Gail's garter - the snake kind silly.

[kueluck]

I added a small water dish that the girls use for drinking since they can't fit into it and use it as a potty. I just hate it when I get up in the morning and see poop or pee in it and think they might have drank from that. ewwww
Jewels 11-27-13.jpg
Jewels just hanging out under the fake fern leaves. I rearranged their home today which always make for a fun time for them.
Jewels 11-27-13a.jpg

[ConcinusMan]

It's what you don't see in the water that's bad. A little fresh poo in the drinking water is no biggie. You should clean it as soon as you see it of course but it won't hurt 'em if they've drank out of it.

It's important to not just change water frequently, but to scrub and sanitize the dish. Even if water looks clean it only takes a few days for a slimy film (run your finger on the bottom of the dish, because you cannot see it) to develop on the dish. This is a bacteria colony and it's bad for any animal to be drinking from that even if the water looks clean. Water from your toilet is cleaner than water from a slimy dish.

[kueluck]

The water, food & soaking dish are scrubbed every morning. The first 45 min of each day are spent cleaning water and food containers for the snakes, toads & frogs. And the thought of them drinking poo water Not on my watch!!

[ConcinusMan]

They don't usually anyway. After changing water, it's drink, poo in the water, then slither off into a corner and snicker at their keeper. lol. A small dish doesn't stop them either, at least not in my experience. They'll get just their tail end in there and do it.

[kueluck]

CIMG0906.jpgCIMG0905.jpg

I don' t know if it's because of her color that makes the white so pronounced, but is this normal? When she sheds there's always complete eye caps, but I just want to make sure.

[guidofatherof5]

Not sure if it's too abnormal and the color contrast probably makes it more pronounced.
Beautiful snake.

[kueluck]

Sometimes it's just more pronounced than others, this was one of those times & since I'm so overprotective I get a little panicked when something seems off.

[mikem]

A couple of my females have this as well. One's cb and the other is wc. I don't think it's anything to worry about.

[kueluck]

Mike, I was hoping you would chime in since we both got ours at the Myrtle show from Scott. I didn't think it was anything to worry about, but I really wanted some confirmation on this. One can never be to sure when it comes to the health & well-being of these little wonders.

[mikem]

I can understand that! I've been calling this look the "chubby cheeks", I wonder if it has something to do with diet and hydration...