boa constrictor?

Question

I have a baby boa.had it 3 months.last week I put in more heat lamps.I thought the cool side of my 55 gal tank was to cool (75) . as soon as i put the heat lamps in the boa went in the water bowl and stayed there for 4 days.the heat on the cool end was now (80) and the warm end was (87) the snake ended up shedding.I thought this is why she soaked in the water all that time.after she shed the next morning she was in the water soaking again.I took out the all the heat lamp on the cooler end of the tank.temp is now 75 and she still hanging out in the water.she eats every 4 days a frozzen weaning mouse.she looks real healthy.I dont know why she still hangs out in the water ?can any one help me? John

Answer 1

Basically she is trying to stay cool. If the hot end of your tank is about 80F that is warm enough, the cool end should be 70F. This is day time temperatures at night it can drop 10F. Remember that they like shade and not direct bright light. These are jungle creatures and do not like desert conditions. Try branches with large leaves for it to hide under or provide shelves in the vivarium so that it can climb as it would in the wild.
Remember this snake may grow to 15 ft if it is the Boa constrictor constrictor, or to 9 feet if it is the
Boa constrictor imperator

Answer 2

Some snakes love laying in the water bowl and is nothing to worry about. And the first setup 75 on cool 87 on hot side was right the first time. And you only need 1 heat lamp over the basking site more than one could cause the heat index to rise too high and the humidity too lower. Humidity is just as important as the temp and needs to be controlled as well. some snakes make up the lack of humidity by laying in the water bowl.

Answer 3

Jungle creatures are used to the heat, but they also like very high humidity. It sounds like your tank might be a bit too dry. Try misting the cage daily with a spray bottle.