Do Ball Pythons Drink Water? [How & When]

A Ball Python is a non-venomous snake that is native to the African continent. It has a life span of 20-30 years. They are often kept as pets because they are docile, easy to care for, and make great starter pets.

The question that is asked a lot is, do ball pythons drink water? We will answer this question and more related questions in the following details:

Yes ball pythons drink water, but they only require a small amount of water since they absorb moisture from their prey. However, it’s still essential to provide a clean water container in their enclosure. Ball pythons can drink tap water if it’s safe, but spring water is a better option. They can go up to 12 days without water but providing water is still necessary to prevent dehydration. Providing a deep, clean water dish in a suitable location can encourage them to drink.

Do Ball Pythons Drink Water?

The ball python only drinks a little water, and it does not need much because it is urinating solid acid, not throwing water outside the body to maintain the moisture of its body, and this acid that the snake throws is called uric acid.

This method came after the snakes adapted to live in areas that do not contain water, such as desert areas.

Despite this information, you as a snake breeder must put the water in a clean container in the place designated for the snake to drink from it if needed, and make sure that the water is clean to prevent the snake from infecting health problems.

Also, ball pythons are cold-blooded animals that rely on the environment to regulate their body temperature. They absorb water from their prey and use it to regulate the moisture levels in their bodies.

Some snakes may drink from standing pools of water, but this is not a regular habit for them.

Can Ball Pythons Drink Tap Water?

Although the ball python does not need a lot of water, water is still necessary for it, and it is necessary to provide water in the snake tank daily.

If you are sure that the tap water is clean and safe, the ball python can drink from it, but if you are not sure of that, you should provide water similar to the water found in nature, such as using a bottle of spring water.

It is unhealthy to serve water from distilled water bottles, or bottles intended for humans that are sold in the market.

Those bottles in the market differ in the proportions and quality of the elements they contain, so we cannot risk our pet and let him drink from them.

You must bear the trouble of providing spring water, and she eventually needs a small amount of it because Ball Pythons are not water snakes and do not drink a lot of water. They get all the liquids they need from their prey, which contains high amounts of moisture and water.

How Long Can A Ball Python Go Without Drinking Water?

The ball python will be able to survive for long days without drinking water, and up to twelve days without facing health problems or being dehydrated.

The reason for this is that ball pythons are reptiles, and reptiles do not drink much water. Instead, they get all the fluids they need from their food and from the prey they eat.

If a ball python gets wet food it will be able to live more than 12 days without water, but it is unable to survive without water and will die after one month due to dehydration.

What Happens If The Ball Python Does Not Drink Water?

If your ball python does not drink enough water or does not have enough or adequate water for any reason, this will cause the snake to become dehydrated.

Breeds of snakes that live in places with high humidity will need less water because they will get water from the air.

Some snakes can compensate for this by exploiting the water in the air, rainwater, or the water in their prey.

How Do I Get My Ball Python To Drink Water?

Snakes are not known for their thirst. They can go weeks without drinking water. But, that doesn’t mean you should neglect your snake’s needs.

Ball pythons need to drink water as it helps them digest their food. The best way to get your ball python to drink water is by providing a bowl of fresh water at all times. You should also make sure that the water is not too hot or too cold for the snake to enjoy.

Ball pythons are not designed to eat food that is not moist. This is why you need to make sure that they have water available at all times, even when they are not eating anything.

A ball python cannot be forced to drink water, but steps that may help it drink water include providing a bowl of fresh drinking water for your snake to drink from.

The dish must also be refilled to ensure that there is an adequate amount of water. Also, a suitable place can be chosen for the water drinking dish, such as placing it near the entrance to be in the way of the snake. Water must be provided daily so that your ball python does not reach the stage of dehydration.

The dish should be deep enough for the snake to submerge its entire head into it and drink from the surface of the water.

Can I Spray My Snake With Water?

Specialists and veterinarians advise not to spray the snake with water directly toward the body. First, they do not like it and may feel that this thing poses a threat to them, which leads them to act crazy.

Secondly, if you spray your snake’s body it will cause its thermoregulation system to break down, and this may pose a health risk to them.

If your snake is exposed to splashing water, even if it is by chance, then you must remove the water from the place designated for the snake and make sure that the place is not wet.

How Do Snakes Drink Water?

Snakes have their way of drinking water, some may think that snakes drink water by soaking their tongue in water and then pulling the tongue into the mouth, but studies have proven that this is not true because the tongue is used to catch smells, and if it gets wet, it will not be able to perform those Function.

Snakes drink water in a way similar to soaking a sponge in water, then pressing it and withdrawing the water stored in it.

Snakes have a sponge-like part located in the lower jaw of the snake, when they want to drink water, their jaws will be soaked in water, then the water is pushed into the intestines by the action of muscles.

And this is an old thread but a common question anyway snakes are fairly subtle about drinking, they even suck up drips of water from the surface of leaves in the wild, from the sides of their homes after mist, and even from the drips on their coils. But they often do this at night too, when no one’s looking.

Conclusion

Ball pythons do not drink a lot of water. They obtain their moisture from the prey they eat.

The reason that the ball python drinks so little water is that they can keep the water available in their bodies and not excrete it in the urine, instead working to excrete the urine in a solid form.

This does not mean that you should not provide water to your ball python, because if it does not have water for 12 days, it will suffer from dehydration.

It is not recommended to offer tap water to snakes, instead, you should offer spring water.

To help the snake drink water and not risk it to reach the stage of dehydration, a water drinking dish must be provided and placed in the place designated for the snake to live.

Spraying the snake with water is a very wrong act and causes the collapse of the system that the snake follows to control its body temperature.

Snakes have a unique way of drinking water, which is to soak the lower jaw, which contains a sponge, then the muscles work to draw this water toward the inside of the body.

If your ball python is dehydrated, it should be shown to the vet for safety.