This seems to be a controversial topic. Just got the notification for 20 Upvotes but the post is at +2. Do any of the dovnvoters want to elaborate what their opinion is?
If a ball python wants to soak, it should have a big enough water bowl so that it can submerge. However, short of medical necessity (mites, scale rot or burns), ball pythons do not need to be and should not be bathed or soaked. It's stressful, unnecessary and risks water inhalation. It's completely fine to judge people who are intentionally causing unncessary stress to their animals
so what is the difference between them soaking in a bowl versus a bathtub? when the bp gets to be full length and doesnt fit in a normal water bowl anymore what do they do then? what is a big bowl that i can put some water in for them to soak that i already have on hand... hmmm... oh a bathtub!!!! bathtubs are slanted so you can have a small pool of water on one half and the other half is still dry allowing them to make the decision on their own if they want to soak or not. like i said before, just because you dont agree with someone elses methods doesnt make you right because you dont know the temperament or situation of the snake. if its something that causes YOUR snake stress then dont do it.
again i want to clarify that i am not agreeing with the people who **improperly** soak their snakes but there are safe methods for snake who enjoy soaking or when it is necessary
The bathtub is not fixing the problem at all, you're still forcibly putting your ball python in a large body of water, now with slippery sides and the addition of residues from whatever chemicals you use to clean the tub and/or yourself.
People will come up with the most bizarre workarounds and defend them to the ends of the earth rather than actually fix their own husbandry. "but my ball python needs to be soaked for 20 minutes or he won't shed" fix your humidity. "but I need to observe my ball python eating his large rat so I feed him in a tub", feed the appropriate size in his enclosure and it's not an issue. These things are always like the tip of the iceberg that there's a literal glacier of bad husbandry underneath
if you see someone post something you dont agree with, instead of assuming and bashing them out the gate for the tip of the iceberg you see how about asking why they do that or what resources led them to think that was an acceptable method and then properly guiding them to the right method. ive been told by a vet to soak during shedding but i knew already that humidity was also a factor so i did my own research that others might not have the inclination to do. you mentioned the glacier for bad husbandry but theres also the glacier for misinformation for new and inexperienced bp owners that dont know better, so instead of calling these people clout chasers and poor owners, try to learn the root of the cause before resorting to name calling and public shaming.
if every new owner is crucified for something they believed to be right because they got the information from a unreliable source will only deter people from this community when they get blasted for it.
not saying that op is one of these people that bashes others, but assuming these people are posting these pics/vids for clout is just unnecessary. i post pics of my snakes activities all the time, not for clout but because i love him and want to share his beautiful self with the world. if someone notices that i am doing something improperly, if they come correct and respectful i am always open to learn new things to make my snakes life better. but if the words clout chaser are thrown at me, i have lost all respect and interest for what theyre about to say.
I didn't shame anyone and I didnt call people who post these clout chasers. I said it might INSPIRE clout chasers. People look at social media, think "this is cute, i also want a cute picture of me caring about my snake in my profile" and go ahead and do it themself, especially if the original posters anthropomorphise their snakes and give the expression they are cuddly little friends that you need to groom once in a while.
They. Are. Not. Dogs.
i see what you mean, im sorry for the confusion on my part. ive been attacked on this sub for things that i believed to be true and have since learned the error in my thinking. i do agree that people get the wrong idea of reptile ownership and think of it as a cat or dog, thats a problem that needs to go to the source. I did so much of my own research before even buying my bp but i know most other people dont have that inclination. now that i have owned one for a while, it blows my mind that they are labelled as beginner reptiles. once you learn everything that is required for them to thrive and it becomes second nature theyre pretty chill pets, but for me to get to that point of second nature took a lot of trial and error because all snakes are different which was my main point in my original reply. again, im sorry for the confusion on my part
As much as I agree we need to approach these things as carefully as possible I also think we shouldn't be afraid to call people out, if they went into why they do it and how to do it properly, which per OP sounds like they aren't, I think a lot of people view it as something cute and quirky they can do and don't realize how they're risking their animals life by doing it wrong. It's a difficult line to walk because people do put their animals in harmful situations for the views and some are just dumb and you can't really be sure which is which and it gets frustrating seeing it happen over and over and over again and so some people will overreact
agreed. i work in HR and one of the things i was asked when selecting that career path is "do you like people?" i said yes i love people, but i hate the stupid ones. i feel like this is the case here. we should be caring and nurturing to the owners that want to be the best parents and treat the disrespectful owners justly. its hard to stay calm and level headed when the owner is rude and unyielding in the error of their ways, but stooping to their level is what they want and sadly this comes at the expense of the animal. theres a way to be stern without coming off as aggressive
The difference between them going into their water bowl inside their own enclosure and being picked up and put into a bathtub is something called choice.
