Re: How big of a water bowl for racks?
So, you have gladware containers with lids on em' and a hole cut in the top for water? That sound pretty nifty.....less spillage.....but, are you concerned about the snake getting trapped in there and drowning? It sound like a great idea, but it kinda worries me for my snakes....I would try it, but i don't want to chance a drowning.
Re: How big of a water bowl for racks?
Quote:
Originally Posted by PipeDADDY
I am not sure if they need to .... but my snakes love to soak. Especially after they eat. I have gladware containers in my rack. They all ate last night (700g and ate a 45g rat; not very big prey) and low and behold, they are all sitting in their bowls this morning. :D Humidity is 60 and temps are 90/80. I have covers on my bowls, and maybe the treat it as third hide.....but whatever the reason, that is how they roll!
In my experience a 45g rat is a huge meal for a 700 gram ball pythons (other species might do fine) ... The reason that the ball python retreats to a water bowl after too large of a meal is a combination of the added heat digesting something so large adds to the enclosure (causing the snake to want to cool off in the water) and the amount of pressure such a large meal places on the snakes internal organs (becoming boyant in a water bowl helps relieve this pressure) ... if fed more appropriately sized meals, it is unlikely that your ball pythons would ever soak.
One quick note about bowls with covers ... they are very dangerous ... I have seen snakes (ball pythons specifically) get confused trying to get out of covered water dishes and drown inside ... It's such a serious danger that Dave and Tracy Barker dedicated some thoughts to the topic on page 181 of their new book "Ball Pythons - The History, Natural History, Care, and Breeding" where they actually referred to covered water dishes identical to the ones you describe as "death traps".
Hope this helps.
-adam