Why do BP's do this?

sometimes my ball will just soak random parts of its body in its water bowl.. and for long periods of time like an hour or so maybe longer.. is there a reason for it? because i know its not shedding or anything

Could be mites she wants to drom,check the water bowl for little black dots on the ground.
And check her for little mites crawling around,especially around the eyes.

i dont think its mites.. my ball has been doing this from around the time i got it and just once in awhile not everyday

Mites are a possibility, however not always the case. Both of my males will randomly soak parts of themselves for a few hours at a time. I'm starting to notice a pattern on that though, as they tend to do it a week or so before going into blue.

well I don't know, what's the humidity?

i dont know.. but i know its fine because it always sheds perfectly.. this doesnt happen to the rest of you? i know its not mites because i just checked all around its body and eyes and i didnt see anything

feedback any1? lol

Do I understand correctly that you don't know the humidity in your snakes enclosure?

Ball will do this for many reasons. They are trying to get cooler than what the cool side can offer them, soaking to try and help a BM along, they ate arecently and are soaking to help support some of their body, mites, a shed in coming, they may be slightly dehydrated. There are many many reasons for a ball soaking some or just the nature of the animal some are health related. Best thing to do is just watch and see when you snake soaks keep notes: times, enviromental changes, did it feed, shed so on then you will know for sure.

Best of luck hope that helps

how long have you had it? A couple years or a couple months?

You NEED to measure the humidity...it's not a good idea to guess, period. Why not invest $10 in a digital hygrometer/thermometer combo from wal-mart or the hardware store? I am mildly afraid to ask, but what are your temps and how do you measure them?

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Originally Posted by soy.lor.n

how long have you had it? A couple years or a couple months?

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5 months... my temps are always about 87-92 degrees.. i never had a problem so i never felt like i had 2 get sumthin 2 check the humidity but ill get 1 these few days

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Originally Posted by missi182

You NEED to measure the humidity...it's not a good idea to guess, period. Why not invest $10 in a digital hygrometer/thermometer combo from wal-mart or the hardware store? I am mildly afraid to ask, but what are your temps and how do you measure them?

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i said i dont know the humidity i didnt say my snake was dying.. i just said in my other post 87-92 degrees at all times and i have two stick on thermometers.. i never had a problem dats why i never felt i needed a hygrometer

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Originally Posted by 51-50 Python

5 months... my temps are always about 87-92 degrees.. i never had a problem so i never felt like i had 2 get sumthin 2 check the humidity but ill get 1 these few days

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Well you should consider that environmental humidity doesn't remain constant throughout the year, so it probably would be good to get a hygrometer to adjust for environmental changes.
Do you have him in a tub or tank?

After a big meal some snakes will also soak to "help ease the weight" of the meal.

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Originally Posted by soy.lor.n

Well you should consider that environmental humidity doesn't remain constant throughout the year, so it probably would be good to get a hygrometer to adjust for environmental changes.
Do you have him in a tub or tank?

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ya i will.. its in a glass tank

yeah I have mine in a tank too, and I never understood all this talk from people about humidity problems. With only aspen as a substrate, and my water bowl positioned in the coolest spot possible, my humidity just wouldn't drop below about 70!

I finally cut a hole in my plexi lid and put a light in it. That did the trick! lol
I'll probably have to do the damp paper towel trick now when she goes into blue:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by soy.lor.n

yeah I have mine in a tank too, and I never understood all this talk from people about humidity problems. With only aspen as a substrate, and my water bowl positioned in the coolest spot possible, my humidity just wouldn't drop below about 70!

I finally cut a hole in my plexi lid and put a light in it. That did the trick! lol
I'll probably have to do the damp paper towel trick now when she goes into blue:rolleyes:

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The reason you don't seem to have any humidity issues is because your lid is plexi, which is a great way to go. Alot of tank users have screen lids, which let most of the humidity out if not covered properly.

