Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What do you guys usually fill their water bowls up with? I'd imagine they love soaking in warm water(mine pees all in it the second she in) but can't imagine they enjoy drinking the warm water. I've been using the warm water, so lemme know if I should switch.

` Definitely not cold!

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I try to make the water about 78-80 degrees. I don't use a thermometer to test the water before I use it. It feels slightly cool to my touch. Once it is in the tank I'm sure it gets a little warmer from the light even though it is not directly under the light. But my conda spends most of her time under her t-shirt. I hope this helps. Physignthus a.k.a. Macroclemys, CrownedOne, Steven

Snakes, like all cold-blooded animals would not enjoy a cold drink. You assume that because you appreciate a cold glass of water when you are hot that they will as well but this is not the case. Since they are cold-blooded a cold drink would cause their core body temp to fall.
Stick with ambient temp water for your snake.

Arik

I agree with that..but I have a ball python that seems to take to very cold britta water over anything else...who knows lol. And my green will go in any water even if it hasd ice in it so I need to keep close eyes on that as I have taken her out while at my parents house while not in a controlled room after being in the water that cooled with the big room and she was freezing to my touch.

I am curious as to the occurrence of respiratory infections in anacondas. I would be interested to see how many on this forum have experienced or seen these infections in captive anacondas. I have maintained and seen in other collections a fair number of anacondas and have yet to see one with a definite respiratory infection. I realize that Eunectes as a whole are more resistant to cooling than most other boids, but are still capable of acquiring an RI under favorable conditions. I would be interested in your comments on the subject. Thanks,

Kelly

I was going to mention that in my post. It takes about one touch of cold to give some of those burms (especially greens)RI's. Lucky for me I have never had any signs of a RI in an anaconda. I talked about this with mark as well and he has never had an anaconda die or have any kind of RI. It is a pretty tough animal if given good husbandry in all area and you can have a huge degree of an error margin with them as far as temps go.

` My experience with Eunectes has been similar to yours, Kelly. I have not personally seen any with a definite respiratory infection. Mine tend to maintain a body temperature in the low to mid 70s F. They're definitely not comfortable too much higher than that.
` What's interesting is that I have encountered many who whistle, when breathing. Some tend to whistle more when approaching shed, others regularly. I have some other Boas who do this, but it seems common in the Anacondas I have dealt with. It's more about nostril blockage, I think, than further down the tract. That includes both E. murinus, and E. notaeus, in my experience.
` It used to drive me nuts. My large male Yellow, who I post so many pix of, whistles like a little steam engine, when he is working out, or digesting. People who handle him often comment on his whistling. When he was a baby, I used to pry his mouth open regularly, to check the color and consistency of his saliva. There was never a problem, but he got so used to it that now, I can push against his lips, and he will dutifully open his mouth wide, and let me annoy him. I must get some pix of that, to post. Rich

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I have had two snakes in the past with confirmed RI. One was a red tail boa that came to me that way and the other was a burm quite awhile back. I've never heard of a conda with a RI.
I have heard that most condas in the wild that are found on dry land are heavily infested with external parasites (mites, ticks, etc). I was wondering why the condas would show more of a predisposition to infestation to external parasites than other snakes of the same area. One theory I have is that the constant soaking of the condas in the water makes their scales somewhat softer than other snakes but if thats the case then why dont other aquatic snakes suffer? The other theory is that since, on land, they are so bulky and slow moving the parasites have a better chance to cling on as opposed to a swift moving colubrid. This theory might be proved by some info on the external parasite level of other large boids like wild retics or afrocks. Any ideas?

Rich, that was interesting about the whistling, I have heard it with bloods but not in anacondas. In bloods, it is usually caused by dried mucous in the nasal passages. Doesn't sound like that is what yours has however. For anacondas, I drop the night temps. down to 70 F and then up to the low 80's during the day for breeding purposes and have never seen a problem.
As far as Arik's parasite question, I believe it to be in part due to the large scale perimeter of anacondas compared to smaller snakes, and the corresponding larger gap between these scales that is attractive to external parasites. It is probably easier for them to attach to the skin exposed by these larger spaces between the scales. Thanks,

Kelly

well i tryed this today with my female. (Annie is to big and i only got one water dish he can fit in) i got 3 water dishes one with hot one with warm and one with cold. when she toucjed the hot she back out fast same with the cold and would always go for the warm no matter what order i moved the water dishes.

CrazyCody

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