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Interesting observation
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by Frawgg on December 12, 2005
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I keep multiple water bowls within each of my snakes enclosures. I have one large water bowl and two small water bowls. I am meticulous in keeping fresh water available at all times. I have noticed that my snakes prefer to drink from the smaller water bowls, but I thought that maybe the water is just simply evaporating faster from the smaller water bowls. Upon observing this behavior, I have moved the large water bowl closest to their hide box and placed the small water bowls furthest away from the hide box. I have been particularly obsessive about maintaining exact amounts in each of these bowls and time and time again, the smaller water bowls are the ones that the snakes drink from the most often. Any thoughts as to WHY?
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RE: Interesting observation
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by Amabilis on December 12, 2005
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Perhaps it has to do with the temperature of the water. I have several cages with more than one water dish and the smaller ones DO evaporate faster. But, in one cage for my abherant atrox, I have two of the same size and they always drink from one and not the other. If I switch them they will drink from the other. So I thought it had to do with the temp of the water.
D
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RE: Interesting observation
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by earthguy on December 13, 2005
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Based on surface area, the larger bowl should evaporate faster. As far as preference goes, I have a favorite cup, and I couldn't explain to you why. Sometimes organisms are just quirky :)
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RE: Interesting observation
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by Frawgg on December 13, 2005
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At first I thought it was evaporation, but I can assure you, it is not evaporation. They simply prefer the smaller water bowls...although they will drink from the larger bowls...albeit not as frequently. WEIRD.
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RE: Interesting observation
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by LarryDFishel on December 13, 2005
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A larger volume of water may evaporate from the larger bowl, but I think a larger percentage of the water will evaporate from the smaller bowl due to capilary action around the edges. I'm not sure capilary action is the explanation, but I've noticed that the water level certainly seems to drop faster in in narrower bowl, regardless of height. Perhaps that keeps the water in the smaller bowl cooler?
Another possibility has to do with an observation I made years ago. I noticed that the more often I changed the water in my snakes' cages the more often they urinated. My conclusion was that once the water became the least bit dirty, even if it wasn't noticable to me, they would avoid drinking it. Perhaps they crawl through or even soak in the large dish, either of which tends to result in them unrinating in the dish, but they don't do this in the small dish?
Or maybe they just tried to drink out of the large dish once and it was dirty and they remember that... Who knows?
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RE: Interesting observation
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by Frawgg on December 14, 2005
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Who knows...For the past two weeks, I have experimented with the water bowls in the enclosure and had a control group placed 4' away from the radiator. I immediately suspected it was evaporation, but after my primitive experiment, I'm not so sure. Your theories certainly sound feasible do pose further "head scratching".
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RE: Interesting observation
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by Cro on December 14, 2005
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You might want to use a accurate thermometer and check the temperature of the water in the different bowls.
It would be interesting to know if there is some evaporative cooling based on bowl size that might cause the water temperatures to vary some.
Or you might put two same size bowls in a cage, with a water temperature difference of say 10 degrees, and see if the snake would prefer one over the other. Of course, the snake would have to be thirsty, as the water temperature in the two bowls will equalize in a fairly short time.
JohnZ
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RE: Interesting observation
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by Frawgg on December 14, 2005
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I think I've answered my own question (I THINK!) and have gotten back to reality. I have been using these synthetic injection molded "rock" bowls. There are hundreds (if not thousands) of tiny holes that formed during the manufacturing process. I surmise that minute amounts of water pool into these depressions and subsequently the water that is trapped there evaporates faster and the cycle then repeats itself. The larger water bowls oddly enough don't have as many holes as the smaller ones do. Snakes are purely instinctual animals. Preferances for small vs. large water bowls is just tooo far fetched of an idea for me.
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