51-50, I don't think your snake is in dire danger or anything, but to not measure humidity is an indicator that you may have a few husbandry issues. I'm not saying your doing anything wrong, your temps sound fine, but there sounds to be a few things that may need some tweaking with your enclosure. I'm not trying to insult you in anyway, I'm just trying to give you some positive criticism which you can choose to ignore or listen to.

Other than the need to measure your humidity, dial thermometers have been proven by myself and countless others in the herping community to be VERY inaccurate. Some will measure close to actual temps, but they can easily stick and stop measuring temps all together or be thrown off by as much as 10 degrees.

Another question I have is do you use a UTH? If you do, it is almost impossible to read the temps on the surface of the glass with a dial, which is why the thermometer/hygrometer digital combo's are recommended as many of them have a probe you can use to measure surface temps with.

I am still being offered advice on a regular basis, and I am happy to receive it. I hope you feel this way as well.

On another note, after reading some of your previous posts you say you do not use a UTH or "need" one. Ball pythons are not like many other reptiles that rely on warm ambient temps only, they absorb most of the heat they require through their belly, hence the emphasized need for a UTH in all of our stickies.

Further, if you do indeed have 87-92, and no UTH, your overhead lamps must either be VERY strong, or your live in a very warm climate. If the overhead lamps you use provide the majority of your heat then I can guarantee your humidity is lower than is should be.

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Originally Posted by missi182

The reason you don't seem to have any humidity issues is because your lid is plexi, which is a great way to go. Alot of tank users have screen lids, which let most of the humidity out if not covered properly.

51-50, I don't think your snake is in dire danger or anything, but to not measure humidity is an indicator that you may have a few husbandry issues. I'm not saying your doing anything wrong, your temps sound fine, but there sounds to be a few things that may need some tweaking with your enclosure. I'm not trying to insult you in anyway, I'm just trying to give you some positive criticism which you can choose to ignore or listen to.

Other than the need to measure your humidity, dial thermometers have been proven by myself and countless others in the herping community to be VERY inaccurate. Some will measure close to actual temps, but they can easily stick and stop measuring temps all together or be thrown off by as much as 10 degrees.

Another question I have is do you use a UTH? If you do, it is almost impossible to read the temps on the surface of the glass with a dial, which is why the thermometer/hygrometer digital combo's are recommended as many of them have a probe you can use to measure surface temps with.

I am still being offered advice on a regular basis, and I am happy to receive it. I hope you feel this way as well.

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your right i should get something to measure my humidity and a digital thermometer.. even tho ive never had any problems it would just be nicer to make sure.. especially since its beginning to get hotter now

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Originally Posted by missi182

On another note, after reading some of your previous posts you say you do not use a UTH or "need" one. Ball pythons are not like many other reptiles that rely on warm ambient temps only, they absorb most of the heat they require through their belly, hence the emphasized need for a UTH in all of our stickies.

Further, if you do indeed have 87-92, and no UTH, your overhead lamps must either be VERY strong, or your live in a very warm climate. If the overhead lamps you use provide the majority of your heat then I can guarantee your humidity is lower than is should be.

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ya i dont use a UTH and i only use a black 50 watt bulb as my heat source.. i still strongly believe i dont need a UTH.. im sure it would help but i dont think its an absolute need for my BP to properly live.. i mean if i really did need it then my snake would have trouble digesting and would be gettin sick by now since i dont have a UTH but i havent had any problems so thats why i still argue with that issue.. but maybe when i get some money in my hands ill probably get a UTH just to make it a little better

and i also disagree about my humidity being lower then it should be.. because if it was less then 50 - 60 % then my BP would have bad sheds but its had perfect sheds since the day i got it

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Originally Posted by 51-50 Python

ya i dont use a UTH and i only use a black 50 watt bulb as my heat source.. i still strongly believe i dont need a UTH.. im sure it would help but i dont think its an absolute need for my BP to properly live.. i mean if i really did need it then my snake would have trouble digesting and would be gettin sick by now since i dont have a UTH but i havent had any problems so thats why i still argue with that issue.. but maybe when i get some money in my hands ill probably get a UTH just to make it a little better

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A bp can eat, sleep and act normally even in the worst conditions, it does not mean it should. I just do not understand how it is possible you have the proper temps with a 50 watt bulb ONLY, I have a 60 watt that raises the ambient maybe 5 degrees tops. Can you just help me understand a little better, do you live in a warm climate?

