Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a young female that's about 1500 grams that's been doing something a little wierd for a few months now...

She likes to sit in her waterbowl. Completely submerged except for her head and neck.

She doesn't have mites (I check every time she starts doing this), she's not going into shed, and it's not too hot in the tub (hot spot is 91 right now). She's physically just fine, and she does it whether or not her tub is clean or dirty. There isn't a pattern to this that I can see, either - she was doing it for three weeks straight in November, but then stopped and was acting normally again until last night.
She's been doing this off and on since about July, and I can't for the life of me figure out why. I've tried giving her hides (doesn't use them), tried putting her on actual substrate (didn't care), tried just putting a smaller water bowl in there (she'd try to perch on one side and would tip it over and soak the tub)...

Anyone have any input? Is she just semi-aquatic? Humidity in the tub was 60%, but it's spiked to 80 now that she's gone for a dip and spilt water all over. She's in a 41 qt sterlite tub, 91 degree hot spot, 79 degree cool side... Last ate on the 28th of November, last shed in mid-October.

So yeah... if anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

~jenny
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"Polysyllabism in no way insures that what you're saying is actually worth being heard." - Blake (an e-friend of mine)

"I have never made but one prayer to god, a very short one: "O lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And he granted it." - Voltaire

Jen,

I am sure you looked for mites good, but I would check again for mites or ticks.

Do you look with naked eye or loupe?

Get a pair of tweezers and a 10X loupe and pull back the folds around the eyes, nape of the neck, vent scales, etc.. I have gone through literally every scale this way and I have found ticks from a petstore find when I had previously looked and looked.

This may not be it and I am not questioning your husbandry techniques, but the little buggers are ingenious at hiding. Give it another go with tweezers and loupe....

Alan

I don't have a loupe... Hm.

She's been in my care for a year and a half now, I think any ticks would have already come off by now? As far as mites, you may be right... I'll see what I can come up with to check around her head. I spray with mite spray once a month just in case, but nothing's perfect...

If she had mites, wouldn't my other snakes be getting them too? She's the only one acting like this, and has been acting like this for months, off and on.

Your suggestion was a good one, though. I'll double check her for the mites.

~jenny
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"Polysyllabism in no way insures that what you're saying is actually worth being heard." - Blake (an e-friend of mine)

"I have never made but one prayer to god, a very short one: "O lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And he granted it." - Voltaire

It does seem odd? The snake I am speaking of was a new one I had just bought. It had ticks IN its eyes! I pulled back the eye lids and they were on the inside edge of the eye... It also had some in the fold under its neck, the part without scales that stretches when they eat.

Good luck, maybe someone else has another suggestion.

Let us know how you make out.

Alan

My first thought would be mites - but if you are taking precautions and spaying your bedding - your temps and humidity sound good - then I would go to either stress (the tight fit makes her feel more secure) or possible injury - however if you are examining her thoroughly for mites I would suspect that you might have found an injury by now. Sometimes they just do weird things - where does she hang out if you take the water bowl out? Does she still go in if there is no water in it?
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Tosha
JET Pythons

Insert Silly Quote Here

I haven't tried sticking the water bowl in without water in it. I'll see if I can find a solid hide for her, maybe she'll like a flowerpot better than a cereal box?

Stress might be it. She was in her bowl for three weeks straight after we got home from the fires.

Thanks!

~jenny
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"Polysyllabism in no way insures that what you're saying is actually worth being heard." - Blake (an e-friend of mine)

"I have never made but one prayer to god, a very short one: "O lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And he granted it." - Voltaire

Wait.. spraying the bedding? Do people do this as precaution? Can snakes get mites from bedding? I thought they could only get mites if u bring a snake home that has them or if you hold a snake that has them and ya bring the little buggers home with ya.

I use newspaper, i dont need to spray that do i? should I spray every now and again to be on the safe side?

I do it because I work at a reptile store and come into contact with reptiles that may have mites on a very regular basis. I'd rather be safe than sorry!

