shes in the water!

[Dipcdame]

Hi all, hope you can help with a bit of an insight.
Had our two MD'S for two and a half years now, we fed them last night with mid sized rats.
A couple of hours later, she got down into the water for the first time EVER!!!! ....and she's STILL in there this-morning.
I don't think she's due a shed (that happened about four weeks ago). Is she just doing what girls do and staying overly long in the bath, or is there another reason I need to watch out for that may cause this behaviour??

 

[Hsut77]

A few things to check. How are your temps? She may be tring to cool down. Any signs of mites? She might be tring to drown the little buggers. Other than that he might very well be going into shed after a growth spurt.

 

[cleopatra2285]

Hi there Dipcdame,

Both my female coastals spend lots of time in their water. I have read that they can absorb water through their cloaca. She could be alittle dehydrated, but just keep an eye on her, check to see if her eyes are sunken in abit if they are she is dehydrated, and having a drink.
They also like to bath. My girls can stay in there for two or more days only come out to get some heat and go back in. Girl snakes are very strange, i think mine alittle coo coo sometimes.
They drive me nuts.

Hope this helps

Regards
Bec

 

[Dipcdame]

Thank you to both of you for that.........
Hutt, we checked the water when she got out, over white, then black paper, magnifying glass and all!!!!! Found nothing, so we picked her up and checked just about every scale on her....not easy to find black things on an md!!! LOL If you can imagine what it was like, trying to hang on to and manipulate 4 feet of reluctant, unappreciative muscle, I tell ya.......took two of us just to hold her still enough!!!!!! Took a while, in two sessions, didn't want to stress her out. Clean bill of health in that area. Thanks for your suggestion though, gave us a chance to at least check, just incase!
Cleopatra, many thanks for your offering, you have put our minds at rest, worried it wasnt normal, and that she was at the cool end in the water, I topped up the water with some warm!! She got out not long after, and has spent all the time since then "under" her hide (must get a new one in there for them, she's far too big now, most of her hangs out from under the back of it, but she thinks she's hidden!!!!! LOL comical sight!!).

 

[Sturdy]

is there any weakness in her tail?? or the last half of her body weak??

 

[Dipcdame]

Not judging by the way she was fighting to escape our grasp!!!!!

 

[TWENTY B]

My darwin spent the better part of 5 days in her bowl.. no explination.. sometime they just want to go for a swin..

 

[cleopatra2285]

This is my 7foot male diamond x carpet Nakey having a nice dip in our bath.
Thought you might like a laugh.

Bec

 

[mysnakesau]

Another thing I have been told too is if she was coming into shed with the onslaught of winter and you cooled her, it would have sent the process into "dormant" I can't think of the right word. Then heat them up, that process has now been re-activated. Then, most snakes will shed into spring. So then she has shed her "winter coat" now going to spring out of it. One of my girls did this. Showed signs of shedding just a week after. She still hasn't, but she is in her water right now, soaking her enclosure.

 

[Dipcdame]

Another thing I have been told too is if she was coming into shed with the onslaught of winter and you cooled her, it would have sent the process into "dormant" I can't think of the right word. Then heat them up, that process has now been re-activated. Then, most snakes will shed into spring. So then she has shed her "winter coat" now going to spring out of it. One of my girls did this. Showed signs of shedding just a week after. She still hasn't, but she is in her water right now, soaking her enclosure.

Many thanks, I shall look out for that, she's been in her hide since coming out of the water, playing coy and secretive!!!!!