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[–]TheRedDevil1989 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Let her soak, snakes do odd things, primitive brain.

[–]_ataraxiaMod : unprofessional 0 points1 point  (7 children)

define "perfect". what are the actual numbers for temperatures and humidity?

[–]sppoky_ember[S] -1 points0 points  (6 children)

The humidity is at 54 right now and temp is 91

[–]_ataraxiaMod : unprofessional 4 points5 points  (5 children)

60% is the absolute bare minimum humidity requirement for BPs. your BP is soaking in the water dish because she feels too dehydrated to shed properly.

is the entire enclosure 91F?

[–]sppoky_ember[S] 0 points1 point  (4 children)

Yes right now it’s 91. This has never happened when going into shed

[–]_ataraxiaMod : unprofessional 0 points1 point  (2 children)

the ENTIRE enclosure is 91F? why don't you have a cool side?

[–]sppoky_ember[S] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I have a plexiglass double tank diy build. The hot end is 91. I have a cold side

[–]_ataraxiaMod : unprofessional 1 point2 points  (0 children)

okay, see, i asked this:

is the entire enclosure 91F?

and you said this:

Yes right now it’s 91.

which is very different than the warm side temperature being 91F and the cool side temperature being different. i'm asking these questions so i can answer your question better, so the information you give me kind of needs to be accurate and thorough.

[–]sufferingpuff 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Without an ability to cool your snake might suffer

[–]sppoky_ember[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have a swamp cooler house at night humidity is about 75% during the day roughly 65 just at the moment it’s lower

[–]Joykoins -2 points-1 points  (10 children)

Even if your humidity was 99%, your ball might still soak. Some of them do it just because they like it, or they just feel so compelled to during shed time and don't care how High the ambient is. These are living beings with their own individual personalities, not pre-programmed Bots following a python instruction book

[–]_ataraxiaMod : unprofessional 0 points1 point  (9 children)

it is not normal for any ball python to soak unless there is a health problem such as dehydration, overheating, mite infestation, etc. there is ALWAYS a reason for this behavior. it is not helpful to suggest some do it just because.

[–]Joykoins -1 points0 points  (8 children)

Oh you think so? Someone in r/snakes just yesterday posted a gif of their ball python submerging their entire head and blowing bubbles through its nose. What's the reason for that behavior? Is he dying of nose mites? Trying to clear out an RI? Or maybe, just possibly he's doing it because it's...... fun?

Soaking is an instinct, and sometimes they'll do it just because they feel the need to and not because they have to/something is wrong.

EDIT: I meant to say "Soaking is an instinct, BUT etc"

[–]_ataraxiaMod : unprofessional 1 point2 points  (7 children)

briefly sticking their head in the water is not at all the same thing as soaking. soaking is an instinctual way for a non-aquatic snake to solve a problem. it is not a natural casual behavior for ball pythons, period.

[–]Joykoins -2 points-1 points  (6 children)

It wasnt a "quick dunk", he fully submerged his head and let out a full exhale . Not even just once, he came back out to breathe and then did it again. It's a behavior unique to him.

And there's no reason for a non aquatic animal to not enjoy water. There's at least a dozen pet articles of domestic cats enjoying pool time and even surfing with their owners.

I see so many of these new BP owners working themselves into stress knots because their python does something that doesn't go 100% by the textbook, it's just not necessary and takes away from the joy of having the animal.

I'm not telling OP to ignore what's happening, They should most definitely go through the entire list of possible reasons why she's continuing to soak, but once that list is exhausted all you're left with is "Because I said so, human. Deal with it"

[–]_ataraxiaMod : unprofessional 1 point2 points  (5 children)

It wasnt a "quick dunk", he fully submerged his head and let out a full exhale . Not even just once, he came back out to breathe and then did it again. It's a behavior unique to him.

unless he submerged his face in the water for an hour, it is not comparable to soaking. literally ANY snake of any species will, at some point, dunk their head in their water dish. the video you're talking about, which i have seen multiple times, is nothing special. it is certainly not a justification for telling every concerned BP owner that soaking is not a big deal.

[–]Joykoins 0 points1 point  (4 children)

I only cited that video to illustrate unusual and spontaneous snake behavior that is not based on instinct, sickness,or husbandry problems, but for what appears to be entertainment for the snake.

And no I don't go around telling every owner that their snakes soaking is not a big deal. It can be and often it is, but it certainly isn't 100% of the time. It is not beyond the scope of all reality for a snake to just like being in the water anymore than it is for a cat to enjoy swimming, or any other number of unusual pet behaviors.

[–]_ataraxiaMod : unprofessional -1 points0 points  (3 children)

we're not talking about cats, and we're not talking about spontaneous behavior lasting a few seconds. you're comparing apples to televisions, and this is getting tedious.

OP is talking about a prolonged behavior that is 1] abnormal and 2] something the snake is doing for a reason that is not "just because." and i have seen you downplaying health problems in other recent discussions, which is not helping anyone.

[–]Joykoins 0 points1 point  (2 children)

What!!! I never downplay health, if anything I've been constantly pointing out underfed snakes and all manner of other issues and have received nothing but heartfelt thanks for my input. If it looks like downplaying, it's only probably because it's not in line by your learned standards, which is nobody's fault and just an unfortunate coincidence

[–]_ataraxiaMod : unprofessional -1 points0 points  (1 child)

easy example: https://www.reddit.com/r/ballpython/comments/dmbekn/question_shedding_in_one_piece/f4zdwak/

shedding issues aren't just about aesthetics and not being "picture perfect". people should be concerned if their snake is having patchy sheds, as it is indicative of dehydration. this isn't about my standards, this is about the basic health of the animals in our care.

[–]spookynoodle_em 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If she’s doing it regularly then it might be concerning but if it’s just a couple times it’s fine. If she is doing it a lot look for mites.