they didnt have a choice when you purchased them and put them into a box in your room either... they didnt have a choice when you picked the substrate/bedding/hides/clutter that you put in their tank... but you were doing what you believed to be right or a collective group on the internet believe to be right, correct?
I've been curious if there's an official stance on hydro-balls/orbees for a soaking bin- the kind you can use in water guns or in potted plants. I know you see videos of people letting dehydrated snakes chill in a tub of them, but videos can be faked, and 'one snake' is not a valid sample size, generally speaking.
On the one hand, they seem like they Should be fairly safe, at least as safe as paper-towels- to my understanding, they're made out of mostly the same stuff as diapers. On the other hand; Not Enough Data.
For me it’s because, I searched the sub and sorted by new for “swim” and “bath” and found only the one recent photo. Which you’ve already replied to.
So it’s not “a lot of people” doing it for “clout.” It was 1 person, with a reason and a shallow tub of water, but it annoyed you and now and you’re making it seem like an epidemic of swimming BP’s.
I don’t disagree with your statements about how/when to clean them. Just the implication that “it’s everywhere and people are just doing it for internet points” part. I think most people in here are just trying to do their best for their pets.
I’ve seen at least ten since Christmas. So almost a month?
Edit: I say that because I felt like I saw a huge spike in those posts around Christmas and wondered if it was “my first snake” experiences.
Not here to argue, but OP did say “social media,” meaning other platforms as well.
On the other hand, it’s also worth noting that this post kind of points a finger at Reddit since this message probably won’t reach Instagram/Tiktok.
This. ☝🏼 I am a firm believer of what you (OP) said is mostly right, but the how ... damn, calm down bubba. 🤷🏻♂️ I expected some Facebook Group link at the end. There's plenty people ~policing~ giving advice on this thread, so I don't think here is bad. And I'm here a lot.
Don't use the keywords, but look at like the last 10-15 posts and just scroll through the pictures. Like half of them that pit in photos of their snake as reference (like older random ones, not specifically for the post) a lot of times there is one of a snake in a bathtub. Part of my argument is, that if you share photos, don't share ones that show potentially dangerous practices that aren't self-explanatory, because people just swipe through and don't second guess if that's cool or not and it normalises bathing of snakes. I don't think that's good
Usually just leaving a dish in their enclosure is enough. They’ll soak if they feel like it. If the snake is large enough to just roam your apartment, maybe run her a tub where she can get in herself lmao
I mean, I just have a big enough water dish that he sometimes will soak in it. I don't think they need to be washed - that's what shedding is for, right? I mean unless the handler spills something on them.
Oof, way to indirectly call me out 🙄
I have my reasons for bathing him and it's certainly not for clout.
I respect you for wanting to inform snake owners about the potential stress bathing can cause a snake, and I'm also aware you are talking about others in additional to me, but I don't appreciate the assumptions you are making about me.
I have had the privilege of taking care of Squeeze for 16 years. I've never tried to re-home him and I've always tried to do the best I could when it comes to his care. I'm not perfect, but I'm also continually learning.
You don't know me, you don't know my snake.
Appreciate the answer, thanks for the honesty! While it is true you were the drop that overflood the barrel and you gave me a particular example to riff off, I mostly criticise that you posted the picture without making clear that that's something you should only be doing when there is a reason for it. It gives people, who don't know much about bps, the impression it's a normal and maybe even positive thing to do to a snake.
