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How to bath a corn snake

9.1K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  johndavidwoods  
#1 ·
Ok so I know it's a odd question but my corn snake absolutely loves climbing all over me but recently I have upgraded her food so now when she eats it she pops the guts and ends up getting blood and guts all over her, not only is it not hygienic it smells too. And don't worry, I feed her in a separate container. She tends to squeeze the rat as hard as she can before she starts moving so all that pressure is pushing and making a hole. Yuk!!!

Any help please?

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#3 ·
Personally I run a nice warm bath. I have a selection of scented bubbles I add while running the water to ensure a nice mound of foam.
Some scented candles help reduce stress and aid shedding.
Once washed and rinsed I provide a nice thick pile towel to dry off (thus avoiding nasties such as RI and scale rot).
Overall a relaxing and enjoyable experience for the snake.
 
#4 ·
To the OP, if you're really unsure:

You can bath a snake in your bath, just don't fill it too deep. A couple of inches of warm water should be fine. Snakes can swim!
Cover any holes such as the taps or the overflow hole so the snake cannot escape into it.

I gave my snake a bath recently, as she was having problems pooing; it fixed the problem (she actually pooped in the bath), and she loved having her bath!
 
#7 ·
For a quick wash I'd follow the suggestion of putting it in the bath for a few minutes and then gently rubbing it down with a soaking wet , rough textured towel .
Obviously a sealed container with air holes would be safer if you have one big enough

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#8 ·
Serious point about bathing a snake though - most people suggest warm water but tepid water would be more appropriate. A human's internal temperature is 37 degrees or something - if it feels warm to us, it will be uncomfortably so to a snake that has a suggested vivarium hot spot of 30 degrees. Cool (not cold) water would be the way to go for a corn - if you must bathe it.
 
#10 ·
A thermometer would give you a better answer. I would aim for something approximately around 20 degrees, but a bit cooler, slightly warmer (not too much), would be OK. Your elbow/a baby are still running at quite different temperatures from most snakes.

If you ever put your finger in a tank intended for tropical fish, you really wouldn't describe it as 'warm'. Tropical fish are typically kept around the 24 - 26 degree mark so that's the average sort of water temperature where many of them come from. Corn snakes come from a temperate climate, any water they come across, unless it's summer and the water is shallow and still, will be cooler.