Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have an 8 week old hatchling JCP that seems to being doing fine. He eats well and is very feisty.
The question I have is I always see him soaking in his water dish? For the past few days he has not left it once? I think it’s fine, my other snakes on occasion are soaking in their water dish but not for 36 hours?

Thanks for any help.

i can think of a couple of reasons...
mites... sometimes snakes soak in order to rid them selves of mites.
not enough hiding places. he could be 'hiding' in his water bowl if he has nothing else. also, do you have a branch for it to hang out on.
to warm temperatures.
these are just some of my thoughts. i'm no expert but i do have a 7 foot jungle carpet python. right now he has decided to stop eating.

Well I don't think it's mite, I've been keeping a close eye on him.
I thought it might be the hiding spots. There are two, one on each end of the enclosure, but he is never in them?
Yes there are two branches that he would up until the past few days hang out on at night.

The temp is 80F with a basking spot of 90F.

I'll try changing some of the hiding spots around, I think they might be a bit too big for him.

Thanks

The larval mites are really hard to see...check around his eyes for the white dots, which are mite poop.
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1.1 Blackheaded pythons
1.1 Woma (Juvie female)
2.1 Aussie Olives
1.1 Timors
1.0 Angolan Juvie
1.1 Savu
1.1 Juvie Bloods
1.1 Juvie Balls
1.1 IJ Carpets
1.1 Coastal Carpets
1.2 MacLotts
1.1 Papuan Olives
0.1 Jungle Carpet
2.2 Scrubs (on breeding loan)

Well I was wrong, I did a thorough inspection of his tank add found what I think are dead mites in his water dish.

Now I get to enjoy treating him.

Thanks for all of you help.

I feel for ya man, mites are a pain in the a#% to get rid of. I figured it had to be that, my JCP's never get in the water. I've never even seen my male take a drink, and the female acts like she's afraid to get in the water.

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1.1 Jungle Carpet Python
1.1 Ball Python
1.1 Corn Snake
0.1 Gray band Kingsnake
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
0.1 Pueblan Milksnake
1.0 Bullsnake
1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback (Hondo)
0.1 Spouse (WC)
0.0.8 hatchling ball pythons

You want a REALLY simple way to take care of mites? Simply put your snake on some bedding (organic if possible, i use compressed coconut husk bricks that you can find at most gardening stores) and then order some "Hypoaspis miles" (predatory mites) and add them to your infected cages. In about 2 weeks time or so you will have NO more mites and the snakes will be happy again!

Here is where I have purchased mine:

http://biconet.com/biocontrol/hypoaspis.html

If you have any questions I would be happy to try and answer them.

Thanks,
Kuz

Did you know those little poppyseed buggers can travel 50' in an hour? I think the larva are slower. For spray, you can use Prevent-A-Mite, or go to Wal-Mart and get their bedding spray under the "Equate" brand for bed lice. Same stuff. $4 a 5 oz can, I think. Spray the entire enclosure, inside and out. W'substrate! Although it can be sprayed directly on an adult animal, I wouldn't on a small animal. Repeat in 2 weeks. You have to kill the eggs, too. Wait until it dries, and put the animal back in. 1/2 hr or so.
-----
1.1 Blackheaded pythons
1.1 Woma (Juvie female)
2.1 Aussie Olives
1.1 Timors
1.0 Angolan Juvie
1.1 Savu
1.1 Juvie Bloods
1.1 Juvie Balls
1.1 IJ Carpets
1.1 Coastal Carpets
1.2 MacLotts
1.1 Papuan Olives
0.1 Jungle Carpet
2.2 Scrubs (on breeding loan)