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  1. #1
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    Soaking in Water Dish?

    I never seen my snake do this before, I've had him for almost 3 months and yesterday I noticed he was half in his water dish. This morning I noticed he was 100% in his water dish.

    Any ideas why he might be doing this?

  2. #2
    BPnet Lifer Kaorte's Avatar
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    Re: Soaking in Water Dish?

    Check him and the water dish over for little black dots. Soaking is an indication that the snake has mites.

    If you see one, order the product "provent a mite". I believe this is the only product that works effectively to kill mites.
    ~Steffe

  3. #3
    BPnet Veteran nixer's Avatar
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    Re: Soaking in Water Dish?

    it could also be a humidity issue or it could be it likes the water bowl as a hide

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    Re: Soaking in Water Dish?

    I took him out and checked him over, no mites. None in the water none on him, he looks clean. The humidity is usually between 50-60%, it is at 62% right now but he pooped over night and it usually goes up when he does that by 5-10%.

    When I put him back in his enclosure he slithered around for a minute and then proceeded to his cool side hide. I'm thinking he just wanted to be in the water, maybe he was feeling a little dehydrated.

    Another quick question on mites though. Where do they come from and how could a snake get them?

    Thanks

  5. #5
    BPnet Veteran nixer's Avatar
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    Re: Soaking in Water Dish?

    Quote Originally Posted by N1GHTRA1N View Post
    I took him out and checked him over, no mites. None in the water none on him, he looks clean. The humidity is usually between 50-60%, it is at 62% right now but he pooped over night and it usually goes up when he does that by 5-10%.

    When I put him back in his enclosure he slithered around for a minute and then proceeded to his cool side hide. I'm thinking he just wanted to be in the water, maybe he was feeling a little dehydrated.

    Another quick question on mites though. Where do they come from and how could a snake get them?

    Thanks
    reptile mites come from other reptiles. or from bedding and stuff, even on your own clothes from a petstore,show,etc that has mite problems

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    BPnet Lifer Kaorte's Avatar
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    Re: Soaking in Water Dish?

    What kind of hides do you have?
    ~Steffe

  7. #7
    BPnet Senior Member WingedWolfPsion's Avatar
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    Re: Soaking in Water Dish?

    Guys, we see this question over and over again, and the truth is that when a ball python soaks in its water bowl, it's usually not mites or a sign of anything being wrong.

    Yes, you should check to make sure, but that shouldn't be the first thing that springs to mind. The snake is probably just going into a shed cycle. Some ball pythons like to soak, some don't. Raise the humidity, it should be at 60% at all times anyhow, and don't worry about it. Make sure not to fill the bowl really full, or he'll make a mess.
    --Donna Fernstrom
    16.29 BPs in collection, 16.11 BP hatchlings
    Eclipse Exotics
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    Follow my Twitters: WingedWolfPsion, EclipseMeta, and EclipseExotics

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    Re: Soaking in Water Dish?

    Quote Originally Posted by Kaorte View Post
    What kind of hides do you have?
    two exoterra caves. they are the same size and shape.

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    Re: Soaking in Water Dish?

    Quote Originally Posted by nixer View Post
    reptile mites come from other reptiles. or from bedding and stuff, even on your own clothes from a petstore,show,etc that has mite problems
    So basically he can't get mites unless exposed to them. since I don't handle other retitles and only use store bought substrates I shouldn't ever really have to worry about mites since there is slim to no chance he would be exposed?

  11. #10
    BPnet Senior Member WingedWolfPsion's Avatar
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    Re: Soaking in Water Dish?

    Pretty low chance. I've been breeding for about 3 years now, and I have seen a single mite on a newly acquired snake, once. I killed it and treated the quarantine room with PAM. That was all there was to it. I frequent a couple of pet stores in town, and I've never seen a mite in them. I haven't seen any at the local reptile show I go to.

    Mites are usually associated with large wholesale facilities and with wild-caught animals. Even my WC garters did not have any mites (only capillaria, surprisingly enough--I would have expected more 'cooties'), though when I was much younger, I do remember seeing mites on wild snakes.
    In a large facility that has many animals coming in and out, mites can transfer easily and be picked up and spread quickly. Bad pet stores are a source to watch out for, as they may buy from large wholesalers with shadier reputations. But anyone dealing with CH or WC animals may have mites get in.

    If you find a mite (or mites) on a newly acquired animal that otherwise looks good, kill the mite and treat everything with PAM according to instructions. Inform the person you got it from--they will probably be grateful you said something, and they will need to treat their collection as well. If they're not grateful (and you were polite), you probably don't want to buy from them again. Mites can happen when animals are coming in and out.

    In a closed collection, its extremely rare. It's unlikely that packaged beddings themselves will transfer snake mites (how would they get in there?), and very unlikely that any beddings from garden centers would either. (Beddings from garden centers may have harmless mites--but not SNAKE mites. The set of circumstances that would lead to snake mites in garden center wood chips is extraordinarily unlikely). More likely that single pregnant mites would be transferred when a snake in the store has them. Mites will crawl everywhere--onto bags, clothing, etc, so bringing home a bag of bedding from a store with mites may mean a mite hitches a ride on the outside, or in a fold of plastic. If you buy from a pet store, inspect their reptile tanks. If you see mites...tell them and leave. Be extra careful to brush off and put your clothes straight in the washer when you get home, and take a shower.

    If you see mites at a show, promptly inform the people in charge of the show. Shows do not generally permit people to bring obviously ill or debilitated animals, or animals with obvious parasites, onto the premises. Whenever you see something wrong at a show, don't hesitate to inform the hosts. The hosts will thank you, and the other sellers will really thank you as well.

    Mites are something to always keep an eye out for, but there's no reason to be ultra-paranoid.
    --Donna Fernstrom
    16.29 BPs in collection, 16.11 BP hatchlings
    Eclipse Exotics
    http://www.eclipseexotics.com/
    Author Website
    http://donnafernstrom.com
    Follow my Twitters: WingedWolfPsion, EclipseMeta, and EclipseExotics

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