Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I decided to get my corn snake out and curl up with him and my husband to watch tv in bed. I thought it was a cozy picture...but my snake had other plans.

Right when we settled in, he POOPED!!! I don't even know where it came from. He had already pooped out this weeks meal. Talk about a mood buster
Instead of enjoying the company of my snake and my husband, I ended up washing sheets and telling my husband that the smell would go away.
Is there anyway to read your corn's behavior and predict such moments? (This is the first time he has ever pooped 2 in one week.)

-----
Hangin with the Herps
ZZ

>>I decided to get my corn snake out and curl up with him and my husband to watch tv in bed. I thought it was a cozy picture...but my snake had other plans.
>>
>>Right when we settled in, he POOPED!!! I don't even know where it came from. He had already pooped out this weeks meal. Talk about a mood buster
>>Instead of enjoying the company of my snake and my husband, I ended up washing sheets and telling my husband that the smell would go away.
>>Is there anyway to read your corn's behavior and predict such moments? (This is the first time he has ever pooped 2 in one week.)
>>
>>-----
>>Hangin with the Herps
>> ZZ

I don't think you can read it's behavior but you can read it's body. When you get your snake out for handling make sure there isn't any swelling in it's lower section. The closer the swelling to the anal opening the closer to the time it will go to the bathroom.
If you handle it enough and pay close attention to it's size after feedings you will start to see the difference. And watch for the tail to raise !!! Put it back quick....lol
-----
Jimmy (draybar)

to poop when taken out of their environment (cage). Mine will almost always poop right after I clean their cages

Kerby...

You're rather lucky he's never done that before. It's natural. If it was actual poop, maybe it was just that time of the week and the little extra provokation was enough. My king does it if he's been out and about for more than 20 minutes or so, as if to let me know that it's time to go back into the tank.

No matter what the reason, it's normal.

As draybar said, look at the section of the body just before the vent, if it's swollen when you take him out expect to get pooped on. Also, if you have a pretty active snake that rarely settles down when you are holding him, and then he settles down, be worried. That's how mine has got me in the past. I've been hoding him and I think, "thank God he has finally settled down and is just going to sit here." Then I get a big old poop in my lap.

Actually you should be glad that yours doesn't usually poop more than once a feeding (AKA less cage cleaning). Mine usually has 1 huge one then 1-2 more that are considerably smaller later in the week.

Also, don't put him back into his cage when he does this. They start to associate them pooping on you as a way to get away from you and back into their cage.
-----
alstiver@hotmail.com

1.0 '01 hypo snow
0.1 '02 ghost (pastel)
1.1 '02 bloodred

If you're planning to take your corn out for extended times, give it a luke warm bath the first thing and let if void in there (my corns will usually poop within 10 minutes of being introduced to water, most of the time earlier). This BTW will wash off some nasty bacteria and give your corn some skin softening moisture.

-13mur 6