Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Recently ive been finding quite a few gopher and kingsnakes in my pool, I have no problem with this, ( actually im pleased to see them), however im worried about the effects of Clorine on the snakes, does any body know if this will affect them adversly? Also these snakes are large, and good swimmers, so theres little risk of drowning. Also a friend of mine lets his large 8 foot boa in his hot tub, could that be bad for him? look forward to what you have to say- Nick

id think the hot tub would be way to hot for a snake...they get like over 100 degrees [F] id think that would cause blister disease.,....maybe? i dont know about the pool...id take them out until you know....
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CKA

as far as i know it should be fine,as theyve found exotic snakes in peoples pools in florida on several occasions and nothing bad happened to the snakes.also a friend of mine who has a pool found a garter snake in it and has kept it for about a half of a year with no problems.this is just my oppinion though so you might want to do a little more research.
nick

I am theorizing here. I would expect chlorine to be a problem if there was a long term exposure to it. I do not believe it would cause any persistent problems for the snake if it entered a swimming pool on occasion. As for the Boa in the hot tub. I would consider this poor husbandry. Neither the hot water nor the repeated exposure to chlorine is in the best interest of the animal.
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Randy Hallman

For a large boa I wouldn't consider an occasional hot tub bath such a bad idea. A warm bath before a shed can do wonders, and as far as chlorine is concerned, you have to consider the surface to mass ratio. A smaller snake like a kingsnake has a greater surface to mass ratio, which mean there is a greater amount of skin in comparison to the body under it. The result of having a large surface to mass ratio is that chemicals/Heat/sunlight absorbed through the skin have a greater impact on the animal. The bigger an animal gets the lower the surface to mass ratio and the less impact chemicals like chlorine absorbed through the skin will have. So while a garter snake might have a reaction to continued or prolonged exposure an eighty-pound boa probably won't. Some animals manipulate surface to mass ratio for their benefit like the hellbender that has extra folds of skins that allows it breathe under water without gills, or rabbits for instance that have larger ears to allow heat to dissipate more quickly, which is another effect of having a high surface to mass ratio, heat is more quickly absorbed and dissipated. Anyway, sorry for the biology lesson.

Still theorizing here but I was thinking more along the lines of lung tissue. Chlorine is a gas and evaporates out of water, very quickly out of hot water. The greatest exposure would be absorption through the lungs. A snake in a hot tub is going to inhale a lot of chlorine. In humans the primary danger from chlorine exposure is to the respiratory tract. Considering the slower respiratory rate of a snake they might not be able to "off gas" as efficiently as a mammal thus being more susceptible to minor exposures. It seems reptiles and amphibians are often more sensitive to chemical exposures anyway. I have used mild bleach for sanitation in my collection but always rinse thoroughly and dry completely before reintroducing a snake. A warm soak is often beneficial especially during a dry shed, but I would think the temperatures of the average hot tub are quite excessive for this purpose. I have some background in chlorine and anatomy but can only make "educated" assumptions as to the issues at hand.
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Randy Hallman

I dont think short term exposure to chlorine would have any adverse effects as long as the animals were only emposed to it for a short period. I have found frogs and toads in my pool and they seem to be fine if their taken out of the pool. Amphibians are the most sensitive to chemicals because their skin absorbs water. The slightest change chemically in their enviroment and you see more deaths and defects. I think a snake (which is much hardier than an amphibian like a frog) would be fine if only exposed to chlorine for a short time. However i wouldnt advise putting a snake in a hot tub, not because of the heat (which can be lowered) but because of the chlorine exposure. There is a difference between a snake being exposed to chlorine once in its life for a few hours but that is quite different than a snake being exposed to chlorine for an hour or so, often. Like the others said if you want to bathe your snake put it in a tub of nice warm water. Good luck!

PS-I wish i could find snakes in my pool, that'd be awesome! All i get is beetles!
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-Doug Daly

"Dad, Can I scratch your Beard?"
"Did you finish your homework?"
"Yes"
"Well ok then."

0.1.0 Leucistic Texas Rat Snake (Elaphe Obsoleta lindheimerii)

Chlorine in pool water is very diluted compared to chlorine in its bottled form. So I think that as long as the snake isnt kept in a pool for long periods of time I see no prob. As far as the snake absorbing it thru the skin, I don't think thats gonna hurt. We absorb more water into the skin because of pores and the such, snakes scales are water resistant, and there is little skin to be exposed to the water. And I havent seen my snake drinking much when she is swimming... I don't see a problem with the hot tub, except if the chlorine level is too low and there is the possibility of bacteria in the water
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during the spring tree frogs mate in my pool and stay in it for weeks at a time, my dad even put like ten times the normal chlorine and they still wouldnt leave so i guess its fine to give your snakes a swim on a hot day

In our swimming pool we haven't found much flora and fauna. Our back yard is surrounded by a cinderblock fence, so not much gets in or out. Lizards live on the wall and in the rock garden, and when it was hatching season for the baby lizards I was finding them everywhere, from my swim-robe tha I left on the deck of the pool while I swam to the skimmer. They were everywhere. most lizards I've found in my pool have been fine if rescued soon enough. Our pool is the "saltwater" variety that uses chlorine and salt water for a self-regulating environment. We even have water beetles that have moved in. ?

In addition to lizards, we once found one of my escaped hatchlings. Hubby found it in the pool and I was concerned that she wouldn't make it. She fed but shortly thereafter did die. We let the bugs skeletonize her and I saw what killed her. While she was away she'd been nabbed by a bird or a cat, and had about ten broken "ribs" ... one probably perforated something while she ate, killing her. caught a kitten in the pool once. that one didn't make it. Occasionally one of the neighborhood cats goes racing by the pool and misjudges the distance, plummeting into the water.

I would NEVER take my snake for a swim in the swimming pool or the hot tub (especially the hot tub)... Might be bad for the snake, but I can just imagine a big ol Boa letting loose a big turd in my lovely water. EEEWWW!
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~Sasheena

i took my ball python in the pool but it was only for a few minutes and only a few seconds at a time, i would set her in the water and let her swim to me, it was really cute. im only going to do that once, and i only did it because i forgot she was aruond my neck!