~jenny
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"Polysyllabism in no way insures that what you're saying is actually worth being heard." - Blake (an e-friend of mine)

"I have never made but one prayer to god, a very short one: "O lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And he granted it." - Voltaire

Jenny, I'm not invalidating anything the others have said about mites. However, if the snake has been in your care for over a year and you haven't observed mites by now... you most likely don't have them.

I live in Minnesota and this time of the year everything gets cold (duh...lol) and dries out incredibly. Last week I had at least 8 animals doing the same thing. It doesn't seem to matter what conditions their tubs are in as far as heat, humidity, substrate, size of hides, etc.

Every year about this same time I have at least a few animals doing this... no mites, ticks, or other worries. I would say it's nothing to worry about... sometimes they just like a nice soak.

On a side note of those 8 that were soaking last week, 3 have since shed and 2 are currently blue. She may be getting ready to shed, she may just want to go for a dip.

I'm with Brandon here. Much to do about nothing more than likely. Probably has alot to do with the time of year. You're plenty knowledgable enough to realize if you have mites or if you are having a husbandry issue.

I'd say no worries!

One of my adult pastel females has been in my care for a while now as well. She's forever in her water dish soaking (and making a mess in the process, as well). I'm 100% certain she is parasite, tick, pest, and injury free. I would imagin its just possible that your snake, like mine, is just a regular little water bug and enjoys the moisture :-p
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Cheers!
• Chelsea Lynn Gardiner
(and Frank M. Wood)

Yeah, Periscope definately makes a huge mess of her tub when she does it. I think I go through more paper towels with her tub than with three of the others combined!

~jenny
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"Polysyllabism in no way insures that what you're saying is actually worth being heard." - Blake (an e-friend of mine)

"I have never made but one prayer to god, a very short one: "O lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And he granted it." - Voltaire

She may be getting ready to go into shed (she's about due)...but if it was the weather, this time of year, etc, she wouldn't have started this wierd behavior back in July. What you're talking about is true of a couple of the others, though. Everyone seems to be dumping their bowls right now.

I think Tosha's suggestion of stress was a good one - I can't remember exactly what was going on when she first started, but I know she's done it a couple times after events that would stress out a snake.

Thanks very much for the help!

~jenny
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"Polysyllabism in no way insures that what you're saying is actually worth being heard." - Blake (an e-friend of mine)

"I have never made but one prayer to god, a very short one: "O lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And he granted it." - Voltaire

jen

sounds like she's cooling herself, cycling to breed.

check for follicles.

peace , ck

I was thinking the same thing. I had a female that soaked quite a bit during last season leading up to ovulation.

She hasn't bred yet - I'm giving her another month or two to wait for my pastel male to be at what I feel is a more comfortable size.

Maybe he'll get a shot early?

If that was the case, though, I don't think she would have been dunking herself like this starting way back in July. :/

~jenny
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"Polysyllabism in no way insures that what you're saying is actually worth being heard." - Blake (an e-friend of mine)

"I have never made but one prayer to god, a very short one: "O lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And he granted it." - Voltaire

jen

you have to listen to the animal.
forget about what you feel...
forget about what you think...
your creature is behaving well within the realm of what we've seen to be normal bp behavior. if i'm not mistaken , you have a funky kinda breeding routine going ( if i'm recalling correctly from another post of your's ) allow yourself to accept that the critter has a much better handle on what's up in her body than any of us could pretend to know. she may not have been quite there yet in july , doesn't mean she's not there in november ( or now ).
you need to "hear" her and make adjustments.
hope this helps , send me a nice baby (female of course !)
keep smilin'

peace , ck

Good advice. Thanks!

~jenny
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"Polysyllabism in no way insures that what you're saying is actually worth being heard." - Blake (an e-friend of mine)

"I have never made but one prayer to god, a very short one: "O lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And he granted it." - Voltaire