Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok, I know this may sound a little ridiculous, but I just added a swimming pool (alright it's a cat litterbox used as a water dish, but it's a swimming pool to him)to my snakes cage and he seems to love it. He is in their all the time but occasionally I'll see him with head underwater for a long period of time. I'll even see bubbles coming form his nose so I'll grab him and take him out, but 5 minutes later he's back in. Should I worry about him, and keep a close eye on him or does he know what he's doing? Also it's raised to humidity of the cage to about 75%. I've read that I want to keep it about 60%, but then other people say that out in the wild the humidity is never a constant 60%. I'd appreciate any input.

Scott

As long as your boa is healthy, there is no need to worry about the scuba diving characteristic. If anything it may be getting hydrated for a up coming shed or seeking security like a hide box. If there is room in the cage provide a humid box where you can use spagnum moss or paper towel that is damp but not overly wet where if this boa needs to reach higher humidity levels it can. I noticed this with a few boas before that if they have a large water area they will submerge just because they have the ideal area for it. If you provide a smaller water dish this boa will seek out a humid or hide box instead.

Not that a CB boa would know, but in the wild they live near water and often catch dinner there. They are also great swimmers above and below the surface. I don't know specifics, but I'm sure they can go several minutes submerged with no ill effects.

Quig

My surinam male will spend days on end in his water tub here he is getting ready to come out after a 3 day soke.

Here's a pic of what I am talking about. It's my male Ghost that likes to stay underwater. He is in the larger size water dish (he is about 5 feet for reference). The other pic is of my PH Snow. She had 2 of the smaller litterboxes side by side, one for a hide and one as a water dish. BTW anyone looking for cheap hides, theses are about $1.75 at walmart and they seem to work great for both a hide or water dish.

Do you think it would be better to have the 2 smaller dishes rather than the one big one? He can easily fit inside the smaller one, just not swim around. Again I appreciate the info.

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Scott
SpectreBCIs

1.0 Poss Super Ghost
0.1 Anery
0.1 "Abbey" DH Ghost
1.0 "Abbey" Het Kahl Stripe
1.0 PH Anery
0.1 PH Anery
0.1 PK Albino PH SNow

Your snake looks completely healthy to me but I remember reading somewhere that boas do that if something is wrong with them like mites or a retained shed. I personally have a small water bowl with a tub like that with cypress mulch in it. Beautiful snake though.
Michael Burton
boaeveolution

With mites they will generally just lay in the water and soak. The mites will drown. If they soak in the water for retained shed they will often crawl between their own coils in an attempt to remove the shed.

Quig

Michael, I know with pythons if your snake soaks a lot check for mites. Been there done that LoL. But with my boas and asp with this surinam they love to soak and i know they have no mites its one of those things i guess.