Normal Behavior?

Hi guys,

This is my first BP and I hope I'm just being overtly concerned. I came home yesterday at around 6pm to find my BP soaking in his water dish. I found this strange because I rarely see him out at this time and I have never seen him soak in the dish before. The humidity at the time was 55% and I checked for mites later when he got out and didn't see any.
I had woken up in the middle of the night and saw that he was back in his water bowl and when I woke up again he was still there (about 4 hours apart) I also noticed that he was breathing pretty heavy, which I have seen him do before but figured he was because he was stressed when I handled him. I have had him for a little over two months now. I have seen no other signs of respiratory infection ( no pop/click noise no mucus and no "star gazing" for extended periods of time). No trouble eating either. He also hasn't shed since I gotten him.

Here is a youtube video of what his breathing looks like (not my snake) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw9d2D-59cI

You BP being in the water dish can mean a few things: 1. The hot side might be too hot. If you have a thermometer to put in there, i would check how hot it is getting. 2. If the humidity is only in the 50's, it might be too dry for your BP. Maybe spray the cage a few times a week to try and raise the humidity. As for the breathing, I don't think it is something to worry about too much if you are not hearing any wheezing noises.

Did you use a strong light to check for mites? They can be very hard to see, especially on a darker snake. Check very closely around the heat pits on his nose. After he gets done soaking, strain the contents of his water bowl through a white paper towel and look for any drowned ones that might have fallen off.

55% is a pretty good humidity, but if he's going into shed, he may just want a little more hydration.

My money is on the tank being too hot, what heat sources do you use? And how are you measuring temperatures?

UTH thats on a thermostat set to about 95. I have an 75 watt heat lamp that I use on cold days to help bring the ambient temp up. I use Aculite (sp) indoor/outdoor to measure temps. Hot side is generally 90s cool side is usually a little cooler than should be.

ok, temps sound good.

This might all be nothing, or maybe he will soon be shedding.

Just keep an close eye on him and stay calm. Nothing to be alarmed of for now

This could be mites check him closely and it could be he just likes to soak. I have seen snakes that just like it in the water dish. If your tempos are good and no mites I wouldnt worry about it

My first thought would be he is too hot. Next thought, mites. Double check temps, and look him over real good.

sigh...no its mites I found the mites. Where do I get P.A.M ?

There are a few places

http://www.pro-products.com/index.ph...d=53&Itemid=59

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/...rovent-a-mite/

Make sure you follow the directions exactly, PAM is nasty stuff

Thanks. I will follow the directions. Any tips for P.A.M?

Keep anything alive 9except for mites of course) as far away from the stuff as possible. seriously this stuff is scary if you read what it can do. only spray it in a well ventilated area (I would do it outside) NEVER spray down the BP as this will likely kill the BP and make sure it has completely dried before you put your BP back in the cage.

For dealing with mites in general you want to replace whatever substrate that you use with paper towels for now Mites cannot hide in them and mies are easier to see on the white paper towels. Keep the cage as simple as possible. if you have a log hid just throw it away (or bake it in the oven) Keep the cage like this

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...s/IMG_0455.jpg

You should soak your BP in warm water (mid 80's) with a drop of Dawn dish soap in it. this will help to get the mites off of your BP and help give him some relief.

Thanks for all you advice and help. My BP is really flipping out, I don't think he can sleep. He keeps soaking him self than running around the cage than going back to the bowl. He is awake during the daytime and I hear him crashing around at night. I ordered the P.A.M and I hope it comes quickly. I found maybe about a dozen plus mites in his water bowl. :(