes to get a rat. They will shake their tails at the boys though if they are wanting company. They kind of remind me of the giant woman on Squidbillies.

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Just to play Devils Advocate here - I'm kinda unconvinced about a few of the supposed concerns raised in the above posts ...

As I've mentioned a few times elsewhere , here in the uk giving your Royal / Ball python a short , shallow soak in 82F water is seen as acceptable - as long as it's just a very , very occasionally dip , to either loosen a stubborn shed / eye caps or to rehydrate if the snake is showing obvious signs of dehydration .

Plus there are so many accounts of snakes clearly loving to swim in baths and the others who chose to soak endlessly in their water bowls .... also can't they hold their breath under water for about 30 minutes or something ??!??


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If the snake is in poor condition from bad husbandry, I don't see how tossing it in a bath is a good answer. The issue can be dealt with without a soak and ultimately by fixing the root of the problem. Is there any evidence of ball pythons going for a swim in the wild? Where are these ball pythons that clearly love baths and how are you determining their emotional state? I've seen my ball hide in his water dish only when there was no good hide at the pet store and when there were mites, two occasions where there was clear stressors behind it. Never otherwise.


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Originally Posted by GoingPostal

If the snake is in poor condition from bad husbandry, I don't see how tossing it in a bath is a good answer. The issue can be dealt with without a soak and ultimately by fixing the root of the problem. Is there any evidence of ball pythons going for a swim in the wild? Where are these ball pythons that clearly love baths and how are you determining their emotional state? I've seen my ball hide in his water dish only when there was no good hide at the pet store and when there were mites, two occasions where there was clear stressors behind it. Never otherwise.


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To be fair , nobody suggested 'tossing' anything . I actually said a very , very occasional soak in shallow water ...

I also never specified Ball pythons I said 'snakes' choose to soak in their water bowls .... as it happens there are a few royals photographed soaking in this very forum today .


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Thanks for all the comments. I guess I miss understood when the guy said to bathe her. When I got her she had a retained eye cap, which was probably why he recommended bathing.

Thanks so much!!! I'll rarely ever bathe her from now on.

Soaking for retained shed is different from bathing. You don't even have to submerge the snake in water, you can get a damp towel or pillow case and let her slither through it for a bit until it becomes soft enough to remove.

Bathing/soaking seems to have become as controversial as live/ft.

Hey, again, I straight up have my snakes swim about once a month or so, right about when they should be pooping. I also have my other reptiles swim. And my female rats when all their babies have been removed, before I reintroduce the male. Honestly only the bugs are free of the swimming.

I do this to break up poops, avoid any shedding issues (which honestly isn't necessary because for the years leading up to this I had no shedding issues), and to make them exercise a little bit. Usually the forced swimming stops a couple minutes after they calm down. I spend the whole time with them to make sure they are fine during it.

But, I still don't recommend it to others. In this case I know what I am doing wrong and I make sure it doesn't go horribly south. Honestly with my savannah monitor it helped us get closer, and the BPs don't mind much, even though it may be stressful, they tend to just sit there breathing and staring, or try to swim out (with little haste)