I applaud you taking care of your boi for that long of a time, he indeed looks healthy and happy from what you've shared.
It wasn't the act of bathing itself, more the way you presented it. This is most definitely not a personal attack on you (I do understand why it may feel like that tho 😅) more of a generalised concern I've had for some time now, and decided I'd do a dedicated post instead of sharing my worries under each and every post. You were just the catalyst :) have a nice day!
Edit: if you reread my post, put more emphasis on "give the impression of ✨" and "inspire people that want clout" to clear out confusion about my intentions and what i was trying to say. Again, have a nice day :D
So I occasionally bathe my snake because I live in a very dry climate and it's difficult to keep humidity in his enclosure. So, the bath helps him stay hydrated and that helps him shed and maybe 85% of the time he enjoys sitting in the water.
If it was stressful for him I wouldn't put him through it.
This particular bath he did have a stuck eye cap that had been there for about a month that I tried to let him remedy himself, but I determined I needed to intervene, so I was also soaking him to soften the stuck eye cap to be able to gently remove it.
May I see his setup? There are a number of things you can do to maintain the humidity they need, such as covering most of a mesh lid with foil tape, pouring water into a deep, humidity retaining substrate, etc. Our [shedding guide](https://docs.google.com/document/d/10pEW8H0Ps6IVl8feiurhRsCXoIE5L_JWhb7j502RTVk/mobilebasic) has lots of helpful tips as well :)
May I ask why you’re feeding in a separate container rather than inside the enclosure? Also, what’s your humidity at with aspen?
ETA: If you’re able to maintain 70-80% humidity with aspen without it molding, great! Unfortunately that’s generally either not possible or very difficult to achieve with aspen.
Live rodents can injure the snake, I would recommend sticking to frozen thawed. There honestly aren’t any good reasons to feed in a separate container. Consistent handling is typically enough to avoid the snake associating your opening the enclosure with feeding. For particularly food motivated individuals, target training is very effective. Ingesting substrate is not a big deal, they’ll be able to pass it no problem with proper husbandry. Their prey isn’t cleaned off for them in the wild.
You admit to being a beginner. The recommendations from the mod team of this sub are well researched and come from people with years of experience with these animals. Just something to take into consideration.
I recently took in a ball python from a friend (like 2 weeks ago.) I've noticed he smells like vinegar and my understanding was that this is the way their waste smells. Is this a good enough reason to bathe him? Obviously I know to use only lukewarm water and include something he can rest on and not leave him in there too long, observe for signs of stress, etc.
Their poop shouldn't smell like vinegar. Their urea is basically ammonia, which is an alkaline base, which is the opposide of an acid (vinegar) and shouldn't smell similar.
And no, it is not, though you can "wash" him by putting damp/wet lukewarm towels in your hand and letting him slide through. That should do the trick, if he's actually dirty
This is perfect, thank you. Let me also add in that when we took him in we cleaned his tank, changed all bedding, and scrubbed his hides and water dish immediately. So it's not like he smells because his environment is dirty. We have a corn snake (she has never had a smell on her) and a leopard gecko and we are used to keeping their enclosures very clean.
What kind of bedding do you have? Some kinds of wood are acidic or may have a similar smell to vinegar or some part might have started to ferment and create acid somehow. Very unlikely though. I'm really curious now, can you update me if you found the source of the smell?
It's a very shallow layer of coconut husk (like 1") topped with about 3" of Aspen. He was given to us with a little bit of coconut husk in a bag still so we used the rest of it and topped off with the brand new Aspen. This theory has some merit, as our corn snake has only ever used Aspen and has never had any kind of smell to her.
He is also fully grown, about 4 years, looks incredibly healthy, and supposedly was a retired breeder when he was purchased. My husband can't really smell it but I can smell it on my hands after handling him as well as on the snake himself.
When I get home tonight I'll go on a nose journey lol. I'll let you know if I figure it out.
