No baths!!!

my 08 ball python doesnt mind taking baths. i always give him one before hes gonna shed. i think he likes it. goes under the water and everything.

whenever Poopsie Needs Water and hydration She loves baths and stays under water 4 ever.!! GREAT STORY

Mine only get anything resembling a bath if they are filthy(poop-souped their tub) or have just laid eggs and I need to get the smell off. I just use a little Dawn dish soap, wash them down and rinse. Bag in the clean tub they go. Anything more and they are letting me know they are stressed out.

I have given my snake a few baths before, when she is close to shedding (tends to help quite a bit). She hates them and she will thrash around if I don't have my hand on her. If she's got something supporting her, like my hand, she tends to calm down. I wouldn't leave her alone in the tub for a second.

I'm sure it's been said, but the water shouldn't be warm to you. If we are at 98 or so degrees, then for the water to be warm to the touch it needs to be warmer than that. 100 degrees is too hot for a ball. If the water is the proper temp, the snake shouldn't flash and flail around.

The first bath I gave my girl she did that, then I read something about the temp of the water, and the next one I gave her went much smoother. Just taking a damp towel and rubbing them down, or letting them slither through it, should be good for cleaning them, and if you really want to let them soak, put them in a tub with some very shallow water (less water than they are thick...so they don't have to swim), put a lid on and put it on the warm side of their tank to keep the water warm. When I did this I put a small plastic thing in there for the little guy to get on if he didn't want to be in the water...he still got the effects from the humidity. ^_^

Ttiwwov

Yeah I have used the tub a few times after some bad sheds. The balls that I have done it with didnt seem to enjoy it but they didnt spaz out like urs. lol. My blood on the other hand couldnt be happier. He just loves the water. He never soaks in his bowl but theres just something about that warm water.

Little tip for ya from someone else who notices a bit of BP aquaphobia (is that a word?) Don't soak them directly in water. Unless you suspect mites, then you need to see them floating. If you have shed problems, notice some dehydration, or suspect constipation, you can soak to help the snake allieviate any of these symptoms. Best way to soak is not directly in water most times, though. What I do is run the water to the correct temps (as stated by many others, 75-85*F) and then wet a few large towels. Put enough of the towels down in the bottom of a 10G or better plastic container (38L for our metric friends), then put in the snake, and gently cover it with a single other towel and let it crawl around under that towel for about 15 minutes.

One last tip, don't leave the top towel folded, the folded towel concentrates too much weight over the snake and it may not slither around due to that.

Just wanted to share what helps me. Enjoy your day, everyone!

Bloodsong

LOL, funny story. I am glad that everything turned out ok. Years ago, I did the exact same thing with my first ball python. He freaked out just as you described. Sounds like you have some pretty courageous kids.

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Originally Posted by mrmertz

simplechamp, we must be married to the same woman. Oh, i see, the snake thingy.

Nevermind.

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lololololol