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Originally Posted by 51-50 Python

your right i should get something to measure my humidity and a digital thermometer.. even tho ive never had any problems it would just be nicer to make sure.. especially since its beginning to get hotter now

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My boyfriend and I are new to keeping snakes so when we first started out we just used the stick on gauges as well. Upon reading up more on this forum we decided to get two digital Accurites from Walmart ($12) for both the warm and cool side.....from the probe we found out that our warm side was over 100 degrees!! The stick on gauge still said around 85ish! We couldn't believe it...thank god we made the change! :O

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Originally Posted by missi182

A bp can eat, sleep and act normally even in the worst conditions, it does not mean it should. I just do not understand how it is possible you have the proper temps with a 50 watt bulb ONLY, I have a 60 watt that raises the ambient maybe 5 degrees tops. Can you just help me understand a little better, do you live in a warm climate?

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I completely agree with you...we recently took in a new addition and after a few days of monitoring he appears to act normal and healthy. He was living in a glass tank with a piece of cardboard taped on top, no heat, no hide, no water, no substrate, NOTHING!...for several months. What I took away from that was snakes can survive in a lot of places but I'm interested in whats good for them and how to make their life as happy and healthy as within my means. Hopefully our new guy is as healthy as he appears.:please:

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Originally Posted by 51-50 Python

ya i dont use a UTH and i only use a black 50 watt bulb as my heat source.. i still strongly believe i dont need a UTH.. im sure it would help but i dont think its an absolute need for my BP to properly live.. i mean if i really did need it then my snake would have trouble digesting and would be gettin sick by now since i dont have a UTH but i havent had any problems so thats why i still argue with that issue.. but maybe when i get some money in my hands ill probably get a UTH just to make it a little better

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Ok if you dont use anything to get the temp readings nor humidity levels how are you getting your ranges? It sounds like to me that your ball python is to hot so its trying to cool off in the water bowl.PLEASE buy the above recommendations SOON ;).You can not just take guesses.

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Originally Posted by joepythons

Ok if you dont use anything to get the temp readings nor humidity levels how are you getting your ranges? It sounds like to me that your ball python is to hot so its trying to cool off in the water bowl.PLEASE buy the above recommendations SOON ;).You can not just take guesses.

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i said im using stick on thermometers i never said i was just guessing the temps.. and yes i am gonna get a digital hygrometer/thermometer or whatever its called loll

Quote:

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Originally Posted by missi182

A bp can eat, sleep and act normally even in the worst conditions, it does not mean it should. I just do not understand how it is possible you have the proper temps with a 50 watt bulb ONLY, I have a 60 watt that raises the ambient maybe 5 degrees tops. Can you just help me understand a little better, do you live in a warm climate?

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well how big is your tank? mine is only a 16 gallon and my light heats up the tank just fine.. also my light is actually inside of the tank some people just put it on the top but mine is actually sticking inside of it so maybe thats the difference

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Originally Posted by 51-50 Python

well how big is your tank? mine is only a 16 gallon and my light heats up the tank just fine.. also my light is actually inside of the tank some people just put it on the top but mine is actually sticking inside of it so maybe thats the difference

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As in your snake has access to the lamp?

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Originally Posted by b8byjenny

As in your snake has access to the lamp?

