Reptile & Amphibian Forums

It's official. It seems like everytime I clean out their cages, they save up all their waste and release it as soon as they're back in their freshly cleaned cages. I don't know why, but I think they know, and they hold it back. Lol. Does anyone know why they seem to like to soil a clean cage? It also seems like they all wait, and save up their waste for two weeks, and release everything at once. I don't know why, but the more I clean, the more they produce. They're an ultimate crapping machine. lol.

me, within a few minutes...and it was the same snake. I cleaned her cage, turn around, poo and pee in one of the corners...at least it was the easy corner. So, I change that side, and a few moments more, poo and pee in the far corner...great..the hard side to get too. I cleaned again...thankfully she either ran out of crap or gave up. This was a 6 foot animal, not a baby with small poos.

Have to wonder if they are irritated at being disturbed, irritated with us for messing with how they've arranged things, miss not having their comforting scent about...or just want play games with us.
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Delusions of Grandeur feed the EGO...

mine seem to stick to crapping in the water dish when changed. Saves on the bedding i guess, but man does it stink lol
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I only have a couple that do that...once in awhile. It would sure cut down on the clean time. Dump the bowl in the toilet, flush, wash, all done. You are right...does seem to add to the stink factor, but I sure wish I could potty train them all to do that.

Seems like it would be more sanitary to the snake as well, since all the liquid waste goes out with the water, and doesn't absorb in the bedding, where it spreads out.
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Delusions of Grandeur feed the EGO...

Clean all the cages, and by morning at least half have gone again.. I clean up crap pretty much daily and there's a fresh few for me every day..
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Ed Lilley, www.constrictorsnw.com

My Brazilian used to do that, but it started to smell and look soo gross, that I had to have a talk with him. He no longer poops in his water, but now it's worse cause he poops in a very hidden area in his bedding, so it makes it impossible to find it. I have to play dog, and try to sniff it out. What I hate the most is when they poop on their hiding spot (piece of bark), and man when they poop on that, no matter how often you clean, it still smells. I gotta tell you, if I could change one thing about snakes, it's that I'd have not poop ever again yet stay healthy at all times. Haha, wouldn't that be nice?

Motion stimulates defacation, as with dogs and other animals.

Motion? What motion?

Presumably cleaning cages involves moving the snake, no? And/or the snake crawls around a bit because he's been disturbed.

I soak mine in warm water while I clean the cage out. If they have to go at that point, they almost always do it in the water. That way I rarely run into the problem you are having. Water does make it stink really bad though
Michael Burton

horses do the same thing. They can have acres and acres to roam and play....and poop, but they just can't resist walking into a nice clean stall and pooping almost immediately. After years of owning them and cleaning stalls/sheds, I find this phenomenon to occur about 95% of the time. Oh.....my boas do it too - but not as often
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Linda Hedgpeth
lindafh@frontiernet.net
Sierra Serpents