Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i purchased a ball python on 9-15-03. he is 21.5 inches long and a real hardy eater(2 adult mice ever 4-5 days). last night he shed for the first time while i have had him. i soaked him in water to help cause it was coming off in seperate peices. i guess he got really relaxed cause he pooped. what i thought was poop b4 was a chalky looking substance. i was told that was poop. but after he let that stuff out he pooped a brown turd out that was about the size of my pinkie. (i'm 19) it was really big. could somebody help me and tell me what their snakes poop looks like. i am worried, i think he might have been constipated. thanks

the poop you describe is normal. all my balls usually pass the white chalky stuff, urates, then a little liquid and then the brown turd as you put it. you should get all in one session but on occasion i will see just the turd and no sign of urates. balls dont poop as much as other snakes so it may be a few meals before they go. to insure that he goes properly dont stuff him with food and always watch temp and humidity so he can digest properly.

thanks, it just kinda scared me because i have never seen anything come from him exept the chalky white stuff. and then that just made me worry cause their was two of them the same size. it just seemed like a lot to me. thanks

My Ball always passes his urates about a day before he poops. Case in point, two days ago I found three seperate hardened urates in his tank, and when I woke up this morining there was a fresh, warm, turd waiting for me to clean...
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Long Beach, CA
0.0.1 Ball Python

yea, i hate those fresh steamers man. they are harder to pick up than a little dry one. they break apart and stick to everything you have for a substrate, and you have to take out more substrate. How much substrate should i take out when mine poops? (hes shedding, so im expecting a 4 incher soon) i usually take 1 inch x 1inch around the poop and take all the substrate down to the glass.

i just found some urate in his cage today. normally i feed him when i see that. so should i wait till i see a turd before i feed him or feed him now? he is acting really hungry like he does when he wants food. so should i go ahead and feed him?