Is this normal behavior?

[jjhill001]

You're snake is too hot. Try lowering the temps about 5-6 degrees. High temps seem to cause shedding issues. Your temps are more in line with the recommended ball python temps (which I think are too hot too but I'm not arguing with that community again).

This species seems to have issues with tail tips shedding and I've found that lowering the temps helps remedy this issue. I'd say just from doing my own research on this species that every care sheet out there for them is basically a copy pasted Texas Rat Snake sheet (they share a portion of the same range). And the ones that aren't are flat out old as heck. In the wild during the spring and fall months this snake is active during the day, in the summer they hide from the heat and only come out in the early morning or late evening.

Your statement about them being found near water is true. One of their favorite habitats in the wild are rock formations known as karst which are basically limestone that has had water seep through it over time. I've never personally been there but I would say that the humidity in there is vastly higher than outside. This is why I have a humid hide for my bairds. That I don't have to mist too often (usually a light misting of the moss in there when they are in shed).

[Scubadiver59]

I agree... 85F hot side, 75 cool side. And like most Colubrids it shouldn't require that much humidity until in shed, then up it to >60%...so far that's worked for my Corn and two Kings.

Originally Posted by jjhill001

You're snake is too hot. Try lowering the temps about 5-6 degrees. High temps seem to cause shedding issues. Your temps are more in line with the recommended ball python temps (which I think are too hot too but I'm not arguing with that community again).

This species seems to have issues with tail tips shedding and I've found that lowering the temps helps remedy this issue. I'd say just from doing my own research on this species that every care sheet out there for them is basically a copy pasted Texas Rat Snake sheet (they share a portion of the same range). And the ones that aren't are flat out old as heck. In the wild during the spring and fall months this snake is active during the day, in the summer they hide from the heat and only come out in the early morning or late evening.

Your statement about them being found near water is true. One of their favorite habitats in the wild are rock formations known as karst which are basically limestone that has had water seep through it over time. I've never personally been there but I would say that the humidity in there is vastly higher than outside. This is why I have a humid hide for my bairds. That I don't have to mist too often (usually a light misting of the moss in there when they are in shed).

[dannybgoode]

Originally Posted by jjhill001

You're snake is too hot. Try lowering the temps about 5-6 degrees. High temps seem to cause shedding issues. Your temps are more in line with the recommended ball python temps (which I think are too hot too but I'm not arguing with that community again).

This species seems to have issues with tail tips shedding and I've found that lowering the temps helps remedy this issue. I'd say just from doing my own research on this species that every care sheet out there for them is basically a copy pasted Texas Rat Snake sheet (they share a portion of the same range). And the ones that aren't are flat out old as heck. In the wild during the spring and fall months this snake is active during the day, in the summer they hide from the heat and only come out in the early morning or late evening.

Your statement about them being found near water is true. One of their favorite habitats in the wild are rock formations known as karst which are basically limestone that has had water seep through it over time. I've never personally been there but I would say that the humidity in there is vastly higher than outside. This is why I have a humid hide for my bairds. That I don't have to mist too often (usually a light misting of the moss in there when they are in shed).

Be careful about recommending low temperatures. Snakes need a good hot spot for digestion and it can lead to issues of the temperature is too low.

I agree the cool side seems a touch warm but the hot side does not.

I've never had anything but a perfect shed from any of my snakes-ever and many of mine are kept at warmer temperatures than this. Hydration and humidity issues are what cause bad sheds, not temperatures.

Now, in certain set ups higher temperatures will impact hydration and humidity but there are ways to correct that without lowering the temperature.

[Doug 351]

I don't even bother with humidity and many years never had heat for my snake.

She's a Texas ratsnake and she occasionally sleeps in her water bowl. Sounds like your Bairds is spending a lot of time in there though.

I think it may be the temperature. They can get by on much less. I have a heat rock ( yeah, don't even start with the you're gonna fry your snake) it's got a thermostat and has proven reliable for years.

