Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a 9-foot labyrinth Burmese whose cage I have to mist at least 10 times a day... I've also been letting her soak in the bathtub for a bit every few days... But somebody told me that's not good for her in terms of constipation or shedding.
Is it alright for me to let her soak every two-three days? Or every day if the humidity is very, very low? (I really need to buy a humidifier/mister. The winter weather is so DRY.)

- April.

Sounds like you may be getting some bogus information on just how much humidity you need to provide. I live in the good 'ol Midwest where winter dryness is a real problem for captive boas/pythons, however, I have never experienced too many problems associated with the dry, winter air. My cages are misted heavily every other day and a large water pan is available at all times. Some of my exhibit cages do have pro product misting systems which have been absolutely wonderful but not all of them have these technological advances. I have found that as long as I provide intermittent high humidity along with a daily heavy misting during shed cycles, I don't have any problems whatsoever (and NOT ONE of my burms, who some are in their 20's/30's, have never seen a water container larger than their water bowl....I've never given them a bath and in some ways, the many toxins that are found in tap water are probably harmful in the long run if used too much for soaking). One of the keys that I think people fail to realize is that RI is not just due to inadequate temps and humidity levels but also PROPER SPACE. To put a large burm in a small cage w/little time to stretch out is not a good situation; even for a sedentary animal like a burm. My large burm, 18' ) has a 12' x 4' cage and even that, in my opinion, is too small but for now, works well since this snake comes out for regular interaction and stretch time. My other burms that are 10-16' are kept in 8' x 3' cages.

Her cage is 8x4 (homemade) and she's had two rather patchy sheds, where the skin doesn't roll off easily but in medium-sized patches. She's never had a problem besides one regurgitation (a problem with the rat). But the dryness in her cage concerns me. She drinks nearly every day and soaks. I was concerned that too much soaking might not be good for her health, though it doesn't seem to bother her, I was worried about her health later on. Would a humidifier help, or is there a better solution than mistingmistingmisting all day?

- April.

A humidifier will help quite a bit and there are many brands to choose from. We are getting a great unit from JWR reptiles where we get our air purifiers from. They should have a website but if not, drop me an email and I will get teh number for you.