| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Lotabob
Snake mite
United Kingdom
44 Posts |
 Posted - 05/04/2011 : 22:29:16
|
I have found my Hogg Island Boa in his waterbowl twice now, both times at lunch time. Is this normal Boa bathing behaviour or is he too hot. I absolutely 'itsheyed' myself the first time I saw him doing it, dug him out and ran him through kitchen roll and then did a thorough examination for mites (he is only home a week) but there was no trace on him or on the sheet of kitchen roll or in the bowl so I think i can rule it out. He is on top of my Royal viv and stood on 1cm high blocks to allow an airgap underneath, his heat mat is at 32 degrees and ambient is around the 23 degrees mark, humidity is 70% (its a bit high but I keep having to clean up wet substrate because of him replacing the water with himself). He is moving from hot end hide to cold end hide of a regular basis and appears in very good health, his skin and scales are immaculate.
I have a feeling i'm making a mountain out of a mole hill and he'll likely go blue in the next few days but because he is relatively new I'd just check with experienced Boa keepers. |
   |
|
|
CDN_Blood
Rainbow oddball
Canada
489 Posts |
Posted - 05/04/2011 : 23:01:07
|
quote:
Originally posted by Lotabob
I have found my Hogg Island Boa in his waterbowl twice now, both times at lunch time. Is this normal Boa bathing behaviour or is he too hot. I absolutely 'itsheyed' myself the first time I saw him doing it, dug him out and ran him through kitchen roll and then did a thorough examination for mites (he is only home a week) but there was no trace on him or on the sheet of kitchen roll or in the bowl so I think i can rule it out. He is on top of my Royal viv and stood on 1cm high blocks to allow an airgap underneath, his heat mat is at 32 degrees and ambient is around the 23 degrees mark, humidity is 70% (its a bit high but I keep having to clean up wet substrate because of him replacing the water with himself). He is moving from hot end hide to cold end hide of a regular basis and appears in very good health, his skin and scales are immaculate.
I have a feeling i'm making a mountain out of a mole hill and he'll likely go blue in the next few days but because he is relatively new I'd just check with experienced Boa keepers.
32 is too hot, it's probably in there to cool down. |
TODD
25 Years of Commitment and Responsibility in Private Herpetoculture |
 |
|
|
Lotabob
Snake mite
United Kingdom
44 Posts |
Posted - 05/04/2011 : 23:06:43
|
| Really? I thought my temps were perfect for a Hogg Island Boa, at least thats what every care sheet I've read (there have been lots) on Hoggs has said some have even gone as far as 35 hot end temp but I wouldn't want to skirt the upper limits like that. |
|
|
|
|
CDN_Blood
Rainbow oddball
Canada
489 Posts |
Posted - 05/04/2011 : 23:44:07
|
quote:
Originally posted by Lotabob
Really? I thought my temps were perfect for a Hogg Island Boa, at least thats what every care sheet I've read (there have been lots) on Hoggs has said some have even gone as far as 35 hot end temp but I wouldn't want to skirt the upper limits like that.
I've always found them to like around 30 degrees, but that's just me. Over-heating can do damage faster than under-heating and I've seen someone lose a snake to it, so I always side with caution, but hey, that's just me. As long as it's got lots of water to soak in it should be okay. It could also be that it's just starting a moult and finds it more comfortable in the water. Either way, just keep an eye on it, use your common sense and you'll both be fine  |
TODD
25 Years of Commitment and Responsibility in Private Herpetoculture |
|
|
|
Lotabob
Snake mite
United Kingdom
44 Posts |
Posted - 05/04/2011 : 23:49:42
|
| I have no problems lowering the temp a bit if thats what is needed, I'm possibly going to move it off the royal viv too as that does heat things on it and may be the reason its too hot. |
|
|
|
|
Lotabob
Snake mite
United Kingdom
44 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2011 : 18:07:34
|
| I moved him off the Royal viv and turned his mat down to 30 at lunchtime, he was in his bowl again. I did do a very thorough mite check, if he had even 1 I'd have found it today. He is not in his bowl this afternoon so hopefully its done thhe job but will monitor him even more intently as I already do. Thanks CDN-Blood! |
|
|
|
|
sandi
Hatchling
United Kingdom
150 Posts |
Posted - 08/04/2011 : 08:28:58
|
I have boris at 30 in the hot end.
When i first got him he had mites and was always in his water. The mites have gone now and he hasnt been in his water sinse. It may not be relevant, could just be that sanke likes his bath! |
|
|
|
Invalid User
account deleted on request
277 Posts |
Posted - 08/04/2011 : 09:27:05
|
Same as Sandi, my Merope had mites when she came to me and was always in her water bowl.
The mites are gone now and she is never in her bowl.
I have my boas temps at 30-32c in the warm end and she loves it lol
Edit: I never actually saw any mites on her, I wasn't good enough at spotting them but the breeder did show me some. The only time I saw mites was in the water bowl. |
Edited by - Invalid User on 08/04/2011 09:28:16 |
|
|
|
Lotabob
Snake mite
United Kingdom
44 Posts |
Posted - 08/04/2011 : 18:38:45
|
| I have been monitoring the contents of the waterbowl and have been shown how to check them over for mites (including checking the mouth) and I have as a precaution gave Sanke a fairy liquid bath and not one single mite. Now the temp is lower and no longer on top of the royal's viv he hasn't been in his waterbowl so I can only assume he was just a bit warm. I will keep vigilant on the mite front but I think its problem solved. |
|
|
|
|
sandi
Hatchling
United Kingdom
150 Posts |
Posted - 08/04/2011 : 20:27:59
|
Thats good news! lets hope its just the balmy weather we are enjoying!
Louise, I never saw any on boris either, they are so hard to detect. Just saw them in the water and on the paper. |
|
|
|
Lotabob
Snake mite
United Kingdom
44 Posts |
Posted - 09/04/2011 : 17:33:48
|
| Small update, since the move away from the Royal viv Sanke has not been in the waterbowl. And he needed another bath yesterday after a particularily bloody mouse a few days ago and still no trace of mites. |
|
|
|
|
gmac
Grumpy Scots Admin
United Kingdom
710 Posts |
Posted - 17/04/2011 : 19:20:06
|
quote:
Originally posted by CDN_Blood
32 is too hot, it's probably in there to cool down.
32 is not too hot for these boas, the accepted range for them is 30-33 hot end temps.
I have the hot end setup to range from 33-31 degrees with no problems |
GMac
  |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
Like his water bowl
