Belly Full Equals Soaking

The last two weeks Avalon our BP has had a larger meal and the next day we find her soaking in her water dish. The meal isn't really that big, but it is bigger than what we have been feeding her. We're using up some fuzzy mice so we have been given her 4 mice in one feeding. .. She weighs 130g her

She's not ready to shed, her last was about 3 weeks ago. I guess she could, but I don't see her eyes cloudy up... And No she doesn't have mites. We only have her and haven't used any type of bedding other than store bought Forrest Floor cypress.

We'll work on switching to one large rat pretty soon, there is a show coming up her in a few weeks and we'll get some new feeders.

Why do some BP soak after a big meal?

Some just like to soak, while as you said it could also be something else like mites. I have a buddy who has about 3 BIG girls that are always soaking, but no mites!!!!!


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Don't Mites have to be brought into the tank? I mean they don't fall under the "Immaculate Conception" category do they? :)

No immaculate conception for mites lol. But they do seem to spring out of nowhere. It only takes one or 2 on a new snake (which would be very hard to notice) to cause a world of hurt. I've also heard of them coming home on the clothes of people who were handling snakes at shows. Keep an eye out. I'm always suspicious of soaking.


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What are her temps? Maybe she is too hot? I would first suspect mites, or too hot. I have never seen any of mine soak.

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1 or 2 of mine do pre-shed soaks before they fade, turn pink, or turn blue. Usually they get a little dull colored and soak like you described for 3 or 4 days, then turn pink for 3-7 days, then turn blue for 2 days, then look completely normal and 2 or 3 days later they shed. That is just my experience.

If you can't see any mites floating in the water bowl or on the snake I would not worry about them, just keep checking over the course of the next week or 2.


If you haven't ready this it will explain the whole process.
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...edding-Process

There again I can't see where it could be mites? We've had her for 6-7 weeks and the soaking has just started the last to feedings.

Her temps are in the low 80's..

She has dulled out though, her skin almost looks dry, but her humidity is around 60% pretty regularly..

80 hot spot, or 80 ambient? What kind of substrate? If you have papertowels, mites would be fairly easy to see. Shed could also be possible sooner if she is eating larger meals.

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Ambient.. Forrest Floor Cypress

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BillinIndiana

She has dulled out though, her skin almost looks dry, but her humidity is around 60% pretty regularly..

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She's definitely going into shed. It's good that she is pre-soaking because there is a better chance of a more successful shed if she does. Just mist the cage with 4 or 5 pumps a day and she should give you a nice 1 piece ball of skin.

She shed last Oct. 4th.. Since then I believe she has gained about 22 grams in body weight. about 7 grams a week ?

Three weeks seems a bit quick, but you never know. How's her humidity? Soaking can actually cause bad sheds, because it robs essential oils needed to shed properly. Perhaps her humidity isn't high enough? What's her hot spot temp?

Edit, missed the 60% humidity. How are you measuring that?

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Acurite digital therm/humid from Walmart... cool side floor is 77 hot side floor is 84.. Top of her vines (hot spot) is 90

edit: temps taken with pro exotic 2 heat gun

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BillinIndiana

Acurite digital therm/humid from Walmart... cool side floor is 77 hot side floor is 84.. Top of her vines (hot spot) is 90

edit: temps taken with pro exotic 2 heat gun

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Hmm, still not sure about the soaking. But I would shoot for a hide with temps of 90, rather than up high on vines. Bps aren't really climbers by nature. She may go up there, but its probably only to get warm. A warm hide would be more ideal, imo. I would just keep an eye out for mites, or a shed, and on the humidity.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by DrDooLittle

Soaking can actually cause bad sheds, because it robs essential oils needed to shed properly.

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It's my understanding that PRE shed cycle soaks are beneficial (I have to assume the snake knows when timing is right), while forcing the snake to soak after it has begun the shed cycle might rob the oils that form during the shed cycle between the skin layers. I've never had a snake pre-soak after they turn opaque. I suspect what we see during the blue phase is the oil forming and loosening/separating the skin layers.


Regardless, safe to assume that if your temps are correct then you should monitor for mites and shedding coming up. Since you've only had the snake 6 weeks, I'm thinking it's a shed and you're just getting used to the way the behavior changes around that time.

Yeah, she soaked the last meal too, a week ago, but that was just the day after feeding. This time she's been in and out of the dish for 2 days. "In" for the most part of last night and today..?

I'll have to see what the temp gun says the hot side hide is at, probably the same as the floor, but I'll check.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BillinIndiana

She weighs 130g her

We'll work on switching to one large rat pretty soon

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My apologies if I'm reading this wrong but the ball weighs 130g and you going to attempt at large rat?

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by BillinIndiana

Acurite digital therm/humid from Walmart... cool side floor is 77 hot side floor is 84.. Top of her vines (hot spot) is 90

edit: temps taken with pro exotic 2 heat gun

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I would try and bring the hot floor side to 88-90, balls tend to hide more than be out and about, so the top of your vines being at 90 really isn't going to do too much. Your 90 side sounds more of the ambient temperature of the enclosure and this usually good around the 80 degree mark. It also sounds like to you may have problems with your humidity, how are you getting a 90 degree temperature in your tank?

I agree with Martin that the hot spot should be on the floor. I like to have a nice hide over the hot spot too. Another thing I've discovered about my BP's that have gotten into some distress is that a nice, firm belly stroking seems to do them a world of good (a few days after eating). I know this is a new idea and may simply be specific to a couple of my BP's, but if you try it, I'd like to know if it helps. Good luck!

Fed her again tonight... 2 hours later right back in the water bowl she went. This must be her new routine? She hasn't soaked since the last feeding. We feed her every 5-7 days? Whenever she starts sniffing the air and roaming around her tank alot..

I upped the meal size this time, 3, 4 days ago, and caught mine soaking her tail and where the food was.

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/show...mageuser=29027

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/show...mageuser=29027


(There were no mites in the water when she was finished, so I am not worried.)
I would take the floor temp increase advice but would not worry too much about the soaking unless your vet advises you otherwise.
Maybe she is trying to loosen something for you to clean up later.

Just cleaned up a pile of that before she ate.. So she's no constipated. I did bump up her UTH. She's a strange one.. Sometimes I'll look and see her ambient temp is a little cool, so I'll go to address the issue and she'll be laying in her cool side hide..LOL I guess she knows what she wants more than we do.