Water

Water is a necessity for most living creatures and pythons are no exception. Clean drinkable water must be available at all times.

There is a MYTH that snakes don’t drink and they get their fluids from the whole prey they consume. This is false and snakes most certainly do drink. You may not see it very often and most of the time happens at night when you are not there. In the years I have been keeping I’ve only observed them drinking a few times. I captured it once on my phone as seen bellow.

Pythons tend to prefer fresh water over water that has been sitting for some time. For this reason water bowls should be emptied and replaced with fresh water often. I would suggest a minimum of at least one water change per week.

Bellow is a video supplied by WA reptile keeper Adam Miles, of one of his Stimson pythons drinking. A good example of a python drinking and why fresh water is important.

 

There are many items that can be used for water bowls. I like to provide a bowl or dish that is large enough for the python to sit in or get most of its body in. Occasionally they will have a dip into their water bowls.

It’s also important when choosing a water bowl to consider it’s weight and ability to be tipped over by a roaming python. I find bowls and dishes that are wider than they are high are much more stable.

Pet stores offer a range of water dishes that look like natural rock for reptiles. Dog water bowls can also be used for snakes.

Any ceramic, glass or plastic that is fit for use with humans is generally okay to use with your pet pythons. I often go to the cheaper home wares shops and purchase ceramic casserole dishes. They make great water bowls, easy to clean and next to impossible for the snakes to tip over.

This heavy glass candle holder from Ikea is ideal for a hatchling carpet python. It’s heavy enough that the snake can not tip it over and holds a good amount of water for a baby snake. They come in packs of 4 and are about $2 a pack. (20 cent coin for size reference)

A mini casserole dish from Coles. Also will not get tipped over by a baby python and works great as a water bowl. Cost about $2.

For juvie carpet pythons I find souffle bowls from the cheap home-wares stores work really well.

Pyrex bowls and dishes work well for water bowls too.

For most of my adult pythons I use the ceramic casserole dishes. They are about $5 from the cheap home-wares shops. Easy to clean and the snakes can not tip them over. It’s good to have a water bowl large enough that the snake can sit in it, should it ever want to.

Many first time keepers only have one or two snakes. In this instance they will often want their enclosures to look like a zoo display. There are bowls made from resin such as these that have the look of rock. They are quite expensive, but work well and look good in a display. They come in many sizes too.