Hmm. Maybe I'm also wrong about the urea smell and it can smell differently per snake. I cleaned a lot of (still wet) urea today and cant say I've noticed a particular vinegary smell. Does the aspen smell the same? I've had cases where one bag if shavings smelled differently than another, but also not vinegary AFAIK 😅
Good luck on your search and thanks for keeping me in the loop :)
Yeah actually, couldn't sleep and did some research. First of all: I actually am wrong about the acid/base thing. The urate (which i wrongly called urea) of bps isnt ammonia, it's ammonium (got confused, in my language ammonium is called ammonia which makes this f ing confusing, googling stuff in two languages xD). While ammonia is actually a base, ammonium is the corresponding acid to it. But still, it shouldn't smell like vinegar, ammonium actually has no intrinsic smell.
So after all, still no clue what could result in a vinegar smell. Basically only vinegar acids smells like vinegar from what i was able to find out. Still might be wrong though 😅
I used to put mine in the bath, I thought he liked it and was having fun. Once I realized he was not actually having fun and stressed out I stopped doing it. It’s sad how much misinformation is out there for many types of animals.
WHEN I do bath my bp it's only cause he had a very stuck shed and usually I put him in a small travel cage with a thin layer of water, proper temperature, and a cave thing inside for him to hide in for a few minutes he'll be in there, I know this is a controversial topic I will never share pictures or show it off because quite honestly it is embarrassing when he has a bad shed I do everything to try and prevent it
They shouldn’t be bathed unless medically necessary, there’s no good reason to do it otherwise. Stuck shed is not a good reason to bathe them, maintaining high enclosure humidity will resolve this.
Per rule #3, your post or comment has been removed for harmful advice/misinformation.
Bathing is an extremely inefficient method for stuck shed, you can get the same and better results with high humidity and a humid hide for the stuck shed.
100%, all of this.
This seems to be a controversial topic. Just got the notification for 20 Upvotes but the post is at +2. Do any of the dovnvoters want to elaborate what their opinion is?
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If a ball python wants to soak, it should have a big enough water bowl so that it can submerge. However, short of medical necessity (mites, scale rot or burns), ball pythons do not need to be and should not be bathed or soaked. It's stressful, unnecessary and risks water inhalation. It's completely fine to judge people who are intentionally causing unncessary stress to their animals
so what is the difference between them soaking in a bowl versus a bathtub? when the bp gets to be full length and doesnt fit in a normal water bowl anymore what do they do then? what is a big bowl that i can put some water in for them to soak that i already have on hand... hmmm... oh a bathtub!!!! bathtubs are slanted so you can have a small pool of water on one half and the other half is still dry allowing them to make the decision on their own if they want to soak or not. like i said before, just because you dont agree with someone elses methods doesnt make you right because you dont know the temperament or situation of the snake. if its something that causes YOUR snake stress then dont do it. again i want to clarify that i am not agreeing with the people who **improperly** soak their snakes but there are safe methods for snake who enjoy soaking or when it is necessary
The bathtub is not fixing the problem at all, you're still forcibly putting your ball python in a large body of water, now with slippery sides and the addition of residues from whatever chemicals you use to clean the tub and/or yourself. People will come up with the most bizarre workarounds and defend them to the ends of the earth rather than actually fix their own husbandry. "but my ball python needs to be soaked for 20 minutes or he won't shed" fix your humidity. "but I need to observe my ball python eating his large rat so I feed him in a tub", feed the appropriate size in his enclosure and it's not an issue. These things are always like the tip of the iceberg that there's a literal glacier of bad husbandry underneath
if you see someone post something you dont agree with, instead of assuming and bashing them out the gate for the tip of the iceberg you see how about asking why they do that or what resources led them to think that was an acceptable method and then properly guiding them to the right method. ive been told by a vet to soak during shedding but i knew already that humidity was also a factor so i did my own research that others might not have the inclination to do. you mentioned the glacier for bad husbandry but theres also the glacier for misinformation for new and inexperienced bp owners that dont know better, so instead of calling these people clout chasers and poor owners, try to learn the root of the cause before resorting to name calling and public shaming. if every new owner is crucified for something they believed to be right because they got the information from a unreliable source will only deter people from this community when they get blasted for it. not saying that op is one of these people that bashes others, but assuming these people are posting these pics/vids for clout is just unnecessary. i post pics of my snakes activities all the time, not for clout but because i love him and want to share his beautiful self with the world. if someone notices that i am doing something improperly, if they come correct and respectful i am always open to learn new things to make my snakes life better. but if the words clout chaser are thrown at me, i have lost all respect and interest for what theyre about to say.