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yes it does, and no its never hurt itself since the day i got it.. so dont try to give me any bs for that

Quote:

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Originally Posted by b8byjenny

I completely agree with you...we recently took in a new addition and after a few days of monitoring he appears to act normal and healthy. He was living in a glass tank with a piece of cardboard taped on top, no heat, no hide, no water, no substrate, NOTHING!...for several months. What I took away from that was snakes can survive in a lot of places but I'm interested in whats good for them and how to make their life as happy and healthy as within my means. Hopefully our new guy is as healthy as he appears.:please:

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lol okay i dont buy that at all.. how can a BP go months without any heat or water? it wouldent have any energy to eat or even move and it would probably die the first month.. and if this is true then why would you keep your snake like that for months?

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Originally Posted by 51-50 Python

yes it does, and no its never hurt itself since the day i got it.. so dont try to give me any bs for that

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ITS NOT BS! LAMPS INSIDE AN ENCLOSURE ARE A BAD IDEA!! Why are you refusing our help!? Do you seriously want your bp to get injured? You can buy protective caging for keeping a lamp inside your enclosure, but I don't understand why you would do that. Your snake CAN and WILL eventually get burned, so why would you risk it?

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Originally Posted by 51-50 Python

lol okay i dont buy that at all.. how can a BP go months without any heat or water? it wouldent have any energy to eat or even move and it would probably die the first month.. and if this is true then why would you keep your snake like that for months?

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I would never keep a snake like that, but many people do bring their "new" snake home from the pet store and do not know what they are doing, and set it up completely wrong. The snake can live for quite a long time before it is rescued or inevitably dies.

Ok I will try to speak from a keepers aspect and will try and help you understand some of the reasons why you Ball is doing what it is doing
First

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Originally Posted by 51-50 Python

and i also disagree about my humidity being lower then it should be.. because if it was less then 50 - 60 % then my BP would have bad sheds but its had perfect sheds since the day i got it

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Or be soaking from time to time to help keep it hydrated. Balls drink very little water when they drink but like all reptiles do keep hydrated through their skin. So lower humidity can cause a ball to soak to try and get hydrated, its faster than drinking.

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Originally Posted by 51-50 Python

well how big is your tank? mine is only a 16 gallon and my light heats up the tank just fine.. also my light is actually inside of the tank some people just put it on the top but mine is actually sticking inside of it so maybe thats the difference

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First this is a danger risk to you snake it can become burned if the light get to hot and the snake comes in contact with it. Second lights dry out the environment they are exposed to having kept balls in tanks for many years I can attest to the fact that using lights outside the tank to heat is fine it just means more work for the keep to try and maintain the RH (relative humidity) that is needed.

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Originally Posted by 51-50 Python

yes it does, and no its never hurt itself since the day i got it.. so dont try to give me any bs for that

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Thats not to say it wont. My suggestion would be place the light outside the tank because any responsible pet owner would not want to knowingly place there pet in a situation where they might get hurt or even die.

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Originally Posted by 51-50 Python

lol okay i dont buy that at all.. how can a BP go months without any heat or water? it wouldn't have any energy to eat or even move and it would probably die the first month.. and if this is true then why would you keep your snake like that for months?

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Because they were designed to live in plains of Africa where food and water can be scarce. I have see Balls live through not eating for 6+ months and come through just fine.


No one here is trying to "Tell" you what to do. You asked why your ball python is soaking these are some possibilities take them and do with them as you will.

But remember you wouldn't go to a mechanic and say "my car is acting funny can you tell me what it is?" then when the mechanic come back and says "Oh it your whatever hose" would you look at him and say "that can be I've had this car for 5 months and never had a problem with that so it can't be that".

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Originally Posted by 51-50 Python

yes it does, and no its never hurt itself since the day i got it.. so dont try to give me any bs for that

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I see no reason to be rude here.Its a true FACT heat sources INSIDE the enclosure CAN burn the reptile ;).Now as i see it you are a newbie here and you came here asking questions.So we are giving you answers and then you start getting defensive :confused:.Why?

