Should I bathe the snake?

[bulrush]

My garter is getting stinky even though I keep his cage clean. I noticed it when I was holding him. Should I bathe him in warm water? Or should I get a bowl big enough for him to curl up in, and fill it with water and put it in his cage?

Thanks.

[Stefan-A]

Stinky, how?

[larean]

Are you sure he is not just 'musking'?
Although I must say I've never actually experienced one of my garters doing it...I guess I'm lucky:)

[Stefan-A]

If it's not musking, then it can be something serious. But the snake doesn't need a bath, unless the smell really is caused by a filthy enclosure.

But the snake should already have a water-filled bowl big enough for the snake to curl up in.

[larean]

By the way, I would personally always have a bowl the snake could lie in completely. For any snake, but especially for a garter, since they are semi-aquatic, or at least live near water in the wild.

[Zephyr]

Sometimes wild caught snakes come with an "odor." My theory is that they may "roll" through their feces a bit, to help discourage predators. Also, if the snake musked you when caught, it may still have the smell.

[Snake lover 3-25]

i bathe mine after they eat and feed tham in a seperate enclosure..... maybe their food is causing the smell???

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

that would be pretty hard for a 12' python though :)

By the way, I would personally always have a bowl the snake could lie in completely. For any snake, but especially for a garter, since they are semi-aquatic, or at least live near water in the wild.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

that would be pretty hard for a 12' python though :)


Nah, its not as hard as you think... when I was vending at the hamburg show, at the end of the day, I had this BIG plastic container that I did not have room to take home because of the new snake racks... I asked if anyone wanted it and a guy said does it hold water... I said yea... why? "oh im just gonna use it as a water dish for my 14 foot anaconda"

LOL water "dish"

[Snake lover 3-25]

OMG!!!!!!! is it even legal to OWN an ANACONDA!!!!!!!???????????? esp one that's 14 ft long?????!!!!!! where would he put it??????:confused:

[anji1971]

They sell anacondas at the reptile store here, occasionally.
Pretty neat looking, but I don't think I'd want to deal with something that can grow as big as those guys can!

[adamanteus]

No. You shouldn't need to bathe the snake, but it should indeed have a water vessel large enough to soak in. If the snake does indeed smell, but isn't musking you and isn't dirty, then it may well be ill. Snakes don't really have a strong or unpleasant odour unless there is something wrong.

[bulrush]

No, it's not the musk smell. It smells like feces. His cage is pretty clean. It's not too wet and not too dry. I check him every day and remove any feces I find. He smells sort of like yeast. But he's eating nightcrawlers just fine (about 1 every 3 days) and seems like a normal snake.

I think he has a tendency to poo in the edges of his cage, but that's also where he tends to roam about. Also, he only seems to roam when he's hungry, that's my cue to feed him. Otherwise he spends his day under his rock.

No exterior sores or anything unusual on the outside of him. I do not have a dish large enough for him to curl up in, but I will get one this weekend.

I should probably add he's in a plastic container where I drilled holes in the top. So maybe he doesn't get enough air flow.

[jeanette]

OMG!!!!!!! is it even legal to OWN an ANACONDA!!!!!!!???????????? esp one that's 14 ft long?????!!!!!! where would he put it??????:confused:
guess it depends where you live i know someone who has just bought a green anaconda and they can get to lengths of around 26-30ft.

[bulrush]

Anyway I got him a dish with water large enough for him. It is made from a top to a stack of 100 CDs.