Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Okay, I bought my beautiful lavender cali kingsnake from Mike a couple months ago. She's doing very well now, eating well, etc. I just have one question. I've got aspen bedding for her substrate, which she loves to tunnel in, but I have trouble "scooping the poop" out of it. I replaced all the bedding earlier this week and scrubbed the aquarium, because I know kingsnakes prefer cleanliness. I can't do that every time though, but I have trouble seeing her poop in the substrate and managing to scoop it out efficiently. Any suggestions?

I'm really hoping she's not pooping in her tunnels.

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Holly

0.1 Lavender California Kingsnake (Lizzie Borden)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Charley Manson)
1.0 Orange Marmalade Cat (Oliver)
1.0 Egyptian Arabian (Bagan)

2.0 Toddlers (Justice & Trevor)

Beautiful snake you have their. Looks alot like my kingsnake when I first picked him up.

I have a mulch bedding and my snake LOVES to tunnel too. He spends like 70% of his time in his tunnels. I am lucky enough that he comes up to poop however. I don't think there is much you can do other than sift through the bedding and do your best to clean it out.

Can anyone give me some insight on just how often I should clean my snakes tank and replace the bedding?

Sorry I couldn't really help :

I just finger through it and find it by touch. No easier way I can think of. My kings tunnel but seem to like to deficate on the surface of their substrate, maybe its the cypress mulch I use. I also give mine a few large wooden hides to hang out in also, and this seems to cut down on the extensive tunneling. This is my male Coastal Cal King- he was a gift and he does not tunnel much at all, and deficates on the surface of the substrate. He eats 3 adult mice a feeding, and likes his hides I provided him.

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125 Orchid plants
20 other tropical plants and succulents
12 Bonsai Trees
28 Tarantulas & 1 Androctonus Scorpion
6 Planted Freshwater Tanks
1.1 Kankakee Bulls
1.0 Texas Red Bull
0.1 Kansas Yellow Bull
1.1 Costal Chocolate Cal Kings

Here is the cage for my Costal Cal King in the previous pic. Notic the bark Hides which you can get at most pet shops. He seems to really like these and stays under them a lot with little tunneling. He is not a climber either really.

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125 Orchid plants
20 other tropical plants and succulents
12 Bonsai Trees
28 Tarantulas & 1 Androctonus Scorpion
6 Planted Freshwater Tanks
1.1 Kankakee Bulls
1.0 Texas Red Bull
0.1 Kansas Yellow Bull
1.1 Costal Chocolate Cal Kings

That's probably the nicest looking bedding to use but it's tougher to keep clean. I stopped using it for the reasons you mentioned. I use ground walnut shell. It's a lot easier to clean and find the poop. The snakes will still dig through it but it doesn't leave tunnels. I prefer the other but just don't have time for it any more.

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