Bathing a BP

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

Chances are that you are ok. I personally only give my snakes water from my Brita filter, but that's mainly because Orlando city water has high levels of chlorine.

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I have well water thats tested regularly so Im fairly confident its ok for the snakes.

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Originally Posted by Don

I did a little experiment. I put warm water in my snake rack water bowls, then the next water change, water straight from the cold tap. After using the cold water, the snakes frequently went right up and took a drink right after I closed their tub. If it was warm, they just ignored it. Not sure if it means anything or not, but when I change out the water bowls in my collection it is now with cold. Anyone else notice this?

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I actually noticed the complete opposite of this, not even kidding. If i give them cold water then put them back in the tub they just move their way over to the hides. If i put in warmish water, around 85ish degrees id say, they go right up to the bowl and take a long drink. really weird huh?

Bps don't need or like baths. The only time you will see them soaking, is if they are too bot, or have mites.

If mine gets poop or whatever on it I use a Jurrassi Wipe or a paper towel with very weak Chorhexadine solution to clean them.

I only soak after a bad shed just long enough to let them rub it off with a rag in the water, or if a new animal is obviously dehydrated.

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Originally Posted by DrDooLittle

Bps don't need or like baths. The only time you will see them soaking, is if they are too bot, or have mites.

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That's not true, some just like to soak now and then. My snake has always liked to sit in her water bowl for a bit every now and then.

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Originally Posted by Don

I did a little experiment. I put warm water in my snake rack water bowls, then the next water change, water straight from the cold tap. After using the cold water, the snakes frequently went right up and took a drink right after I closed their tub. If it was warm, they just ignored it. Not sure if it means anything or not, but when I change out the water bowls in my collection it is now with cold. Anyone else notice this?

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absolutely. not only have I found that all of my collection will avoid even tepid water for drinking, but my older females will treat it like catnip and leave their hides to coil around their bowls. I think Rich had a 'breeder tip' post recently involving adding ice cubes in his female breeder bowls to stimulate copulation. either way, I think cold water is better than warm for general purposes.

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Originally Posted by Emily Hubbard

That's not true, some just like to soak now and then. My snake has always liked to sit in her water bowl for a bit every now and then.

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as a general rule, balls are not given to soaking themselves. if I found one of mine doing so, I'd take it as a sign to check my temperatures and husbandry.

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Originally Posted by wwmjkd

as a general rule, balls are not given to soaking themselves. if I found one of mine doing so, I'd take it as a sign to check my temperatures and husbandry.

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My temps are perfect. I check them every day. I had a recent mite problem, but she has soaked since the day I got her, long before the mites, and continues to when she feels like it now that the mites are gone. I just think a broad generalization that if someone has a snake that enjoys soaking, then they have bad husbandry is pretty narrow minded. My snake likes to soak because she does, and many other people have snakes with the same quirk. Yes, it CAN be a sign of temps too high or mites. But if both of those are ruled out and the snake still soaks, that is fine.

To the OP, all of this to say that if your snake wants to soak, it will do so voluntarily. You do not need to force a bath on it unless it crawls through poo or has a bad shed. You don't need to soak before a shed, only once it has already gone wrong.

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Originally Posted by Emily Hubbard

My temps are perfect. I check them every day. I had a recent mite problem, but she has soaked since the day I got her, long before the mites, and continues to when she feels like it now that the mites are gone. I just think a broad generalization that if someone has a snake that enjoys soaking, then they have bad husbandry is pretty narrow minded. My snake likes to soak because she does, and many other people have snakes with the same quirk. Yes, it CAN be a sign of temps too high or mites. But if both of those are ruled out and the snake still soaks, that is fine.

To the OP, all of this to say that if your snake wants to soak, it will do so voluntarily. You do not need to force a bath on it unless it crawls through poo or has a bad shed. You don't need to soak before a shed, only once it has already gone wrong.

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Emily:

Speaking of broad generalizations, you're basing the above on your experience with your one snake. :rolleyes:

I always say, I knew everything there was to know about raising kids until I had some. :D

John

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Originally Posted by wwmjkd

absolutely. not only have I found that all of my collection will avoid even tepid water for drinking, but my older females will treat it like catnip and leave their hides to coil around their bowls. I think Rich had a 'breeder tip' post recently involving adding ice cubes in his female breeder bowls to stimulate copulation. either way, I think cold water is better than warm for general purposes.



as a general rule, balls are not given to soaking themselves. if I found one of mine doing so, I'd take it as a sign to check my temperatures and husbandry.

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This. Unless it's a female I'm breeding, who may be cool seeking, I immediately check things when any of mine start spending time in their water dishes.

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Originally Posted by Emily Hubbard

My temps are perfect. I check them every day. I had a recent mite problem, but she has soaked since the day I got her, long before the mites, and continues to when she feels like it now that the mites are gone. I just think a broad generalization that if someone has a snake that enjoys soaking, then they have bad husbandry is pretty narrow minded. My snake likes to soak because she does, and many other people have snakes with the same quirk. Yes, it CAN be a sign of temps too high or mites. But if both of those are ruled out and the snake still soaks, that is fine.

To the OP, all of this to say that if your snake wants to soak, it will do so voluntarily. You do not need to force a bath on it unless it crawls through poo or has a bad shed. You don't need to soak before a shed, only once it has already gone wrong.

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In your case this would be an exception to the rule but it is based on a single animal that you have own I would guess less than a few years.

Many people have multiple animals and as a generality BP rarely soak.

I can tell you that in the years I have been keeping BP I have rarely have seen them soak, some females will when breeding but even than not many of them do in my case, I also have seen BP in my collection soak when too large of a meal is being offered.

While many caresheets mention having a bowl large enough to soak in the truth is that they rarely do and more often than not they do because of husbandry issues whether is it low humidity, high temps or lack of security.

You can’t based your opinion on your one exception ;)