Smart Snake

[DarrinLowe]

I was curious, is it nature for a ball python to seek out humidity when they are in shed?

I found it absolutely adorable to come home to my girl all curled up in her water dish, with her head popping out.

[XIIIPythons]

ya, i have never seen any of my balls get into there water dish but i have read about them getting in there water for shedding purposes and also mites .. maybe check her dish for small black specs and also around the eyes and pits .. if nothing then maybe she is just a soaker

[DarrinLowe]

I will be sure to do that. I think it could also be how the breeder brought her up. He was always a firm believer of having a dish big enough for them to soak in, so he prob had them soaking every time shed came around. It made me happy to see cause I didn't really make it home til late today. So I couldn't do much for humidity.

[Gloprod]

My female Mojave is a soaker, Every time I open her tub she is in the water dish.

[DarrinLowe]

She ended up shedding last night, I could only find bits and pieces so I'm assuming thats why she was soaking..?

If she doesnt shed completely in one go does that mean its a bad shed?

[K2exotics]

She ended up shedding last night, I could only find bits and pieces so I'm assuming thats why she was soaking..?

If she doesnt shed completely in one go does that mean its a bad shed?

It means it is not ideal. Ideally they would get it off in one piece, however if she gets it all off, doesnt retain an eye cap, and keeps all her scales with little to no assistance from you I would call it a decent shed.

Bad sheds are usually the ones where you read about people needing to soak their snakes and run them through a towel or pillow case. When people find their snakes with a patch or two of rubbed off scales etc.

[jason79]

I would double check for mites and also your temps but if all is well then it is not a problem. I use water bowls large enough for them to soak in but I very rarely see them in the water bowls. Out of the 20+ bp's I have right now and have had for several years I have only ever found 1 soaking, not to say it isn't possible that others have and I didn't see it.

[DarrinLowe]

I'm kind of concerned now. My Female is making a kind of odd clicking sound. It's not Everytime she breathes in but every now an then, she is freqently opening her mouth and it looks like it's kind of sticky in there. I did put her in a bath (half her size up her body. Her first reaction was balling up, so she ended up face first in the water. Her left lip is kind of hanging. We need advice.

[R&DP]

Get her to a vet as soon as possible. Clicking, wheezing, and holding the mouth open are signs of a respiatory Infection.

[DarrinLowe]

Well I've been keeping a close eye on her all night. The yawning and clicking has stopped. My main concern that I can still see is her left lip hanging kind of low. As if it doesn't go into her mouth properly.