Also, as for belly heat...you can get one of the big pieces of heat tape from RBI for $8.40 + shipping (and if you ask, he'll wire it for you for free) and a dimmer from Home Depot for $10
http://www.reptilebasics.com/Heating-p-1-c-248.html

They also have some great FAQs

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Originally Posted by 51-50 Python

i said im using stick on thermometers i never said i was just guessing the temps.. and yes i am gonna get a digital hygrometer/thermometer or whatever its called loll

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I really hate to break it to you, but if you're using stick on thermometers, then you ARE just guessing. I'm not sure why you're being resistent to advice being offered to you.

Just because your snake "seems" fine after five months of owning it, doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It takes a LONG time for them to show symptoms of any problems. I also think your soaking likely means your temps are much warmer than you perceive them to be.

Invest $12 in a DIGITAL thermometer/hygrometer from Walmart and be sure.

And your light is INSIDE the inclosure? That took my breath away - seriously. There are so many things that you really need to correct. I'd suggest that you review the ball python care sheet here. Just because you aren't having problems now, I forsee that you're going either have a burned or sick snake the way you have it set up now. Just my :2cent:

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Originally Posted by 51-50 Python

yes it does, and no its never hurt itself since the day i got it.. so dont try to give me any bs for that

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Why come and ask for advice and then dismiss it as BS? Some of us have a "wee" bit more experience with keeping these animals than you do right now.

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Originally Posted by soy.lor.n

Also, as for belly heat...you can get one of the big pieces of heat tape from RBI for $8.40 + shipping (and if you ask, he'll wire it for you for free) and a dimmer from Home Depot for $10
http://www.reptilebasics.com/Heating-p-1-c-248.html

They also have some great FAQs

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Beware the DIMMERS!!! I have one, and it burned a hole through
a tub! I don't think it would burn a tank, but the point is, they don't really have that great of a control!

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Originally Posted by SnakieMom

Beware the DIMMERS!!! I have one, and it burned a hole through
a tub! I don't think it would burn a tank, but the point is, they don't really have that great of a control!

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I'd say that depends on the dimmer. If it can get a lightbulb down to being off, then it should be able to do the same with a UTH. I'm using one right now (we have a thermostat we'll probably hook up this weekend, but just haven't wanted to bother her with it yet...) and it works just fine. The one I have has a little slider thing which includes an off setting
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...ctId=100145680

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Originally Posted by soy.lor.n

I'd say that depends on the dimmer. If it can get a lightbulb down to being off, then it should be able to do the same with a UTH. I'm using one right now (we have a thermostat we'll probably hook up this weekend, but just haven't wanted to bother her with it yet...) and it works just fine. The one I have has a little slider thing which includes an off setting
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...ctId=100145680

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That is true, some dimmers are very sensitive while others are not. If the temperature in the room where the enclosure is located changes frequently, the dimmer requires constant adjustment, but if the temps are fairly constant, dimmers can work pretty well.

My biggest issue with using a dimmer is the unreliable nature of them, so I can't go anywhere over-night with one hooked up incase the temps go up while I'm gone. That is why I gave up on them and bought a Ranco.

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Originally Posted by 51-50 Python

lol okay i dont buy that at all.. how can a BP go months without any heat or water? it wouldent have any energy to eat or even move and it would probably die the first month.. and if this is true then why would you keep your snake like that for months?

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Well you really don't have to "buy it" because I'm not selling it to you, just thought you might wanna know. I couldn't tell you why that person kept their snake in those conditions, probably for the same reason you keep your lamp inside the tank, which from what you have said is because there hasn't been any symptoms that he's being harmed. We took this snake in as a rescue so hopefully with him having the proper conditions now he will be ok. Good luck with your snake.

some snakes just like to go for a swim. in the BP book, it says BPs like to soak sometimes. Often for no reason other than they like it. If there are no mites and the humidity is good, there shouldnt be much to worry about. My BP is bathing right now. He is at perfect humidity and perfect temp. Sometimes he just likes a little variation.