How many times do you guys check your snakes?

Just wondering. Because i know that checking them too often will stress them out, but I don't want them to be sitting on their poop if I don't check very often. This is just for ball pythons that are not breeding, meaning that you don't need to check daily for eggs.

Depends on a lot of things...my work schedule, what's going on at home, how old they are, if they're going through a shed cycle, etc. On average, probably every couple of days they all get checked on...

Before I go to work, when I get home from work, and before I go to bed. Yes, I have found myself cleaning tubs between midnight and 3:00 a.m.

I answered daily, but in truth it's more like twice daily - when I wake up and before I go to bed. I only have 2, and I don't want them sitting in dirty cages, wet cages because their water's been tipped over, or without water. It also gives me a chance to check temperatures in the room, but that's more like walking in and glancing at the T-stat than a serious check.

I check couple times a day. Morning and night usually. Just make sure they are clean and don't need water. Other than that they get a good cleaning once a week when I feed.

I do a quick check after work daily. If I did it before work I would constantly be late because I just had to clean up a mess before I left.

Using the right water bowl will keep them from getting tipped over...

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Originally Posted by sho220

Using the right water bowl will keep them from getting tipped over...

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I'm using supposedly no tip bowls (well one is, the other is just flat and shallow). However I've literally seen the bigger snake shove hard enough against that one to make a mess, they drag substrate through the water or poop in it. So it's still worth my peace of mind to peek in for the thirty seconds it takes to check on them and make sure they're clean, dry, and have drinkable water. I could make it even easier by removing the substrate to straight paper towels, but eh. 2 snakes, a whole 2 minutes a day? Not a hardship for me. I'm sure I'd streamline more if I had more.

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Originally Posted by CptJack

I'm using supposedly no tip bowls (well one is, the other is just flat and shallow). However I've literally seen the bigger snake shove hard enough against that one to make a mess, they drag substrate through the water or poop in it. So it's still worth my peace of mind to peek in for the thirty seconds it takes to check on them and make sure they're clean, dry, and have drinkable water. I could make it even easier by removing the substrate to straight paper towels, but eh. 2 snakes, a whole 2 minutes a day? Not a hardship for me. I'm sure I'd streamline more if I had more.

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I use big 'ol monster ceramic bowls...haven't had one of those tipped unless it was due to breeding. I'm in the snakeroom several times a day so I can see if any tubs are wet just by looking at the front of the tubs, but I guess I don't consider that as checking on them. :)

Oh, now there's an idea. I used to have one of those bowls for my dogs. I didn't like it for that because of the weight, but it'd be perfect for the snakes. Thanks!

looks like most of you guys check them daily. The reason that that i asked this is because many of my snakes went off feed, and i'm suspecting that it's because i check too many times and make them stressed.

I guess it depends on what you mean by checking on them? Visually inspecting temps/tub/tank I don't think really stress the snake. If you're lifting hides and poking the snake then... maybe?

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Originally Posted by CptJack

I guess it depends on what you mean by checking on them? Visually inspecting temps/tub/tank I don't think really stress the snake. If you're lifting hides and poking the snake then... maybe?

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Agree...it would help to define "checking" them...

When did they go off feed and how old are they?

well sometimes they like to poop in their hides, so i do lift their hides and check them. They are mostly around 500g. Some of them have been off feed for 2 months and some for 1 month. I know it's not a big deal for them to go off feed, but it will be nice if they can start feeding. i breed my own rats, so i'm getting a bit overwhelm with all those grown up rats. When I put the rat in their tub, they just don't seems interested or just get scared when the rat sniff them. My temperature are all right with 80 cold side and 90 hot side. All their hide fit pretty well. So i really am not sure why they go off feed. I will just leave them alone for about 2 weeks and hopefully they will feed soon.

I look morning and night. By look I mean glance in, look for steamy windows etc... With tubs and towels you can tell right away if someone needs tending. I do not open tubs and physically inspect each snake each day. I can see enough of what's going on to tell if someone needs attention. Also as stated, if they are in shed, due to lay, pairing, that changes things.

I check on mine daily. I don't take them out but I make sure they have water and everything looks ok.

A couple of times a week now that I have all my snakes in Animal Plastics terrariums set up with RHPs and controlled by Herpstats. When I had them in glass tanks i'd check up on their temps every day. I also check up on them a bit more often during their shed cycle.

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Everyday cause i dont have enough things to fill my day. But dont tell the wife tha

Usually once a day unless I'm feeding, weighing, or handling. I check their temps and water. If I see poo etc, will spot clean. I do a more thorough spot cleaning once a week (the sand boas tend to bury their poo).

Being a one pet snake home it is easy. Glancing on and off daily. Three times a week I temp gun check my stats and daily checks on gauges for temp/humidity. Once a week at least hands on inspection during handling.