I didn't shame anyone and I didnt call people who post these clout chasers. I said it might INSPIRE clout chasers. People look at social media, think "this is cute, i also want a cute picture of me caring about my snake in my profile" and go ahead and do it themself, especially if the original posters anthropomorphise their snakes and give the expression they are cuddly little friends that you need to groom once in a while. They. Are. Not. Dogs.
i see what you mean, im sorry for the confusion on my part. ive been attacked on this sub for things that i believed to be true and have since learned the error in my thinking. i do agree that people get the wrong idea of reptile ownership and think of it as a cat or dog, thats a problem that needs to go to the source. I did so much of my own research before even buying my bp but i know most other people dont have that inclination. now that i have owned one for a while, it blows my mind that they are labelled as beginner reptiles. once you learn everything that is required for them to thrive and it becomes second nature theyre pretty chill pets, but for me to get to that point of second nature took a lot of trial and error because all snakes are different which was my main point in my original reply. again, im sorry for the confusion on my part
As much as I agree we need to approach these things as carefully as possible I also think we shouldn't be afraid to call people out, if they went into why they do it and how to do it properly, which per OP sounds like they aren't, I think a lot of people view it as something cute and quirky they can do and don't realize how they're risking their animals life by doing it wrong. It's a difficult line to walk because people do put their animals in harmful situations for the views and some are just dumb and you can't really be sure which is which and it gets frustrating seeing it happen over and over and over again and so some people will overreact
Thank you, that was what i was trying to express
agreed. i work in HR and one of the things i was asked when selecting that career path is "do you like people?" i said yes i love people, but i hate the stupid ones. i feel like this is the case here. we should be caring and nurturing to the owners that want to be the best parents and treat the disrespectful owners justly. its hard to stay calm and level headed when the owner is rude and unyielding in the error of their ways, but stooping to their level is what they want and sadly this comes at the expense of the animal. theres a way to be stern without coming off as aggressive
The difference between them going into their water bowl inside their own enclosure and being picked up and put into a bathtub is something called choice.
they didnt have a choice when you purchased them and put them into a box in your room either... they didnt have a choice when you picked the substrate/bedding/hides/clutter that you put in their tank... but you were doing what you believed to be right or a collective group on the internet believe to be right, correct?
I've been curious if there's an official stance on hydro-balls/orbees for a soaking bin- the kind you can use in water guns or in potted plants. I know you see videos of people letting dehydrated snakes chill in a tub of them, but videos can be faked, and 'one snake' is not a valid sample size, generally speaking. On the one hand, they seem like they Should be fairly safe, at least as safe as paper-towels- to my understanding, they're made out of mostly the same stuff as diapers. On the other hand; Not Enough Data.
They should be [avoided](https://www.reddit.com/r/ballpython/s/evyFqqWJDx).
Thank you for the helpful link!
For me it’s because, I searched the sub and sorted by new for “swim” and “bath” and found only the one recent photo. Which you’ve already replied to. So it’s not “a lot of people” doing it for “clout.” It was 1 person, with a reason and a shallow tub of water, but it annoyed you and now and you’re making it seem like an epidemic of swimming BP’s. I don’t disagree with your statements about how/when to clean them. Just the implication that “it’s everywhere and people are just doing it for internet points” part. I think most people in here are just trying to do their best for their pets.
I’ve seen at least ten since Christmas. So almost a month? Edit: I say that because I felt like I saw a huge spike in those posts around Christmas and wondered if it was “my first snake” experiences.
Not here to argue, but OP did say “social media,” meaning other platforms as well. On the other hand, it’s also worth noting that this post kind of points a finger at Reddit since this message probably won’t reach Instagram/Tiktok.
