Ball Python Soaking?

[Bogertophis]

He must be messing with me. He was out and about for a few days. Sleeping in his hides and exploring. I thought all this was over. THEN I fed him last night and he's back in his bowl. All day today.
WHY LOKI!? Why do you stress your mother so?!

They do absorb some water while soaking, and they do need extra hydration both for digesting and shedding, so maybe he just senses that he needs this?

Or maybe he's like the little kid that will only drink thru a straw...have you tried giving him a colorful straw?

On the other hand, maybe he's diabetic? if there IS such a thing??? (I don't see why not...or hyperglycemic?)

http://www.anapsid.org/diabetes.html

[mischiefneko]

They do absorb some water while soaking, and they do need extra hydration both for digesting and shedding, so maybe he just senses that he needs this?

Or maybe he's like the little kid that will only drink thru a straw...have you tried giving him a colorful straw?

On the other hand, maybe he's diabetic? if there IS such a thing??? (I don't see why not...or hyperglycemic?)

http://www.anapsid.org/diabetes.html

Honestly, I have no idea. He didn't soak the first like four times I fed him.

[mischiefneko]

After almost a month he's back to hanging out in his hides. And I did noticed while I was handling him the other day that some of his darker markings were a bit duller. And some scales on his head had more defined white lines lining the scales. Seeing as most of body is a very pale yellow, it's pretty hard to tell if he was about to shed. But that was a hell of a long time to soak and his eyes still aren't smokey.
Again, AT LEAST twice a week I wiped him with paper towel to check for mites and never saw anything.

[mischiefneko]

For anyone who may still be watching this thread, Loki just shed today. So apparently he felt the need to soak for a month and a half BEFORE actually shedding. Jeez, drama king.

[Bogertophis]

He just wanted to see if you cared? ha ha ha...