Any advice on misting please?

[Helenthereef]

I am trying something new with neonate Fiji boa Candoia bibroni bibroni after the loss of most of a litter 2 years ago, and would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions you may have.

This species is not purely arboreal, but does spend a lot of time on branches, and although the adults drink from (and sometimes bathe in) bowls, I have rarely witnessed babies doing this, so I wondered if dehydration was the cause of the earlier deaths.

They are naturally born at a time of high rainfall here in Fiji, so I thought I'd try misting - I'm keeping the tank very wet, cleaning and misting once a day (using bottled water). He seems to like the drops on the side of the tank, rubbing his head through them and sometimes visibly swallowing, so I am optimistic that this could be the right approach.

I'd really like it if you could post descriptions of how your arboreal snakes drink - is it all misting or do they use drinking bowls too? Do they drink from the walls of their tanks as this baby is doing? Are there any issues that I should look out for keeping the tank this wet? I'm concerned about blisters or rot, but he seems fine so far.

Here are some pics of his set up - it's a small tank with holes mostly in the lid, a few on the sides, lined with wet paper towel (changed daily). He has a water bowl (so far unused as far as I can see) a coconut shell hide (also unused), a bamboo climbing frame (where he spends 99.9% of his time), and because it is currently winter here and nighttime temps can drop to below 20oC (70oF), a small heated rock that I only put on at night (usually my snakes do not get heat or light as their enclosure is in their natural environment).

Comments welcome please!

 

[Edwardo]

Hi Helen,
I think if actually seeing the snake drink from the droplets makes you feel better and gives you some piece of mind, then keep doing it this way, to get him going.

My juvi ETB cages are kept very humid, but not wet, around 70 or 80%.
I use oversized waterbowls and keep the ventilation to a minimum to achieve this. Im pretty sure they are finding the waterbowl at night.

 

[Helenthereef]

Hi Robert,
Thanks for the response.
So, to clarify, you mist for overall humidity, not for drinking purposes, your snakes do drink from bowls right from the start.
I am trying this experimentally, so all comments welcome.

 

[GMTIRRILL]

spray the tub not the snake

 

[Edwardo]

Hi Robert,
Thanks for the response.
So, to clarify, you mist for overall humidity, not for drinking purposes, your snakes do drink from bowls right from the start.
I am trying this experimentally, so all comments welcome.

Yes, thats right
I only mist to bring up the ambient humidity in the cage, nothing else.

Im assuming they are finding the water bowl at night in there travels, never really saw them drink either? but they are very nocternal and dont do many things during daylight hrs, including drink.

GMTIRRIL makes a good point, I dont know if its good to have the snake and what he is sitting on constantly wet, over the long term.

 

[Helenthereef]

Thanks both of you.

Currently the floor is wet but he sits up on dry bamboo. No sign of any problems, but I haven't tried it before, so your experience is valuable.