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Do Snakes Like Being Sprayed With Water? How To Do It

Do Snakes Like Being Sprayed With Water?

The other day, while misting my ball python’s tank, I ended up spraying him with some of the water, and he seemed to enjoy it! I decided to research whether snakes like being sprayed with water and whether you should spray them. This is what I found. 

Snakes usually don’t mind being sprayed with water, and some snakes may need to be misted for various reasons to keep them in top health. How often and how much you can spray snakes with water largely depends on their species and the its natural habitat. 

In this article, we’ll look at how and when to spray your snake with water to ensure that you don’t harm them but help them live their best life. 

Should You Mist Your Snake?

Here are the main times when you should and shouldn’t spray your snake with water: 

When To SprayWhen Not To SprayIf your snake is about to, or is busy shedding, you can spray your snake to make the shedding easier. In case the humidity is too high or almost too high. Too much humidity can leave your snake susceptible to various diseases. 
In case the humidity is too low and you need to increase the humidity. If your snake is struggling to shed its skin and spraying the first time didn’t help. Rather take them to the vet to get checked. 

Which Snakes Like Or Don’t Like Being Sprayed With Water 

Snakes That Like Being Sprayed With WaterSnakes That Don’t Like Being Sprayed With Water
Ball pythonAfrican egg-eating snake 
Kingsnakes, like the Sonoran kingsnakeRosy Boa
Cornsnakes Sand boa 
Garter snakes California kingsnake 
Rainbow boa Gopher snake 

How To Spray Your Snake With Water 

Before you spray your snake with water – or even mist their tank – there are a couple of things to keep in mind, of which the most important is the temperature of the water, the type of water that you use, and the amount of water that you use. 

Water Temperature 

The main thing to remember when spraying your snake with water – or even misting their tank while in it – is that the water shouldn’t be cold, as this will drastically lower the tank‘s temperature very quickly.

Because snakes are cold-blooded, they can also cool down too fast if you spray them with cold water.

A good rule of thumb for the water temperature is that it shouldn’t be colder than the coolest part of your snake’s tank and should never be hotter (or even as hot as) their basking spot.

This could not only let your snake’s temperature rise too fast but can also cause burns. The temperature of the water, therefore, differs from species to species. 

How often should you mist your snake?

Type Of Water To Use 

Because tap water can contain several different chemicals, it’s always best to use water that has been boiled and cooled down to the appropriate temperature or, even better, use distilled water.

The distilled water can then be heated until it reaches the correct temperature and then you can just pour it into a spray bottle. 

Distilled water also won’t leave water stains on the inside of the tank, while water stains are usually left when using tap water.

Of course, if your snake’s breed needs salt water, you must spray them with specialty salt water and not distilled water.

Tip: When heating the water for use in your snake’s tank, you can use a clean kitchen/cooking/sugar thermometer to ensure that you keep to the correct temperature for your snake.

Note that this thermometer should only be used in clean water. Don’t measure the temperature of your snake’s used water with a kitchen utensil you still use to prepare food… 

Amount Of Water To Use

You should always try to use as little water as possible with your snake as too much water and humidity can be bad for their health and makes them more susceptible to respiratory and other fungal or bacterial infections.

To spray your snake with water, therefore, use a small, clean spray bottle.

Make sure that the spray bottle can spray a fine mist of water. This will ensure that you use only a little bit of water but that it’s spread over a large area.

Before you spray your snake with water, make sure that the humidity isn’t too high. Then, give your snake a couple of sprays so that it’s damp, but not wet. The number of sprays will depend on the size of the snake. 

Why do you spray snakes with water?

What To Do If The Humidity In The Tank Gets Too High

In case the humidity in the tank gets too high once you’ve sprayed your snake with water, the quickest way of lowering the humidity is to open the tank.

Then the drier air outside the tank can mix with the air inside to lower the humidity. 

Make Sure Your Snake Always Has Enough Water To Drink And Soak In 

It’s vital that your snake always have fresh, clean water in their tank, even if they are a desert species. Also, make sure that the water bowl or container is large enough for your snake to soak in if they should want.

Snakes often soak in water when they’re about to shed, which helps keep the old skin supple. 

Keep Your Snake’s Temperament In Mind 

Although there are some snake breeds that like water, it doesn’t mean that your specific snake will enjoy being sprayed with water.

Always keep your snake’s temperament in mind. You’ll soon find out if your snake doesn’t like being sprayed with water. 

If this is the case (and they don’t need to be sprayed for the sake of humidity), rather leave the spray bottle alone and ensure that they have ample water available in their tank. Then they can soak in the water if they need to. 

Conclusion 

Spraying your snake with water can be very good for their overall wellbeing, and can also be a time of bonding between you and your snake.

As long as you don’t overdo it, there’s no harm in spraying your snake with water every now and then. Just remember to keep an eye on the tank’s humidity, and you’re a-okay. 

Pierre And The ReptileCraze Team
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