A word in my own defense.

This is in response to the person who left me negative feedback for my post in the "BP Soaking" thread. There was no name, otherwise I could have addressed you privately.
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=38153

I stated that a ball python MAY soak because it is afflicted with scale rot. Other perfectly valid explanations had already been made. I did not contradict them.

This was based on my OWN experience, with my four snakes. The ONLY time I have ever seen a ball python soak in the last year that I've owned them was in the case of my 06 girl who I discovered, after two days of near continuous soaking, had SCALE ROT. She did not have mites, and was not in shed or too hot although those may be other reasons for soaking. She did not soak before and has not soaked since.

How can you say that I gave wrong advice? My only "advice" in this thread was to look for pink spots. That is what scale rot CAN look like, maybe not always, but that again is my own personal experience.

I was only trying to help.

Send a PM to one of the admin's and they can resolve in what they think is best. :)

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Originally Posted by Sadie

This is in response to the person who left me negative feedback for my post in the "BP Soaking" thread. There was no name, otherwise I could have addressed you privately.
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=38153

I stated that a ball python MAY soak because it is afflicted with scale rot. Other perfectly valid explanations had already been made. I did not contradict them.

This was based on my OWN experience, with my four snakes. The ONLY time I have ever seen a ball python soak in the last year that I've owned them was in the case of my 06 girl who I discovered, after two days of near continuous soaking, had SCALE ROT. She did not have mites, and was not in shed or too hot although those may be other reasons for soaking. She did not soak before and has not soaked since.

How can you say that I gave wrong advice? My only "advice" in this thread was to look for pink spots. That is what scale rot CAN look like, maybe not always, but that again is my own personal experience.

I was only trying to help.

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Note: I am responding to this post, but it was not I who left negative feedback. That's not my style to give negative feedback for offering advice. I did want to share some info here though.

Scale rot is caused by too much humidity/moisture or web substrate. Normally balls don't soak because they have scale rot, though it could be that too much soaking was causing the scale rot. I have never noticed it pink in color, but the only time I have really encountered it is at petshops who did not keep their bedding dry. It was generally dark orange or rusty, and found inbetween the scale folds. If the bedding is changed and kept dry, temps good, etc.. the rot may come off during the next shed.

Rick

I didn't leave the feedback but I can understand the viewpoint that a snake with scale rot would never soak.

If they soak, it is from either having mites or the temps are too high and they are trying to cool off.
That is the only times I have ever seen BP's soak.

I haven't even seen them soak prior to a shed.

Having scale rot in my opinion would never be a reason for a BP to soak.

I have nothing to say in reguards to the topic the OP speaks of but I don't know about everyone else but I've seen quite a few of these posts lately.
Perhaps people would not be so quick to abuse the system if they'd be known. Would it be possible to make it so people have to post their names when leaving feedback of any kind?

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Originally Posted by Entropy

I have nothing to say in reguards to the topic the OP speaks of but I don't know about everyone else but I've seen quite a few of these posts lately.
Perhaps people would not be so quick to abuse the system if they'd be known. Would it be possible to make it so people have to post their names when leaving feedback of any kind?

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In the "site info" section, there's a thread on the rep system. It says that names are not a part of the rep system in order to avoid "pay backs"...

well i live in the same area as the person that you are giving advice to.I have more than a few bps.have you thought to ask if there are hide spots in the encloser.there are people who rais bps in racks and don't use hides,i don,t(in rack set ups)but after i feed a few of my snakes do spend a day or so soaking some more.i just asume they like the sucurity of being in the bowl while they are digesting.People are givinng advice on this thread which should not.The post was from edmonton Alberta Canada ware the temp was -25 c right now with no humidity,to say its mites or temp are to hot might not be correct due to the weather we are having right now.

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Originally Posted by SPJ

I didn't leave the feedback but I can understand the viewpoint that a snake with scale rot would never soak.

If they soak, it is from either having mites or the temps are too high and they are trying to cool off.
That is the only times I have ever seen BP's soak.

I haven't even seen them soak prior to a shed.

Having scale rot in my opinion would never be a reason for a BP to soak.

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just to add,my above post was not ment to be rude or insult anyone,but it is a total different climet here than what most of you in the states are dealing with

After taking the time to follow the links in this thread i realized I should not have made the above post(dam Canadian beer) as I thought the topic related to the weather conditions we are dealing with right now.

sorry Mike

I read both threads and negative feedback for the statement seems rediculous but I had no idea there was any such thing (newbie). What is this neg. feedback? I'm looking but haven't found anything yet. I know what it is on ebay but here...????

