Ball Always on Water

pinoiballer01 · 10-11-04, 12:44 AM

Hey guys!!!

i just purchased a bp a week ago and hes fine... until after 2 days he started hanging out on the waterbowl that i put in his cage. is this a normal thing. plus he doesnt want to eat.

Tim_Cranwill · 10-11-04, 12:58 AM

He is likely going to shed soon. Most ball pythons won't eat when they are about to shed and will often soak in their water dish if the can fin in it. In a few days, you should notice his eyes cloud over a bit. After they clear, he will shed in a couple more days.

Phrasty · 10-11-04, 01:09 AM

dunno what temps you have there, but there's a possibility that its a bit too warm, or that your snake MAY have mites, just stating possibilities, so just check the snake for small black "specks" or as tim says.. good luck

Phrasty

pinoiballer01 · 10-11-04, 01:30 AM

Thanks for the reply guys!!! ive been trying to spot some mites but so far i havents seen any.... his eyes are getting kinda blurry though.. how many days does this cycle usually last? by the way the cage temperature is between 80 degrees at night and 85 in the morning. i dont have any heating instrument because the cage is in this temperature already. if i put a light the temp gets really warm to almost 100. is there anything else that i should consider. im really hoping that my bp is just going to shed...

Artemis · 10-11-04, 07:20 AM

Cage should not be any one temperature, you need a thermal gradient so your snake can digest. One end of the enclosure will need a boost, even with a low wattage bulb or an under tank heater, to be 90-95 F, and the other end should be 78-82. A hide should be available to the snake on each end with the water somewhere in the middle.

Mites are REALLY REALLY hard to notice, as they are as small as a poppy seed, perhaps even a lil smaller. If you dont use paper towels as a substrate, I would switch to them for now. It will allow you to notice problems like mites much easier.

It may be that he is going into shed, but if he still hangs out in the water bowl after that, mites becomes the more likely culprit.

Either way, get those temps situated! Thats paramount!

Good Luck-

Artemis

snakehunter · 10-11-04, 08:27 AM

Check the water bowl for small specs in the bottom, if he has mites he will soak to drown them.

nita · 10-11-04, 12:04 PM

Unfortunately the only times I have ever noticed my BP's soaking at all was if they were drowning mites. Has happened twice and UGH!!! I despise treating for mites. Easier now as only 2 33 Gal tanks to do and the rest are in Racks!!

marisa · 10-11-04, 12:06 PM

Artmeis is right.

You MUST get your heating done properly. With no heat source, and a cage thats all over 85 degrees, you are NOT doing it properly.

You need a reptile heating pad. thermastat and a digital thermometer, A.S.A.P. Then you need a HOT side and a COOL side.

Marisa

pinoiballer01 · 10-11-04, 12:50 PM

Thanks for the reply.... I'm concern on getting mites on my ball but i dont think that its the case. i just notice that his eyes are getting grayish so im assuming that its about to shed. i notice some scabs near the neck. is that some sort of disease. thanks again for the help im learning a lot....

Artemis · 10-12-04, 07:25 AM

Hrrm scabs??? I couldnt say for sure without a pic, but its very possible they are mites. They are really tiny, and can also burrow up into the scales of your BP. You almost wouldnt notice them until you see one move. They will often be floating in the water dish also, if the snake is soaking to drown them. Shed cycles are 3-5 weeks depending on how fast your snake is growing. Post some pics of your snake if you can.

Artemis

pinoiballer01 · 10-12-04, 09:41 PM

i finally got the pic uploaded!!! here u go!!

http://www.reptiforum.com/gallery/sh...php?photo=1203

pls help!! heres the part of my bp that has the scabs i think

Artemis · 10-13-04, 03:21 PM

Hrrm, looks like scarring or stuck on shed more than scabs to me, but I can make out the spot you are reffering too. Wait to see what others say.

Artemis