Cheddar! It's Bath Time! Wait..

Hello fellow snake hobbyists!
Just for the care of my new Pastel Ball Python, Cheddar, I would like to schedule his very first time taking a bath. But just to make sure that my schedule could be fine and it would not hurt my ball python a bit, I made this thread to just get some fresh ideas from you experienced snake hobbyists to leave your advice just for the knowledge of the beginners like me ( well, Im not really a beginner but a snake keeper who needs more things to know about snakes haha xD ) . But if you have the time, please answer these questions about snake baths.

The questions are the following :

1. In what physical condition is the ball python safe for its bath? When it is full, after it excreted its meal, hungry, etc. ?

2. What temperature is safe for him in its bath? How about the humidity?

3. How long (time) should the bath be? How deep would the water be?

4. Is it advisable to use some sort of soap or cleaning "creams" during the bath or does it depends to the owner?

Thank you for the time guys! Happy Keeping to every single one of you! :)

theres zero reason to give your bp a bath.

Actually your ball python doesn't need to take a bath. Provide a big enough water dish in his enclosure if he wants to go in. If it's a case of a bad shed then a bath could help for sure ( without anything in the water). So no need for baths.

Well, I know that we don't really have to give our snake a bath and according to my "research" , we should only give a snake a bath when there is a problem in shedding and I have been watching a lot of videos lately about snake owners giving their snakes baths and I was thinking that I could try doing it also. And it wont actually hurt the snake and it could also help in its shedding process. I also want to try it since it could be a good time to "bond" with your snake, I think like going out for walks or something. After all, I did'nt buy a ball python to just put it in a cage, feed it, and put some water or something. If that's the case, I could've bought a venomous scorpion or some cobras haha. I bought a snake for the challenge of having another pet other than having dogs or cats. So yeah, I hope all of you now understand why I want this "bath" time with him. Btw thank you for your replies! I appreciate it. Happy Keeping! :)

its not going to be a good bonding experience, especially with a new snake. Its more of a stressful situation than it is a "bonding" experience.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Junior013

And it wont actually hurt the snake and it could also help in its shedding process. I also want to try it since it could be a good time to "bond" with your snake

---

an unnecessary bath can stress the snake out, which in my opinion is hurting it. there's no reason to create stress in the animal just because you feel like it. "bonding" is not a word i'd use with snakes, however handling and getting them use to your presence creates a trust where the snake realizes you're not a threat. that's how you "bond" with snakes.

You aren't going to "bond" with your snake. Snakes are not like other pets who will show affection and appreciation, they more so put up with your presence.

You picked the wrong pet if that's the type of relationship you want with your animal. Ball pythons spend 99.9% of their time in a hide, so you obviously didn't do your research if you wanted a more interactive pet.

Maybe a corn snake would be a better choice. They are much busier.

Do not bathe your snake. It's a stressful situation for them. They don't like it. It won't make your snake trust you.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Junior013

Well, I know that we don't really have to give our snake a bath and according to my "research" , we should only give a snake a bath when there is a problem in shedding and I have been watching a lot of videos lately about snake owners giving their snakes baths and I was thinking that I could try doing it also. And it wont actually hurt the snake and it could also help in its shedding process. I also want to try it since it could be a good time to "bond" with your snake, I think like going out for walks or something. After all, I did'nt buy a ball python to just put it in a cage, feed it, and put some water or something. If that's the case, I could've bought a venomous scorpion or some cobras haha. I bought a snake for the challenge of having another pet other than having dogs or cats. So yeah, I hope all of you now understand why I want this "bath" time with him. Btw thank you for your replies! I appreciate it. Happy Keeping! :)

---

You didn't do enough research then; you can't "bond" with a snake, you can only get the snake used to you like others have stated. All you will do is cause unnecessary stress which can create more issues. I don't understand why we keep seeing posts like yours with owners who want to treat their snake like a dog/cat; that's not how it works with ball pythons.

A hiding ball python is a HAPPY ball python

Even for stuck shed, bathing is not necessarily the best approach under most circumstances. Ball pythons don't swim or soak much unless they're seeking relief from mites or the humidity has been too low or the temperature is too high, etc. If your snake poops and then smears it all over the place, maybe it needs a bath, but otherwise it's just going to be stressful to get stuck in a container with water. If anything, it can remove the skin secretions that help the shed detach and actually cause shedding issues.

As far as "bonding" goes, the best thing you can do is give your snake a chance to learn that you aren't a threat. Some individuals are more inquisitive and more bold than others, and some have more tolerance for handling and being outside the cage than others. Time exploring outside the cage can be good exercise and good enrichment, but it can also be a very stressful experience. It takes time and patience and learning to read your snake's behavior, and a lot of patience, for the snake to learn to feel comfortable exploring out in the open.

As far as behavior goes, keep this in mind: Ball pythons aren't social, which means they don't have any reason to communicate their emotional state with other individuals. That makes it harder to learn how to read their behavior, because they are just doing what they do - they have not developed ways of making their behavior obvious for purposes of conveying information. A squirrel, a sparrow, a mouse, etc, is easier to read because it has behaviors (tail movements, vocalizations, body gestures, facial expressions, etc) that have developed specifically to communicate fear, threats, relaxation, food, etc. Those animals live in groups and the group benefits from sharing that kind of information.

A BP does not live in groups or care for its young, so it has no reason to communicate its emotional state to others and doesn't have methods for doing so. But that doesn't mean it can't be scared, inquisitive, relaxed, hungry, etc; it just means it's hard to tell. It can be hard to tell the difference between inquisitive behavior and flight behavior, for example.

So behaviorally speaking, there's your challenge.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Coluber42

Even for stuck shed, bathing is not necessarily the best approach under most circumstances. Ball pythons don't swim or soak much unless they're seeking relief from mites or the humidity has been too low or the temperature is too high, etc. If your snake poops and then smears it all over the place, maybe it needs a bath, but otherwise it's just going to be stressful to get stuck in a container with water. If anything, it can remove the skin secretions that help the shed detach and actually cause shedding issues.

As far as "bonding" goes, the best thing you can do is give your snake a chance to learn that you aren't a threat. Some individuals are more inquisitive and more bold than others, and some have more tolerance for handling and being outside the cage than others. Time exploring outside the cage can be good exercise and good enrichment, but it can also be a very stressful experience. It takes time and patience and learning to read your snake's behavior, and a lot of patience, for the snake to learn to feel comfortable exploring out in the open.

As far as behavior goes, keep this in mind: Ball pythons aren't social, which means they don't have any reason to communicate their emotional state with other individuals. That makes it harder to learn how to read their behavior, because they are just doing what they do - they have not developed ways of making their behavior obvious for purposes of conveying information. A squirrel, a sparrow, a mouse, etc, is easier to read because it has behaviors (tail movements, vocalizations, body gestures, facial expressions, etc) that have developed specifically to communicate fear, threats, relaxation, food, etc. Those animals live in groups and the group benefits from sharing that kind of information.

A BP does not live in groups or care for its young, so it has no reason to communicate its emotional state to others and doesn't have methods for doing so. But that doesn't mean it can't be scared, inquisitive, relaxed, hungry, etc; it just means it's hard to tell. It can be hard to tell the difference between inquisitive behavior and flight behavior, for example.

So behaviorally speaking, there's your challenge.

---

I think that is a great way to put it.