Soaking Ball Python...

Hey I'm new to the forum, I came across it while doing some Googling. Anyway, I currently have a juvenile Ball Python named Irwin. I bought him last spring/summer. I have owned a handful of reptiles and other animals over the years...Burmese python, other Balls, corn snakes, savannah moniter, iguana, tarantula, turtles...so on.

My question...
About 10-12 days ago he ate 1 mouse. The next day I notice he is soaking in his water hide...No biggie. So yea that was about 10 days ago...he hasn't come out since. Temps are fine, Humidity is a little low but it always is, I mist with water bottle whenever needed. 3 days ago I took him out and put fresh water in the bowl, checked him out for mites but didn't see any. I did notice his blue eyes. Figured he will be shedding soon. So soaking in his water didn't seem out of the ordinary...but for this long?...Really?
I dumped in some fresh clean water , and placed him and the container back in the tank and I found him back in there within minutes.

Should I be worried of anything, or just let him be. The middle of this coming week will be around the 2 week mark. :confuse:

What are your hot side temps?

They are consistently 86-88.

That is low. Hot side should be 90 - 92 ... But that doesn't solve your soaking problem, unless for some reason the snake thinks it is warmer in the water.

Could be soaking due to the coming shed as well. OP stated the humidity was a bit low.

Yeah but soaking for almost 2 weeks straight?

Edit..after some adjustments...Hot side temps are actually 97-98. Too warm I guess. Still doesn't explain the 2 week bath though. Cold side temps are 81-82. Water hide is on the cold side.

Oh, well then my only guess is that your snake was hot.

I keep all my snakes at 88-89F and 78-80 Cool side. Thoses saying they must be 90-92 is off. IMO ive noticed my snakes will NOT go near a hot side over 90.


Excessive soaking is Mites or something is off in the setup. Need to fix it asap otherwise you can end up with scale rot

Sounds like he was too warm. Double check your warm side and cool side surface temps (the surface temps are all that matter to BP's. Best way to measure them is with a IR thermometer, such as: tempgun.com)

Basically double check all husbandry and find a way to keep the humidity at least at 50% and then see if the behavior continues.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RichsBallPythons

I keep all my snakes at 88-89F and 78-80 Cool side. Thoses saying they must be 90-92 is off. IMO ive noticed my snakes will NOT go near a hot side over 90.


Excessive soaking is Mites or something is off in the setup. Need to fix it asap otherwise you can end up with scale rot

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Rich, I'm sorry, but everything I have continually read on this forum and elsewhere says 90-92 is perfect. If I am wrong, I'm sorry, but my snakes do just fine *shrug* I'll be the first to admit if I'm wrong.

However I will say the mite suggestion is probably correct.

Thats the thing, what you read online on forums you dont take to heart like its a must do or else. You have to take what people to and implement it slowly till you know what your snake likes. I have few females that never go on heat and some that use it few times a week.

Just dont take everything to heart that you read, its all trial and error. Why you wont see me tell someone their temps need to be this and this. I give what works for me and then its up to you to fine tune it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RichsBallPythons

Thats the thing, what you read online on forums you dont take to heart like its a must do or else. You have to take what people to and implement it slowly till you know what your snake likes. I have few females that never go on heat and some that use it few times a week.

Just dont take everything to heart that you read, its all trial and error. Why you wont see me tell someone their temps need to be this and this. I give what works for me and then its up to you to fine tune it.

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That is really good advice. I don't take everything to heart .. I just try to listen. So thank you :)

I'm adjusting temps to bring the hot side back down to around the 90 mark. Im gonna check again for mites. When I pulled him out of his water the other day I checked the water for dead mites before I dumped it and didn't see any.


His eyes are really blue.

Good luck.. I hope you figure things out!!!

you checked for mites, sounds like your snake was being kept too warm. I agree with richsballpythons that many keepers are keeping their snakes too warm from what they read and not paying attention to what their snakes are doing. My hot side is in the mid to upper 80's and that might be too hot. I have notice that when my hot side gets into the low 90's most will head for the cold side of a cb 70 tub. if you do a lot of reading on these forums, you would of read that some of the breeders feel that durning breeding season even with the temp drop most do for breeding. these temps are still too high. some breeders are seeing better results with lower temps. (I'm not talking incubation temps but breeding temps.) if a snake eats, and digest it's food properly at lower temps, why 92 to 94? if your answer is R.I.then you need to not only read more, but pay more attention to how your snake react to what ever you do. what works for one, might not work as well for another. in this hobby reading is important, but there's much more to it than that.

Here is a pic from just a minute ago.
Also another quick question....evidently he is ready to shed at anytime. Should I bother feeding or just wait till after?

http://i52.tinypic.com/23u5qud.jpg

Holy moly those are blue eyes.

You can try feeding if you want, but some won't take. Mine do. Lots don't.

He will clear up before he sheds.

Quick update...He has not come out of his water hide. The other day after I pulled him out and gave fresh water he slithered around for a few then went back in. Today I pulled him out again, I checked him over for mites again..nothing, Checked the dirty water for dead mites..nothing, I broke down the entire tank...nothing. Everything that was in the tank is soaking in bleach/water mix just in case ( couple rocks and a fake plant).
I threw down some newspaper, a tiny box for a hide and the water hide with fresh water. I had to leave for a few hours so I'll see where he is when I get home in an hour or so.


PS ..still has not shed yet, eyes are still very blue, and belly is pink.

Whats your humidity. Snakes if are in dry conditions will stay in water till they shed.

be sure its 65%+ while in sheds. Otherwise you get a snake that soaks for 2+weeks till it sheds which can result into problems since ball pythons are not water snakes.

The humidity usually is a little on the low side because I'm using a lamp for heat. But I mist as much as possible without over doing it. The cheap hydrometer I had in there broke so I dont have exact #'s. I would say its gotta be more than 50 with all the water bottle sprays. And I also took the lid off the water hide and put the water directly under the heat lamp.

Side note..Now that the lid is off the water bowl, he has not gone back in :banana: (in case your wondering I've been using a tupperware container with a hole cut in the middle).
Its been a day and he just chillen in the little cardboard box I tossed in there. I'm gonna keep the humidity up and hopefully he'll shed soon.

With your last description, a few pictures of your setup is a must. As it seems the soaking was part due to shedding and part due to being insecure to his cage.

Pictures will let us know how to fix it.

I broke the old setup down and scrubbed everything with fear of mites, lol. I don't think I have any pics of how it was setup, maybe on my phone. Let me look through and see.

Right now it is set very minimal. 20g long, News paper bedding, small hide box on left side and water bowl on right side. Heat lamp directly above water bowl. Foil cover 90% of screen top.

Move the water in middle and add 2 identical hides in the cage one on each end. Clutter it up with vines if need be and see how he reacts. Seems its too open with no where to properly hide. Also cover 3 sides of the tank to enclose it more.

Ok, Thanks for all the help :gj:

He shed finally!! :snake:

I came home from work and he was slithering around, I noticed he looked different but didn't see any shedding. I picked up his hide box and there it was, perfectly rolled up just like a condom, lol. I'll give him a day or two then feed him.
Thanks for the help everyone.