Well mike, hate to burst your bubble, but... I too live in Canada, and guess what? the humidity and temps in my Ball room are maintained at a constant 60%rh and 82-83 degrees 24/7/365...even when its -25 ;) Mother nature doesnt determine the conditons in that room...I do ;).....and for what its worth...if your balls are soaking after youve fed them, you're likely feeding too large of a meal ;)

One of my normals females soaks when she is going into shed and my humidity stays at around 70-75%% during a shed cycle. My het albino male also soaks constantly but he is very active and just likes to wet the top of the cool hide and lay there. In that tank, my normal humidity levels are in the 55-60% range. Both measured by an accurite

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Originally Posted by nathanledet

In the "site info" section, there's a thread on the rep system. It says that names are not a part of the rep system in order to avoid "pay backs"...

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Yes Nate. I did see it though I still think that if everyone had to post their names there would be less abuse including 'paybacks'. Just my :2cent:, no arguing intended. :)

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Originally Posted by Uncle Festae

Well mike, hate to burst your bubble, but... I too live in Canada, and guess what? the humidity and temps in my Ball room are maintained at a constant 60%rh and 82-83 degrees 24/7/365...even when its -25 ;) Mother nature doesnt determine the conditons in that room...I do ;).....and for what its worth...if your balls are soaking after youve fed them, you're likely feeding too large of a meal ;)

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I think you missed my point,I was tring to point out that if no hides are in the encloser they may use the water dish as a hide.AS for feeding meals that are to large well thats kind of hard for me,since most of my bps are live feeders and I am in alberta(where it is illeagal to have live rats)I have never seen a mouse that is to big for a bp. It is great that you can control your humidity so well but with the constant weather canges we deal with here it makes it a bit harder here(not imposible just harder).And before you hack on me about not using hides I know a few other breeders that do not.

Thanks for the feedback. I might have overreacted a bit, but the criticism was hurtful.

SPJ You are intitled to your own opinions but why do you have to use words like "never"? Just because you doubt, doesn't mean it's wrong. The world turned out to be round after all.

There are many different opinions and experiences out there. Seems like a few people on this forum buy a snake or read a care sheet and suddenly become seasoned pros. :colbert: I write advice as just that: advice, based on personal experience.

Rick I posted the pics here, post #25:
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=38556
Corey Woods diagnosed it and his treatment advice worked. He is one of the biggest Canadian breeders and has 700+ balls. Think he got it wrong?

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Originally Posted by Sadie

Rick I posted the pics here, post #25:
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=38556
Corey Woods diagnosed it and his treatment advice worked. He is one of the biggest Canadian breeders and has 700+ balls. Think he got it wrong?

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The link didn't work. I am not saying it is or isn't scale rot, just sharing some knowledge based on my experiances. Scale rot is caused by high humidity, moisture, wet substrate, etc. Scale rot is not normally going to make a snake soak. It's more likely the snake was soaking too much, perhaps because it was too hot, didn't have a hide so felt more secure in the water bowl, had mites, etc. This is obviously speculation based solely on the info in this thread.

Rick

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Originally Posted by Uncle Festae

and for what its worth...if your balls are soaking after youve fed them, you're likely feeding too large of a meal ;)

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I agree 100% ... soaking after a meal is the snakes way of telling you the meal might have been a little too big ... the pressure internally caused by the weight of a large meal is alleviated in the zero buoyancy of water .... also, the heat generated by the digestion of the larger meal can be significant ... water will cools them down .... feels good. :sweeet:

-adam

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Originally Posted by Sadie

I stated that a ball python MAY soak because it is afflicted with scale rot.

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All other things being equal, I would tend to agree based on similar behaviors I've seen with rescues that came in with scale rot and mouth rot.

A very prominent herp vet once told me that when a ball python is in pain or uncomfortable it may seek out something cool to press the area of discomfort against to try and make it feel better .... A burny, itchy case of scale rot sure might feel a lot better soaked in some nice cold water.

I think it's naive for anyone to think that they "know" these animals so well as to use absolutes ... all you need to do is work with these animals in large numbers to quickly learn that no matter what you think you know, these animals WILL humble you. ;)

-adam

my Nag for some reason seems to like to soak in the water bowl so he can make a doodie. sometimes pees in the water bowl as well. then he goes back to his hide, which he also messes in. goofy thing that he is.