Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a normal corn that is about 2 years old. He has a strange looking fecal matter on a regular basis and it smells worse than anything I ever smelled. It almost smells like it is rotten or something.

I have 4 other snakes: Albino Corn, King, Albino Rat, and Eastern Indigo and even the Indigo doesn't get close to this guys smell when he poops. Can anyone help with what may be wrong if antything? Thanks, I really appreciate it. I have downloaded a picture to look at.

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Gregory S. Hake

It doesn't look like a regurge. If anything, it looks like food that was not fully digested. Could also be parasites causing the strange-looking stool. Hard to say.

Bry

Thanks for the reply. Go see the post under Gargoyle. This always seems to happen when he has an empty belly, after he has already pooped 2 or 3 times normally after a meal.

Thanks
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Gregory S. Hake

What are you feeding your corn?If those are pinks I would say it was regurge.You will know a snake regurge smell from the next room.It's wonderfully potent/putrid.
If that is stool then you have some serious lower digestion problems.If you have actually seen your corn crap that out then save it and take it to a reptile vet so they can run some tests on it.Good Luck...Paul

I am feeding him small adults right now. I have had him for about 2 years and he was maybe 6 months old when he was given to me. I was unsure if it was regurge but was leaning toward the fact that it wasn't. The reason why? It seems that this comes when he has an empty belly. He has already pooped 3 times since his last meal (and they seem ok as far as looks but always have the smell) and this was his 4th time. I have not actually witnessed him pooping this out but since he is eating adults and has bowel movements that look normal prior to this I figured that the food has been digested. Also, the picture you see came 8 days after feeding. There was one time he refused food, aboiut 6 months ago, this is when I really started noticing the smell. I normally feed him every 7 days, but I am currecly waiting on a shipment.

Also, he hasn't seemed to grow to the size you would expect him to be at his age right now.

Thanks
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Gregory S. Hake

Yes, he has done this ever since I have had him but I never thought it to be a problem because it wasn't of great size. It wasn't untill this past 6 months when he started eating bigger meals that I really noticed it. But I have always noticed a yellowish/greenish fecal matter when his belly is empty. With pinkies he pooped so little it wasn't as noticeable. My other Corn has also pooped a yellowish/greenish slimy looking poop when his belly was empty, but this was on very rare occasions and I haven't noticed it from my other one for a couple of years now. The snake in question does this almost weekly.

Thanks for your help.
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Gregory S. Hake

...to anything that has come into contact with that one. Have you had that snake very long? Whatever is "wrong" with it...You sure don't want to expose your others to it. That would include washing your hands after handling that snake, refraining from feeding another snake an item that "stinky" refused but had contact with, etc. I agree with Paul that it sure looks like it might be regurge. You might want to give the snake a couple of weeks off from food and then start him with smaller food items, maybe even a head or a headless pink. Duffy

My snakes have done this on occasion, and I have found that it is incomplete digestion due to insufficient heat source. I turned the heat up a small amount and made sure the snakes had a warm side of 83 and the next feces were normal looking. I have a rack system heated by flexwatt heat tape, and this happened to a couple of snakes right after I put them in the rack. Didnt have the heat high enough initially, and they had a bowel movement that looked exactly like that, and stunk my whole snake room up!!! LOL

Turn up the heat alittle at a time until you get the warm end around 82 or 83 and Ill bet the next "dump" will look normal. Make sure you have a hide at both ends as well so the snake will thermoregulate as it needs.

Good luck
Brian

>>I have a normal corn that is about 2 years old. He has a strange looking fecal matter on a regular basis and it smells worse than anything I ever smelled. It almost smells like it is rotten or something.
>>
>>I have 4 other snakes: Albino Corn, King, Albino Rat, and Eastern Indigo and even the Indigo doesn't get close to this guys smell when he poops. Can anyone help with what may be wrong if antything? Thanks, I really appreciate it. I have downloaded a picture to look at.
>>
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>>Gregory S. Hake
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RATS
1.0 Corn snake "Warpath" (KY locale)
1.0 Black rat snake "Havok" (KY locale)
1.1 Black rat snakes "Reaper and Mystique" (MO locale)
1.0 Albino Black rat snake "Malakai" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Everglades rat snake "Deadpool" (Dwight Good stock)
0.1 Greenish rat snake "Rogue" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Yellow rat snake "Wolverine" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Grey rat snake "Punisher" (White oak phase)(Dwight Good stock)

MILKS
0.0.1 Eastern Milk snake "Cable" (KY locale)
0.0.1 Eastern/Red milk intergrade "Omega Red" (KY locale)
Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian

Thanks,

I would not have thought of that since he always has 80-85 degree temps at one side of his cage. He definately seems to hang out more on the cool side though. I will monitor his temps closely after feeding. The strange thing is that he has always done this and he is in no different temps than my others. But it is worth paying extra attention to when I feed him.

Thanks for the advice,
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Gregory S. Hake