Reptile & Amphibian Forums

is it a good idea for me to put my BMK in some warm watter in the bath tub and let him swim around for a little while?

Why do you ask? Do you think it needs a bath? All snakes can swim, many don't ever. Unless you have a specific reason in mind, it doesn't need it. A good soak in its' own water bowl when it chooses to is all it will need. There are some times when a lukewarm soak can help medically, for example a stuck shed or eyecaps, or to induce a bowel movement or express eggs that are bound. It is your snake, but snakes probably don't "enjoy" a forced bathing. My .02!
Todd Hughes

I agree, forget the bathtub. Just provide a water dish, if you snake wants to get in it will. My kingsnake gets in his water bowl maybe once a month, and then only for a few minutes.
Ray

While I see what the other posters are saying about stress, bathing does have its merits.

Its good excercise, it promotes good sheding, and it helps move along the bowels. However a snake that is forced to swim in a deep bathtub is probobly freaking out and just trying not to drown. I usually soak my snakes in a shoe box with about an inch of water when I clean cages. They swim around plenty.

The fact is that snakes in a small box don't get enough exercise. And as a general rule, most herpers don't provide much of a humidity gradient (a tough thing to do) So our snakes are forced to choose between bone dry, or soaking in their water bowl. I think that these fundamental problems are the reason behind many of the most common health problems in our hobby, namely poor sheds and constipation.

Where I have found soaking to help the most is with desert animals who like it really hot and dry. Especially small ones sometimes live in a cronic state of dehydration and soaking REALLY helps them get on the right track.

I know that Pro Exotics soaks almost all of their animals on a regular basis. And I rember FR posting some interesting threads about trying to raise pyros without a water source. They can survive, but better hydrated animals are better off. Period.

While many people will argue that their snakes are just fine and they have never been soaked. I say it can't hurt, so if you have the time, why not? Watching a snake swim is pretty neat anyway.

You should use a thermometer to actually measure the water temperature. Water that is "warm" to the snake would probably feel cool to you. What we humans feel as warm could be lethally hot to a snake.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

for saying it so I don't have to.

I'll even add my opinion.

Warm water might be 90 degrees and just feel luke warm to us. The snake's body might be 70 degrees. Drop the snake in 90 degree water and it's body temp will change 20 degrees in a few seconds. Your bowels would move too. That doesn't mean it's good for you.

obviously the water temp is important, and I forgot to mention that. But the temp extremes have nothing to do with bowel movements.

I've found that not all snakes soak in their bowls when they need to. My baby chain kingsnake is a good case for this. He wont touch his bowl except to drink as he's too nervous to soak out in the open.

I ended up having to soak him when I saw an impending shed, then I picked up a hollow rock with a small hole and filled it with damp moss.

Now I'm having the problem that he practically LIVES in that hide and now I have to worry about blister. I'm hoping that once he hydrates himself to where he wants it, he'll enjoy having a humidity gradient from dry in the regular tank, to medium humidity in the hide to high humidity in his bowl.

It works fairly well, he had a perfect shed three days ago.

I also generally have to give my grayband a soak every once in awhile as she thinks water is distasteful and gets thoroughly insulted about having to touch any except to drink. She will go out of her way to avoid a droplet of water on the ground. I swear she's a cat in snake form.
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1.0 Eastern Kingsnake, Chain (Mars)
0.1 Gray Banded Kingsnake (Thanatos)

LOL! That's funny!
Todd Hughes