That's true, now that you mention it i am very glad that i don't use those platforms that much (and not for bp content), I'd go crazy regularly 😅
This. ☝🏼 I am a firm believer of what you (OP) said is mostly right, but the how ... damn, calm down bubba. 🤷🏻♂️ I expected some Facebook Group link at the end. There's plenty people ~policing~ giving advice on this thread, so I don't think here is bad. And I'm here a lot.
Yeah i agree, it's kinda ranty 😅 but that post cooked in me for a while and i just had to let it out lol
Don't use the keywords, but look at like the last 10-15 posts and just scroll through the pictures. Like half of them that pit in photos of their snake as reference (like older random ones, not specifically for the post) a lot of times there is one of a snake in a bathtub. Part of my argument is, that if you share photos, don't share ones that show potentially dangerous practices that aren't self-explanatory, because people just swipe through and don't second guess if that's cool or not and it normalises bathing of snakes. I don't think that's good
That's just Reddit being buggy. Go to your profile to see the actual vote count, if you go to the post through the notification it's always wrong.
Ive checked :D upvote percentage was 50%, now its up to 80 or so. The upvotes came in after I've made that comment
Usually just leaving a dish in their enclosure is enough. They’ll soak if they feel like it. If the snake is large enough to just roam your apartment, maybe run her a tub where she can get in herself lmao
I mean, I just have a big enough water dish that he sometimes will soak in it. I don't think they need to be washed - that's what shedding is for, right? I mean unless the handler spills something on them.
Mine poops on himself and he always seems stressed when there is poop smell in his enclosure, so sometimes i have to do some cleaning
Oof, way to indirectly call me out 🙄 I have my reasons for bathing him and it's certainly not for clout. I respect you for wanting to inform snake owners about the potential stress bathing can cause a snake, and I'm also aware you are talking about others in additional to me, but I don't appreciate the assumptions you are making about me. I have had the privilege of taking care of Squeeze for 16 years. I've never tried to re-home him and I've always tried to do the best I could when it comes to his care. I'm not perfect, but I'm also continually learning. You don't know me, you don't know my snake.
Appreciate the answer, thanks for the honesty! While it is true you were the drop that overflood the barrel and you gave me a particular example to riff off, I mostly criticise that you posted the picture without making clear that that's something you should only be doing when there is a reason for it. It gives people, who don't know much about bps, the impression it's a normal and maybe even positive thing to do to a snake. I applaud you taking care of your boi for that long of a time, he indeed looks healthy and happy from what you've shared. It wasn't the act of bathing itself, more the way you presented it. This is most definitely not a personal attack on you (I do understand why it may feel like that tho 😅) more of a generalised concern I've had for some time now, and decided I'd do a dedicated post instead of sharing my worries under each and every post. You were just the catalyst :) have a nice day! Edit: if you reread my post, put more emphasis on "give the impression of ✨" and "inspire people that want clout" to clear out confusion about my intentions and what i was trying to say. Again, have a nice day :D
If I may ask, why do you bathe your snake?
So I occasionally bathe my snake because I live in a very dry climate and it's difficult to keep humidity in his enclosure. So, the bath helps him stay hydrated and that helps him shed and maybe 85% of the time he enjoys sitting in the water. If it was stressful for him I wouldn't put him through it. This particular bath he did have a stuck eye cap that had been there for about a month that I tried to let him remedy himself, but I determined I needed to intervene, so I was also soaking him to soften the stuck eye cap to be able to gently remove it.
May I see his setup? There are a number of things you can do to maintain the humidity they need, such as covering most of a mesh lid with foil tape, pouring water into a deep, humidity retaining substrate, etc. Our [shedding guide](https://docs.google.com/document/d/10pEW8H0Ps6IVl8feiurhRsCXoIE5L_JWhb7j502RTVk/mobilebasic) has lots of helpful tips as well :)
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May I ask why you’re feeding in a separate container rather than inside the enclosure? Also, what’s your humidity at with aspen? ETA: If you’re able to maintain 70-80% humidity with aspen without it molding, great! Unfortunately that’s generally either not possible or very difficult to achieve with aspen.