Now here's the point I'm getting to: She has only gotten on that thing a few hours in many years. She basically lives in the same temperature I do.

She's made it 15years without too much fuss.

BTW: She's never had anything but perfect sheds her whole life, doesn't have any problem digesting her food and has shown a pretty good growth rate over the years.

[jjhill001]

Originally Posted by dannybgoode

Be careful about recommending low temperatures. Snakes need a good hot spot for digestion and it can lead to issues of the temperature is too low.

I agree the cool side seems a touch warm but the hot side does not.

I've never had anything but a perfect shed from any of my snakes-ever and many of mine are kept at warmer temperatures than this. Hydration and humidity issues are what cause bad sheds, not temperatures.

Now, in certain set ups higher temperatures will impact hydration and humidity but there are ways to correct that without lowering the temperature.

There are tons of people who keep their snakes without a hot spot and never have any problem with digestion as long as the snake is kept within a correct temperature range.

The most common heating method is heatpads and we all know that reptiles don't detect heat from their bellies that well so using that as a hotspot has never made sense to me.

[dannybgoode]

Originally Posted by jjhill001

There are tons of people who keep their snakes without a hot spot and never have any problem with digestion as long as the snake is kept within a correct temperature range.

The most common heating method is heatpads and we all know that reptiles don't detect heat from their bellies that well so using that as a hotspot has never made sense to me.

The key here as you have stated is 'correct temperature range' and this generally includes one area that is warmer than the rest. I alsokeep forgetting too that in the US uth's are more prevalent than in the uk - I don't care for them for a number of reasons.

I am also a big advocate of night time temperature drops also as this more closely mimics the day/night temperature cycle of nature and allows for basking spot in the day and cooler temps at night.

The drop depends on the species-a tropical snake may only experience a couple of degrees drop, a northern us or European snake or indeed some desert species may not get heating at all at night.

[jjhill001]

Originally Posted by dannybgoode

The key here as you have stated is 'correct temperature range' and this generally includes one area that is warmer than the rest. I alsokeep forgetting too that in the US uth's are more prevalent than in the uk - I don't care for them for a number of reasons.

I am also a big advocate of night time temperature drops also as this more closely mimics the day/night temperature cycle of nature and allows for basking spot in the day and cooler temps at night.

The drop depends on the species-a tropical snake may only experience a couple of degrees drop, a northern us or European snake or indeed some desert species may not get heating at all at night.

I'm always interested in hearing others' care strategies, particularly from across the pond where *GASP* substrates other than paper and *GASP* not using tubs is common practice.

My mindset in regards to temperature are a bit more off the wall than some, I keep my snakes within a tighter temperature range than a lot of people do but I really shy away from anything over 85 F/ 29.5 C. There is a gradient simply based on where the heating element is placed but other than that as long as the temp stays lower than that and over 75 F/25 C during the day I've found great success.

I combine this with longer periods between feedings because as we know with lower temps the snake will metabolize food and water more slowly. Using these strategies I've been able to all but eliminate my need to mist my snakes ever.

I keep colubrids so usually humidity isn't really that big of a deal to most keepers but the breeder I've based these care methods on specialized in morelia and was keeping balls, diamonds, carpets and green tree pythons at a flat 80-82 degrees but kept every snake that he owned at the same temperature and didn't even care about humidity levels other than what was produced by the waterbowls in his tubs.

I don't go that hardcore with it simply because I prefer larger naturally decorated setups and those are gonna be more difficult to manage in regards to standard temps without having a dedicated snake room but since adopting some of the theories several years ago I've eliminated all of the problems (not like they were that common anyways but still) such as stuck sheds and the like that I used to have. My snakes are slender and strong and not overfed and look like they are supposed to look.

I usually don't talk about my methods that much because they are different than the norm and we live in an every caresheet says kind of culture in the snake community when in reality half of the caresheets are reworded copy pasted versions of each other and it often causes people to get really aggressive for some reason.