I only have 3 but I check them daily usually more than once a day.

My girls get checked daily.

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Mmmm, daily for the most part, I work long hours, 24-36hr shifts, so before I go to work I check temps, check snake, clean and water every body in my collection! When I come home I do the same thing again. When I'm off, I do the same thing at least twice a day, morning and night rounds, fresh hatchies get checked twice a week when I do water changes and feedings, I don't like disturbing them to much till they are established and eating.


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I go in the snake room in the morning and before I go to bed, I don't check on all of the animals, I will open one or two random tubs get a temp reading, check the T-Stat, check the temps of the incubator.

If animals are being paired I will check on pairs after 48 hours and separate them, females that have ovulated are check daily starting on day 29 POS

Archimedes doesnt check his snakes... They check him :D

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Originally Posted by MonkeyShuttle

Archimedes doesnt check his snakes... They check him :D

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Apparently I am a victim of the Pyrate Phenomenon... :D and I am ok with it.

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Twice a day, AM and PM rounds, to see who needs fresh water or a clean out. I have quite a few that like to pee in their bowls and I hate to leave it longer than necessary.

I check on mine at least once a day. Three of my snakes are in terrariums and maintaining proper humidity in the terrariums requires constant attention. I like to see that the waters are all fresh and monitor the poo situation...as well as making sure everyone looks happy and healthy. I keep records on HerperPRO too, so I tend to be pretty anal retentive about keeping them current.

Usually twice a day.

I check on mine twice a day. Once in the morning and again when I get home in the afternoon.

When you check them daily, do you just glance their tubs and see if they are doing fine? or you open their tubs and say hello to them?

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Originally Posted by j94712

When you check them daily, do you just glance their tubs and see if they are doing fine? or you open their tubs and say hello to them?

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I'll take a look at all the tubs in the racks a few times a day. Every 2-3 days I'll slide tubs open, pull the snakes out and give them a once-over, as well as poke around their tubs (under paper) to make sure nothing is going on. I spot clean as necessary and do a thorough cleaning once a week.

I mist mine daily, do a thorough check of the snakes and tubs to make sure everything is ok on feeding day before bringing home the feeders as I don't care to get nipped by trying to handle a snake in "food mode", and I also check the snakes when I have to remove them to clean an enclosure. So, they all get peeked at daily, and inspected at least twice a week.

Twice a day for me... Before I go to work in the morning and After Im Coming back from work in the evening :gj:

I check on them everyday. Literally takes about 1 minute. If there is poop or spilled water then it gets taken care of. Plus i usually handle at least one of them everyday.

I "check" them multiple times a day ;) meaning, I look to see which hide someone's backside is in! I keep mental notes of how long they stay in one spot over a week. I normally physically check under hides and around their typical poop-spots (my corn has a favourite corner for some reason) every other day or whenever I take them out or change their water.
If I had different, less absorbent substrate, I might check it every day. But this is just what works for me and my snakes. It's kind of nice too because they seem to have a pattern - especially the corn, as I've mentioned. She's got her favourite spot where she goes 8/10 of the time, and she almost always goes on day 5 after feeding day.
The ball python only goes every couple of weeks; to be fair, I know he urates much more often but it dries up quickly and I miss it more than I probably should!

Few times a day, sometimes the snakes and I will sit down and have in depth conversations. Contemplate the meaning of life, you know nothing crazy.


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At the very least,once a year.:gj:

There is not a good answer here.
I look in on them at least once a day BUT right now I am waiting on a couple to lay so I probably check way too much LoL

I marked every 2-3 days on the poll. I do glance over them daily but open the tubs and pull them out for an inspection every couple of days.

Way too damn much. I'm like a nervous mother hen, making sure my babies are okay.

I check my snakes 2 times a week , but with time you get to know your snakes at the point that you know on what day they are going to let the cage dirty , at least thats what happened to me , also i have 1 day a week to clean thanks to that experience.

all my snakes are my babies so many times a day :D

I have around 20 so it's nothing to check them daily.

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I check on my snakes at least twice a day, usually in the morning and again at night.

I check on them all the time since they are in my room. I walk in and look into the tub to make sure there are no messes or spilled water bowl and go on. Whenever I go in my room I just check and see if everything is okay temps/humidity/cleanup.

Daily to make sure temps are good. Right now we are keeping up with incubator temps and ovulations. Its a daily ordeal!

At least once if not twice or more daily. Poke around on a pretty regular basis. Not sure if that's why they went off eating. I'd double check your husbandry, just to make sure. Just got a pewter blast from royal constrictors designs. Born in December, he ate the second day I had him.

I'm obsessive so like four times a day. I just look through the cage tho to see if theirs anything to clean up. My snakes like to have their poop on display so everyone can see it like their proud of it. Lol. I still lift up hides at night tho just to make sure.