The issue with soaking...

Ok so I am new here and am quite confused on the overall freak out of soaking due to messing with the natural chemicals? Does anyone have actual information on this being the case out just a wide accepted practice? I'm not trying to start anything, I just really don't get it when the ones I have known soak themselves before a shed and can't see how a soak would truly strip them of chemicals that would be reproduced anyway... anyway...just curious as to backup for this. Thanks

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If you have to soak your ball before shed, your humidity isn't high enough, up the humidity, problem solved.

Very few BPs are soakers.. Out of a collection of over 30, I only had one that regularly soaked himself in his water bowl. So this not a valid argument. It's a ball, not a blood. It's just a habitual thing for them.

Soaking is not necessary and CAN lead to bad sheds. Especially if you have particularly hard water.

High humidity the week of a shed is all that's required for a perfect shed.

It's not chemicals, it's natural oils that are leeched out by excessive soaking and can actually cause sheds to be worse.

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To fill out the info already given, it is very much like glycerine slick and water soluble. it is why a fresh shed is wet and it lubricates the removal. Snakes get hazy and milky during the shed cycle this is the fluid (I forgot the correct name at the moment...) when the layers separate the milky look clears and shed will be soon. Soaking before during and especially after this cycle will wash it away and the soon to be shed skin dries out shrinks and tears the result is tight stuck skin that comes off in bits. When a snake is soaking before a shed in water by its self it is not able to produce or keep this liquid under the skin because (usually) the air is too dry and it is drying out faster than it is produced. It is possible a illness will interfere with the production as well. As mentioned a snake soaking before a shed indicates a problem 90% of the time.

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On a side thought... I *think* and this is a theory of mine that royals also release a pheromone in the liquid and perhaps that triggers a shed cycle in other snakes just a thought. Some snakes use a shed to attract a mate but all mine seem to shed in groups one will show signs and then a few days later more will too. Currently I have 6 in shed of 11 it seems to many to be random.

interesting info, I had never heard of this being an issue. I personally have not had issues with my ball soaking I was asking on an educational stand point. The ball we have at the zoo that I use for education does soak itself which is part of why I thought it to be odd..

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Originally Posted by GummiBear

interesting info, I had never heard of this being an issue. I personally have not had issues with my ball soaking I was asking on an educational stand point. The ball we have at the zoo that I use for education does soak itself which is part of why I thought it to be odd..

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Unless your ball is one of the few that like to soak for whatever reason, I would always make sure there is no other reason for soaking. The biggest reason a ball soaks is irritation from mites. Check it's water very carefully for tiny black mites in it. Check the snakes mouth, heat pits, around it's eyes, and near the vent. If there is absolutely no sign of mites then it may just be the odd soaker.

The only other reason I've ever had BPs soak is if it got too warm in the reptile room. My air went out and it got up to 90. They were soaking to escape the heat.

I have also seen royals soak in locations (pet store problem) when the humidity is way too low. (20%RH or so). But I too would suspect Mites they are very common in zoos a large number of animals with a small number of staff and a huge number foot traffic there is a high possibility of contracting mites.

So I have a 4yr spider bp that loves to soak, humidity is upper 50's hot spot is 89.5, no mites, sheds perfectly. I was just wondering about Kitedemon said with don`t being able to produce it on its own

I wonder what's going on with my spider. She is constantly in the water bowl and there are no mites and humidity is around 65%. Should I replace the water bowl with a smaller one?

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Originally Posted by danrjc

So I have a 4yr spider bp that loves to soak, humidity is upper 50's hot spot is 89.5, no mites, sheds perfectly. I was just wondering about Kitedemon said with don`t being able to produce it on its own

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Originally Posted by digizure

I wonder what's going on with my spider. She is constantly in the water bowl and there are no mites and humidity is around 65%. Should I replace the water bowl with a smaller one?

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I wouldn't rule out mites. Like others have said, if your husbandry is as on point as you claim than the first thing I'd think is mites. I know some just soak for no reason, but the "constantly soaking" comments lead me to believe it's not just a weird ball python soaking. Mites can be very hard to detect for a certain amount of time. I'd take some time and thoroughly check your ball. Mites aren't always obvious. It took me a few weeks to realize three new arrivals have mites.

How do you measure temps and control heat?