Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Twice now. I posted before about how my yearling corn decided to relieve herself on my shirt and was wondering what may have been the cause. The responses were what I had also thought. While handling, she is exploring and then just stops, does her buisness and then continues on. She is not startled and is used to being handled. But this has made two times(in a row) she has chosen handling time to use the bathroom. This time happened to be in my pocket, fortunetly on my keys and not my cash. But anyway, how can I avoid this? Or what may be causing it? ...The exercise? I know slightly warm water will stimulate a movement but is it necessary I let her crawl around in a half inch of water before every handling? Maybe just when there is obviously a movement already on the way? Possibly something wrong with my temps? Sorry for carrying on. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Eric

It is my thinking that all snakes are somewhat stressed by handling no matter how calm they appear. Because of that their instinct tells them to rid themselves of excess ballast just in case they need to flee. I raised birds for several years and they are famous for "p**ping" but if after picking them up just wait a couple seconds and they will empty out over their cage, waste basket, wherever. Watch birds on the phone or electric wires they always empty before flying. I can expect it from all my snakes if recently fed a large meal. For my particularly "p**py" snakes I hold over the waste basket or grass. Works for me.

I don’t know if territory marking has ever been documented in snakes before, but it only makes sense seeing they are so in tuned to smells and odors. Their natural musk glandes must serve some sort of purpose to them.
I do know that if I want a Corn snake to go to the bath room, all I have to do is clean it’s cage and with out fail they will soil it as soon as I place them back into it. I also notice that when I place a male into a females cage, the first thing he does is “ooze” in it to mark that he is there.
I must assume that if your snake is comfortable enough to stay in your pocket for an hour or more at a time then he/she is letting all the other snakes know that it is her space and the area already has a snake in it by spreading her odor all over your formerly clean shirt! LOL
-----
Jim Hopkins "Hoppy"
Hopkins Holesale Herps
Hopfam1@aol.com

How soon after eating is this happening? May not be the same, but my BP did this to me twice. Since then after I feed him I wait until he's defecated to hold him. He (and pretty much all my snakes) go like clockwork - so I'm able to 'plan accordingly'.

-----
Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python "Aragorn"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa "Gimli"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa "Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa "Arwen"
0.1 California Kingsnake "Gentoo"
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Indigo"
1.0 Snow Corn snake "Chile"

0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer
"Kira"

My male corn has gotten my shirt and my sofa (thank God I keep a blanket thrown over it!). In his case, I think he just goes when he feels he wants to. These days I usually feed him then wait until after he defecates before handling him. So far since I changed to this plan of attack, my shirts and sofa have stayed clean.

Raven

To the best of my knowledge the poop to feed schedule went something like this.
1 pooped on shirt
2 fed a few days later
3 looked as if she was constipated so I induced poop with luke warm water
4 two days later she looked as if she built another one up
5 fed a week from last feeding
6 two days after feeding(today) still no poo, so I picked her up and she crawled around about 10 min then into the pocket and on her way out she stopped for a potty break

p.s. she spend just about all her time on the cold side,
my roomates corn spends half on warm and half on cold,
my newly aquired bp spends all of his time on the warm side

I feed all once a week

.
-----
Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python "Aragorn"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa "Gimli"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa "Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa "Arwen"
0.1 California Kingsnake "Gentoo"
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Indigo"
1.0 Snow Corn snake "Chile"

0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer
"Kira"

Hold it until I can take them out of their cage. About every week to 10 days I take them out in the yard. I know they "hold" it. I can see them peeking out of their hides when they have to "go". Try holding them after they go or taking them out to go elsewhere before holding them. Mine hate to go in their cage even though I clean up as soon as they have an "accident".

My snakes eat on Saturday and they usually go to the bathroom between Wednesday to Friday. It just depends on the snake.
So all you have to do is pay attention to it's schedule. If it poops three days after eating then handle before that or wait until you know it has.
Jimmy