Breeding female soaking for two days?

[SnakeAngel]

I have a ball python that I have been breeding for a while. She has yet to show any signs of ovulation besides not eating. A friend of mine told me she looked brighter and I have to agree but haven't thought anything about it because from what I know the "glow before they go" doesn't happen till after the ovulation. But since yesterday, she has been soaking in her water dish (about the first few inches of her body as the rest doesn't fit). Since she is in a tub, I can't fit a bigger bowl in there. It is a 10" round water dish. She shed about two weeks ago. She does not look like she is going into shed again. Nice white belly and shiny scales and bright eyes. I have checked and checked for mites, even checking my other snakes for mites and I haven't see anything. I use paper towel for bedding and there is nothing on them either. The thermostat is set to 91F but the heat pad (using a temp gun) reads 89.7F. I am not sure on ambient temperature. Humidity is at 68%. She is in a snake rack.

If anyone would have any other idea of why she is soaking, I would love to hear it.

[GitaBooks]

I'm not an expert on snake behavior, but perhaps she just wants a moist hide. Ball Pythons love to have somewhere moist and warm where they can rest. I read that a snake provided with such a hide is healthier.

I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful, but I hope everything turns out alright. Best of luck!

[Albert Clark]

She probably is still in the "building " stages. Follicular growth and maturation may take several months. On a side note , just grab a accurite digital thermometer to monitor your ambient temps. That is a very important husbandry number. Good luck and don't worry about the soaking. Its part of the building phase. Especially if you checked for mites and don't have them.

[MS2]

In my experience the "glow before they go" happened in the week or two before ovulation.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

I know the "glow before they go" doesn't happen till after the ovulation.

Ovy is when they go so it would not make sense to say they glow before they go if they had an ovy first and the glow next.

Females glow first than they have an ovulation, while they usually start glowing closer to ovulation they can start glowing as early 6 weeks before ovy.

She is soaking because she is cooling down which is the normal, as female grow follicles they usually go on the cool side either soaking or wrapping around the water dish to cool themselves down, this means she is still building, once she ovulates she will seek the hot side.