Snoopy is eating great, now for the next wave of questions.

August · #1 (**permalink**) 01-08-2003, 01:07 AM

I wanted to let you all know that I fed my RTB (Named her Snoopy) yesterday with a pre-killed mouse and she seemed very happy. Also on Saturday she shed and it scared the crap out of me at first. I guess I was just an over concerned father. But all went well and I was VERY surprised that it only took here like 4 min to loose all her skin and in one piece (great one for the scrapbook.) However, I thought she was supposed to spend some time in the water? When she first started to shed on here nose I realized that she has NEVER been in here water dish since I brought her home on December 30th. So like I said, I panicked and took her to the sink and tried to get here wet. Haha, she crawled all the way up my arm and took refuge on my shoulder! Is it normal for them not to want to be in water? Also wanted to know about the humidity thing. I am having a heck of a time trying to get the temp just right for her. Normally it is around 90 in the tank and sometimes it gets a little hotter. The Humidity is around 75% to 80% sometimes a little more sometimes a little less. Is there such a thing as too much? Is that perhaps why she doesn’t go into the water because she is getting all she needs from the high humidity? I am going to put some pics online this week so you all can check her out. One last thing. If she spends a whole 24 hour period in one spot (like wrapped around a high branch in her aquarium, should I be worried or is that normal as well. BTW she is only about 6 months old and approx. 3’ long.

Thanks everyone, and keep up the great advice.

Chris

PS: I already have a copy of the care sheet for over there <--- and posted it next to here tank.

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deadboy · #2 (**permalink**) 01-08-2003, 01:14 AM

i would lower both temp and humidity, i keep the temp at 78 - 80 during the day with a nightime drop of 73-75, the humidity is around 60% in mine sometimes more sometimes less and sometimes more. i raise it during shed. it does need to soak just the humidity has to be high from about when the eyes cloud until the shed. mine only soaks every so often. this should be right but if it isnt someone will come along an correct me. and welcome to RTB by the way, the people are great and have endless knowledge. stick around it will be fun

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August · #3 (**permalink**) 01-08-2003, 01:33 AM

One more thing: Is it ok for me to help her when she is shedding. All I did was put my finger on her and let her pull away. I didn't pull on her skin. Wasn't sure if that was alright but she didn't seem to mind. Hey did I mention how much I really like her (well actually I love here but hope that you all don't think I'm wierd or somthing). She is way cool and sorry that the pic I tried to post didn't get. I'll work on the web page and try to get some pics up there.

Again,
Thanks a whole lot!!

Chris
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LdyDrgn · #4 (**permalink**) 01-08-2003, 01:33 AM

ok, for both of you... temps should be about 88 on the warm end and NO LOWER than 75-78 on the cool end. Humidity at 60% is correct.

Deadboy, with temps that low, your snake may have just a lil trouble digesting properly and can't thermoregulate well, either.

August, with temps that high, you will bake your snake, slowly...

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jpaulson · #5 (**permalink**) 01-08-2003, 01:35 AM

You said that she has never been in her water soaking. Unless you have watched her 24 hours a day, chances are she has. Many times, they soak at night, after everyone is asleep. I think she did soak, you just didn't see her. You said that it came off in one piece--she is just fine. She knows what she is doing.

Water is a preference in snakes just like humans. Some love the water, some do not. You may offer her a bath in the tub and sometimes she will swim, other times not. It's what she wants at the moment.

Same goes with the climbing and staying there....some like it, some do not.

I think deadboy is wrong on the temps. Daytime temps need to be between 82 to 88 degrees. Nighttime temps 74 to 78 degrees, give or take a degree. Humidity should be around 60%, and it can be elevated at shed time. Keeping a constant high humidity is not good for RTB's--it could cause illness. How are you acheiving such a high humidity? Unless I have a humidity box on the hot side with moss and water in it, I can't ever raise the humidity over 60%. Where do you live and what is your set-up like?
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jpaulson · #6 (**permalink**) 01-08-2003, 01:37 AM

ya beat me on the temps, ldydrgn...(psst... Fred shed just fine--looking like a stud!)
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deadboy · #7 (**permalink**) 01-08-2003, 01:38 AM

im sorry i forgot to put that those are my cool side temps

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LdyDrgn · #8 (**permalink**) 01-08-2003, 01:41 AM

ok, Deadboy, you're forgiven, LMAO! I knew that didn't sound right coming from you. I know you are a better boa daddy than that [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

j... I wanna see pics! heheh
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gibson · #9 (**permalink**) 01-08-2003, 01:56 AM

