Swimming?

From what I understand, Ball Pyhtons normally live in African grassland. But how are they as swimmers? It would really be fun to let one swim around in my bathtub! :party:

Ohh they are great swimmers !!

I put roxy in a nice big rubbermaid she she goes under the water and cruises around, but most of the time she swims with her head above the surface.

Just dont make the water too deep

I only make it about 2 times her hieght (like from her belly to her back) When i let her swim.Put somthing in there (like a rock or branch) so they can rest.

lol..When I first read this thread title, I imagined a bunch of little kids swimming happily in their backyard pool, then some innocent herper throwing in their ball python for a swim, and clearing the pool of children in the process. :)

Hmm...that just got me thinking. I don't wanna hijack this topic though, so I'll make a seperate one. :floating:

:ohno: :frustrated:

-adam

Adam, why the hair pulling and freaked out face?

Because swimming is not a "fun" thing for a ball python. Ball pythons are shy reclusive animals that are very easily stressed. Throwing them in a large cold porcelin bathtub filled with water (not matter how "FUN" you think it would be) would scare the cr@p out of me if I were a ball python.

In the wild a ball python would be very vulnerable to predators in a large body of deep water and would avoid it as much as it could. Those instincts are still there in your CB/CH animal. Reasonable people could easily conclude that they don't "enjoy" swimming.

I posted those smileys because when I initially read the post my thoughts weren't exactly "politically correct". :D 8)

-adam

Im not sure thats its as bad as you say it is adam. My BP actually likes to be in the tub. Its nice warm water and she has her little island that i made for her to rest on whenever she is sick of swimming. From what i read they are definitly part water snakes and enjoy somewhat being in the water. I know that if your snake is constipated putting them in the tub will make them go to the bathroom a hell of a lot easier. but my BP gets at least 2 hours of water time a week. ANd she has never seemed happier.

Exactly,if the water is not to cold or not to hot, and its not for too long, i dont see why its not ok to let your snakes go for a swim.

It does help alot with constipation too. :)

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Originally Posted by DrEwTiMe

Im not sure thats its as bad as you say it is adam. My BP actually likes to be in the tub. Its nice warm water and she has her little island that i made for her to rest on whenever she is sick of swimming. From what i read they are definitly part water snakes and enjoy somewhat being in the water. I know that if your snake is constipated putting them in the tub will make them go to the bathroom a hell of a lot easier. but my BP gets at least 2 hours of water time a week. ANd she has never seemed happier.

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Part water snake? Where exactly did you read that? Nothing could be farther from the truth.

How exactly do you know that she "likes" it?

If cared for properly, ball pythons should never get "constipated".

I'm certainly not against the occasional soak for a stuck shed, but "swimming" is totally out of character for ball pythons and likely stressful.

-adam

I agree with Adam,if by "likeing it",you mean moving alot and the like,she might be scared and trying to get away.It would be nice if they were "part" water snakes,but they arent.

I dont mean "constipated" what i meant to say is......somtimes ive let Roxy swim around and right after that shell "go"

It helps loosen everything down there obviously.

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Originally Posted by Brandon.O

I dont mean "constipated" what i meant to say is......somtimes ive let Roxy swim around and right after that shell "go"

It helps loosen everything down there obviously.

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Actually, it could also be part of a "flight response". Many animals when under stress will move their bowels. The scientific theory is that it is a way to distract predators that could be tracking them by scent. Deficating creates a new scent that is much stronger than the ball python and distracts the predator so that the ball python can slither away. Given enough stress, a ball python will exhibit a "flight response" as a last ditch effort to relieve the stress (and itself ... LOL).

No doubt that warm water can act like an enema and "loosen things up", but it could just as likely be a side effect of your ball python being stressed from feeling insecure in a large open area where it has no way to hide or defend itself.

-adam

Im not saying they are born in the water im just saying that when i put her in the bath for a little while she does seem to like it. By "like" it i mean she sits on the island that floats that i made for her and she goes for the occionasional swim. And yes i don't mean that my snake doesn't poop unless i put her in the tub for a while, like brandon said she will just "go" not to mention i really dont think 120 minutes of water time out of a whole week will stress her out.

