Concerns over Newish BP

[MeerkatLyndz]

We got our female BP, Herra, several months ago. Everything for the most part is going quite well. She eats like a champ and has never missed a meal (even after we switched recently to small rats), the one time she shed for us it was one piece and perfect, and healthy body condition. Every night she's active in moving around her large tank and curious about everything. She's not shy and gets even more inquisitive when we take her out for short periods once or twice a week.

My concern is this. Lately she hasn't been quite as active and has been soaking in her water bowl for long hours during the night (during the day she hides on her cool side). Tonight I checked humidity and spritzed the tank a bit to bump up the humidity. She was in her bowl again and I took her out for a look over. The odd thing is she didnt move out of the curled position I picked her up in. I even shifted her from one hand to the other and then cupped in both hands. After a few moments I put her back in her tank on top of a hide and after several minutes hasn't moved.

She ate yesterday just fine, has been pooping, and Temps have not changed since the day we first got her. Her humidity gauge shows it most of the time being at 50% but in the warm hide bumps up to 60%. I'm really really concerned. She didn't seem cold or stiff. Just lethargic? A little dumpy?

[SquirmyPug]

What are the temps? Hot spot? Warm side ambient? Cool side ambient?

How long since she last shed? She could be getting ready to shed again.

Have you checked for mites?

[MeerkatLyndz]

Warm side is in the high 80s cool side is high 70s close to 80s during the day. I don't really know the gradient or ambient Temps as they have never been changed since getting her (and with no problems eating or shedding haven't thought to dig deeper into this). We've had her since mid August and it was in late September that she shed last.

An update on tonight she did move again and was back soaking for a while and then moving around her tank like she normally does. At the moment she's in her normal position curled partly around a crappy old dial thermometer (I don't actually use it for Temps) that I haven't taken out cause she seems to like it.

I upped her humidity by putting a large wet towel over the unfoiled portion of her tank lid. We have been battling humidity problems off and on with it getting cold and us using our heater. Dries the tank out something awful.

EDIT:: We also checked for mites yesterday and again today when I had her out and she refused to get out of her curled up position. Didn't see anything on her or in the water either. Since she's been soaking we've been changing the water daily and washing the bowl as well.

[Bogertophis]

IF (?) she is going into a shed cycle soon, she will know (feel it) before you see it. You say she just ate again...so keep in mind that both shedding and digestion
require extra hydration from a snake's body. That being the case, that would explain her suddenly soaking in the water bowl. Snakes have survival instincts for
good reason.

But do make sure there's no mites, just in case, as that is another main reason that snakes soak. Also, temperatures that are too hot could also explain such
behavior. Hopefully it's just an impending shed.

[MeerkatLyndz]

I'm hoping it is an impending shed. The soaking stared two days ago and tonight is the first night I've noticed some amount of dumpy behavior and general lethargy. So finger crossed it is shed time!

We have thought of temp moving her to a bin for the winter if we can't keep the humidity where it needs to be. We got some 10 gallon tubs for future snake projects and extra thermostats. Just need a UTH and some foil tape. I'm just worried the change of environment would throw her off and make her come off food.

[Bogertophis]

Yeah, you never know...some BPs can be weird about taking food if something changes.

[MeerkatLyndz]

Update on my BP. She's still soaking quite a bit even when her her humidity is up to 75% and Temps in the high 80s kind of gradient going on. Still eating and responsive when I take her out. But for the past day and a half as well as off and on since I originally posted this off and on she has been spending hours and hours in her bowl. My concern is that her head looks... Dry? Flakey?

Hopefully this link works to show what I'm talking about
https://imgur.com/a/3bwWNOf