I would think that your snake DID soak and you just didn't see it. I have a pretty new redtail that is about 4-5 months old. She has just shed for the first time (since I have had her ). Now I have never seen her soak and have only seen her drink 1-2 times, yet when I pulled her skin out it was all wet. Your snake may do the same. We just missed it.
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August · #10 (**permalink**) 01-08-2003, 03:26 PM

>> How are you acheiving such a high humidity? Unless I have a humidity box on the hot side with moss and water in it, I can't ever raise the humidity over 60%. Where do you live and what is your set-up like?

I live in South Carolina just across the state line from Charlotte NC. My tank setup brob. isn't correct. Right now I have a ceramic heat ellement on the hot side and nothing on the oter side. The water dish is sorta under it (which is prob where I am getting the high humidity. I am going to post a pic of my tank hopefully tonight to let you all see how it is set up. I hope maybe you can tell me what I need to adjust or if its fine. It is a 70 gal tank (I think) but I am not sure how long I will be able to keep her in it because there are only two holes in which to get here in and out on top. They seem sorta small and I am afraid that by the end of the year I'll have a hard time reaching in and getting Snoopy out.

Thanks,
Chris

Pics coming tonight [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

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jpaulson · #11 (**permalink**) 01-08-2003, 03:51 PM

Move your water dish to the cool side, or at least in the middle. You are right, that is where the humidity is coming from. You said there are only 2 holes from in which to get your boa in and out....is the rest of the tank sealed off? If so, then that is another problem with your humidity..not enough ventilation. What is the wattage of your CHE? How tall is your tank? When posting your pics tonight, be sure to include one of the enclosure.
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dlamphere · #12 (**permalink**) 01-08-2003, 03:56 PM

I have a tank that I heat from the top and I can regulate the humidity by moving the water bowl closer or farther away from the heat. You may try to put it in the middle and see how that works. Does the tank have a vent? that would help also.

Sorry, just noticed we both had the same idea at the same time...J.

JuliusSqueezer · #13 (**permalink**) 01-08-2003, 04:14 PM

For those of you who use the water on or under the heat to regulate humidity, this is fine as long as you have room for a water bowl on the cool side too. They do not like drinking warm stagnant water any more than we do. Usually though in most cage setups...putting the water bowl under a basking light (basking light laying on a screen top) only evaporates the water and steams it right out through the screen, not doing anyone any good.

August, your snake likely didn't soak before the shed because of the high humidity. They have to hydrate to shed properly as it takes a layer of fluid between the old and new skin to allow for proper seperation after the dead skin hardens. They know what they need...If they need to hydrate, they will usually soak. But if not...no worries as long as the shed was good...However, 90% humidity for extended periods of time will give your boa a nasty resp infection so you need to lower that. When a snake just sits in the cage and dries up and has a bad shed and will not soak, there is usually a health or husbandry issue in need of correction. Perhaps the water bowl is too large or too small. Or maybe it's too much in the open and in need of a little more security/privacy around it so that he feels comfortable....parasites (although parasites usually cause extra long soaks) sometimes they just make a snake so ill, that they just lay there and dehydrate.....but I'm off subject a bit...don't worry that your snake isn't soaking right now...worry about correcting the temps and humidity and provide a water bowl just the right size so that he can get in it and curl up touching the sides all the way around and not have to swim or leave any of hisself outside the bowl. When he wants to soak or needs to soak he will.
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paolo_28 · #14 (**permalink**) 01-09-2003, 09:40 PM

<Quote> "Usually though in most cage setups...putting the water bowl under a basking light (basking light laying on a screen top) only evaporates the water and steams it right out through the screen, not doing anyone any good".

I like that quote. So JuliusSqueezer, how is your tanks set up. Do you have any pictures of your tanks?

Let me know.

Thanks Paolo. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
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JuliusSqueezer · #15 (**permalink**) 01-09-2003, 09:58 PM

I have many different setups all set up different to accomidate different species requirements. Some are tanks, some are plastic cages, some are custom wood cages...all heated with uth or heat pads...some with basking lights some without...depends on the needs of whatever is in each cage. If you browse my album you will find some of them. Everything I have that requires really high humidity like emeralds, amazons and brazilian rainbows also require cooler temps so I get away with just using a heat pad and covering most of the screen top with plexi or plastic.
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