What usually causes snakes to become constipated though, lack of humidity??

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Originally Posted by DrEwTiMe

Im not saying they are born in the water im just saying that when i put her in the bath for a little while she does seem to like it. By "like" it i mean she sits on the island that floats that i made for her and she goes for the occionasional swim.

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Or, she sits still on the only secure ground there is because she's afraid of an attack by a predator (natural ball python instinct) and then when she gets real nervous she jumps in the water looking for a secure hide.

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Originally Posted by DrEwTiMe

What usually causes snakes to become constipated though, lack of humidity??

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Dehydration and feeding inappropriately sized food items. Also, illness and stress could result in constipation.

Where did you read that ball pythons are "part" water snake?

-adam

Ok, this topic has seemed to generate a good deal of conflicting opinions. :bonk: Is there an "expert" :nerd: out there that can set the record straight on whether or not Ball Pyhtons might enjoy a luke-warm swim?

Why risk it?

risk it?
not sure what you mean. Soaking is not dangerous providing you have the proper water conditions.
stressfull possibly...

Soaking is not required by any means, not a bad idea if you have a bad shed though.
I doubt that they like it, but in saying that, who knows what snakes like. Some seem to tolerate it well, but that doesnt mean they do or do not like it.
Im afraid that even the "experts" wont know. I am sure there are some well educated guesses...

Anyway, I guess Im saying, if you have a good reason for needing to soak your snake, go for it. If you are doing it just for fun, save you snake a little bit of stress.

I agree with what greenman said.

anyways....

My snakes dont seem to show any sighns of stress after they go for swims and so i see no reason to not let them.I havent in awhile becuase the weather has been so cold, i usually let them swim around in a big hard plastic kiddie pool.And like greenman said, who knows what snakes enjoy or "like" some people say snakes "like" being handled and held,most would disagree. What im saying is that she seems to have fun exploring and going in/out/under the water. I think i know my snakes pretty well and when i have them out and i notice they start to get "ansy" ill put them back, same goes for when they are swimming.

"Swimming" and soaking are two different things. Placing a snake in shallow water and allowing it to soak off a stuck shed is one thing (sometimes necessary), but sticking a snake in a large tub of deep water to watch it "swim" is of no benefit to the animal in any way and most likely does more harm than good (due to stress). Anyone working with these animals (ball pythons) for any length of time can tell you that ball pythons prefer to be in a warm small space where they feel secure over a large tub of water. You don't need to be an "expert" to understand that.

-adam

Well as I was talking to my ball pythons the other day, half of them told me they like to swim, the other half of the group said they prefer not too.
There you have it..
I need more coffee...

We don't normally fill the bathtub for the bp's. They have a very large water container in the enclosures with them. That gets changed and discinfected constantly. they are all able to soak or "swim" around if they prefer. I have manually soaked them. Fill sink, put in big rock(For stability), cover with a secure cover, then place towel over to make it dark and secure.
If they are having any major problems in shedding. This normally happens with the newcomers that have come from bad husbandry. Once they are setup here they all seem to have a good routine.
Anyhow
Thanks
Rusty

cute. :lol:

So Rusty, is it your opinion that filling a bathtub and letting a ball python "swim" around in it is a recommended part of p. regius husbandry?

-adam

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So Rusty, is it your opinion that filling a bathtub and letting a ball python "swim" around in it is a recommended part of p. regius husbandry?

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I believe if you have a large enough water container system in their enclosure. Large enough refers to them being able to totally submerge their bodies easily into it. Then they shouldn't need to swim in your bathtub. I feel if they have their own, what's the point of sharing yours. But then again I may feel different if all I had were bp's. To his his own I say.
Rusty

I never put my Bps in the water. When I got one of them, he had a bad case of mites, and I had to soak him for short periods as part of the treatment. I also soaked my other (at the timme) 2 snakes and all of them hated it. It especially stressed out this really nippy WC male I had (but have since given to a friend.) I hated doing it, and felt so awful, that I will not do it again unless a case of mites crops up (which will never happen, in a perfect world.)