|
Is this normal behavior?
I'd just like to get the opinions of other keepers on here. I'm not highly concerned with this behavior, as I monitor him regularly and I don't see any sign of potential scale rot, but my Baird's Rat Snake seems to spend an unnatural amount of time in his water dish.
From what I've read about their natural history, they seem to naturally occur around bodies of water so this is apparently at least expected behavior. I'd think. His temperatures 90* under his ceramic heater, 80* on the opposite side of the enclosure with a small dip at night. I've found no mites on him or in the water dish either.
This doesn't seem to be linked to his bowel movements as I rarely find feces in the bowl, but usually in the rest of the enclosure. I won't say he spends all day in his water bowl, as I do see him elsewhere sometimes, but he does seem to use it more than his two actual hides. He'll spend a few days like this, only occasionally leaving the water dish. If I take him out, he typically goes directly back to the bowl. Then he'll spend about a week or so elsewhere before returning to the bowl again. I'm mildly concerned about scale rot, but since he's free to dry off whenever he wants I don't see this being an issue. I just want some insight. Particularly because I plan on building a more naturalistic enclosure for him very soon, and I was considering building a little pond for him despite being an arid species.
|
Threaded Mode