Snake tried to "drown itself"???

[CakeLike]

Hey sry for posting so much lately but this one really shocked me!
My snake has been weird for the past two days already, weirder than normal anyways.
But today I changed his water and later when he came out to roam he went for the bowl and at first I thought he is just drinking but then he dives into the bowl head first and his mouth and nose where submerged. He moved with his head and neck underwater along the sides of the bowl for a few seconds. I was so shocked to see this that I opend the enclosure fast and poked him to "save him". He then perched up and was out of the water.
This has never happend before. I don't know why he would dive his head under water if he wanted to drink.
It may also have been the case that he " accidentally" dropped into the water and tried to get back up but couldn't. It's a bowl that gets narrower at the top, so he might have gotten stuck under the edge of the bowl for a sec.
Nonetheless I can't imagine how he could have been this clumsy. He's not even a spider but today he sure acted like one.
My temps are correct. He was always able to drink normally without having issues with the bowl.
Have you ever experinced something like this?
Was it just an unfortunate coincidence/accident maybe?
I was really scared at that moment.

[nikkubus]

It's hard to know exactly what was happening without seeing it, but I wouldn't be so alarmed about him going underwater. They can hold their breath a lot longer than you might think and sometimes will submerge themselves if allowed the opportunity. This isn't a behavior I see frequently in ball pythons, but I do see it, more often when they are getting ready to shed or in shed. Even more frequently when mites are present. How long have you had him? I'd watch for any signs of shed and make sure humidity is a bit higher if he is going into shed. While I would double check the water bowl for little black specs just in case, it's probably just him wanting a normal soak.

[Bogertophis]

Sounds like he was craving more humidity- snakes do swim quite well, now & then they may like to soak, & they can also hold their breath a LOT longer than we can, so even if the sides of the bowl (narrower at the top) confused him, I'm pretty sure he still would have stuck his nose up to the surface of the water if you haven't stepped in. Can you post a pic of this bowl? Might be a good idea to change it anyway just because it's awkward for his use, but I doubt he was in any real danger.

FYI, one of my large rat snakes uses a water "bowl" that's actually a clear glass cannister (for sugar or cookies, etc- but obviously I don't use the lid). The sides are straight up & down, about 6" deep, & there is a rim around the top where it's narrower than the sides by about a half an inch. My snake has no problem using this- & I gave it to her mainly because after she lays double-clutches of eggs every summer, she really loves to deep-soak in it for quite a while (usually several days), with nothing out of the water but her nose. I know my snake is not a BP, but I'm just trying to illustrate that our snakes often know what they need, whether or not we do. I suspect you didn't need to panic about this.

[CakeLike]

Sounds like he was craving more humidity- snakes do swim quite well, now & then they may like to soak, & they can also hold their breath a LOT longer than we can, so even if the sides of the bowl (narrower at the top) confused him, I'm pretty sure he still would have stuck his nose up to the surface of the water if you haven't stepped in. Can you post a pic of this bowl? Might be a good idea to change it anyway just because it's awkward for his use, but I doubt he was in any real danger.

FYI, one of my large rat snakes uses a water "bowl" that's actually a clear glass cannister (for sugar or cookies, etc- but obviously I don't use the lid). The sides are straight up & down, about 6" deep, & there is a rim around the top where it's narrower than the sides by about a half an inch. My snake has no problem using this- & I gave it to her mainly because after she lays double-clutches of eggs every summer, she really loves to deep-soak in it for quite a while (usually several days), with nothing out of the water but her nose. I know my snake is not a BP, but I'm just trying to illustrate that our snakes often know what they need, whether or not we do. I suspect you didn't need to panic about this.

This is the bowl I use.

https://www.meintierdiscount.de/Nage...BoC8zcQAvD_BwE

I am not sure eather if he was in danger or if he would have gotten out of there eventually but it was such strange behaviour I really can't put my finger around why he did this. Other than being an accident bit this kind of clumsy is tough even for him.
I can pretty much rule any of your suggestions out.
He just shed a week ago and I sprayed his enclosure two hours before it happend.
And the way he did it did really did not look deliberate, like he was really thinking about it.
I just see him cruising above and around the bowl, looking and smelling and then bam! deep dive into the water. And really just the head and neck. So strange honestly. He avoids water like the plague usually.
Normaly he is much more aware of his surroundings. I also fed him today bit I doubt that says much.

[Hugsplox]

I can pretty much rule any of your suggestions out.
He just shed a week ago and I sprayed his enclosure two hours before it happend.

I agree with Nikkubus and Bogertophis, I think he was probably just looking for some humidity. Just because you sprayed two hours before doesn't mean his humidity is where it needs to be. Humidity is something that needs to be maintained constantly, and hydration issues aren't something that just gets corrected from a light misting. Snakes regularly will soak in their bowls, that's why it's recommended that you have a bowl big enough for your animal to get it's whole body in.

[Bogertophis]

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about the shape of that bowl, but I wouldn't use it for water for a snake anyway- it's designed for rodent- hamster- feed (which is dry!), & might be less than safe with water constantly in it for a snake to drink. Ceramic pet bowls are coated with a glaze which may contain lead, or once the glaze gets fine hairline cracks in it- which is common- lead or who knows what else can leach out of the ceramic & into the water your pet drinks. Products made for pets often don't get the same scrutiny for safety that products intended for humans do- just saying. You'd be better off with an old (or 2nd hand) glass mixing bowl (or casserole dish, for example). It doesn't matter why he dove into the bowl, I don't think he was in serious danger of drowning.

[KMG]

You need to relax and stop being a helicopter parent. Your snake was fine and was simply enjoying a swim. He was not suck and was not in danger. Let him have his fun.

My BRB once ate an entire exploded rat underwater. You would have died seeing it. I sat there and watched. Trust your snake knows what they are doing a little. It will be more enjoyable owning them.