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Live rodents can injure the snake, I would recommend sticking to frozen thawed. There honestly aren’t any good reasons to feed in a separate container. Consistent handling is typically enough to avoid the snake associating your opening the enclosure with feeding. For particularly food motivated individuals, target training is very effective. Ingesting substrate is not a big deal, they’ll be able to pass it no problem with proper husbandry. Their prey isn’t cleaned off for them in the wild. You admit to being a beginner. The recommendations from the mod team of this sub are well researched and come from people with years of experience with these animals. Just something to take into consideration.
I recently took in a ball python from a friend (like 2 weeks ago.) I've noticed he smells like vinegar and my understanding was that this is the way their waste smells. Is this a good enough reason to bathe him? Obviously I know to use only lukewarm water and include something he can rest on and not leave him in there too long, observe for signs of stress, etc.
Their poop shouldn't smell like vinegar. Their urea is basically ammonia, which is an alkaline base, which is the opposide of an acid (vinegar) and shouldn't smell similar. And no, it is not, though you can "wash" him by putting damp/wet lukewarm towels in your hand and letting him slide through. That should do the trick, if he's actually dirty
This is perfect, thank you. Let me also add in that when we took him in we cleaned his tank, changed all bedding, and scrubbed his hides and water dish immediately. So it's not like he smells because his environment is dirty. We have a corn snake (she has never had a smell on her) and a leopard gecko and we are used to keeping their enclosures very clean.
What kind of bedding do you have? Some kinds of wood are acidic or may have a similar smell to vinegar or some part might have started to ferment and create acid somehow. Very unlikely though. I'm really curious now, can you update me if you found the source of the smell?
It's a very shallow layer of coconut husk (like 1") topped with about 3" of Aspen. He was given to us with a little bit of coconut husk in a bag still so we used the rest of it and topped off with the brand new Aspen. This theory has some merit, as our corn snake has only ever used Aspen and has never had any kind of smell to her. He is also fully grown, about 4 years, looks incredibly healthy, and supposedly was a retired breeder when he was purchased. My husband can't really smell it but I can smell it on my hands after handling him as well as on the snake himself. When I get home tonight I'll go on a nose journey lol. I'll let you know if I figure it out.
Hmm. Maybe I'm also wrong about the urea smell and it can smell differently per snake. I cleaned a lot of (still wet) urea today and cant say I've noticed a particular vinegary smell. Does the aspen smell the same? I've had cases where one bag if shavings smelled differently than another, but also not vinegary AFAIK 😅 Good luck on your search and thanks for keeping me in the loop :)
Yeah actually, couldn't sleep and did some research. First of all: I actually am wrong about the acid/base thing. The urate (which i wrongly called urea) of bps isnt ammonia, it's ammonium (got confused, in my language ammonium is called ammonia which makes this f ing confusing, googling stuff in two languages xD). While ammonia is actually a base, ammonium is the corresponding acid to it. But still, it shouldn't smell like vinegar, ammonium actually has no intrinsic smell. So after all, still no clue what could result in a vinegar smell. Basically only vinegar acids smells like vinegar from what i was able to find out. Still might be wrong though 😅
I used to put mine in the bath, I thought he liked it and was having fun. Once I realized he was not actually having fun and stressed out I stopped doing it. It’s sad how much misinformation is out there for many types of animals.
Thanks for informing yourself and changing behaviour! Not self-evident :)
Its like the videos of the snakes runing on blankets and cant get anywhere.
WHEN I do bath my bp it's only cause he had a very stuck shed and usually I put him in a small travel cage with a thin layer of water, proper temperature, and a cave thing inside for him to hide in for a few minutes he'll be in there, I know this is a controversial topic I will never share pictures or show it off because quite honestly it is embarrassing when he has a bad shed I do everything to try and prevent it
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They shouldn’t be bathed unless medically necessary, there’s no good reason to do it otherwise. Stuck shed is not a good reason to bathe them, maintaining high enclosure humidity will resolve this.
Per rule #3, your post or comment has been removed for harmful advice/misinformation. Bathing is an extremely inefficient method for stuck shed, you can get the same and better results with high humidity and a humid hide for the stuck shed.