Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My corn is very familiar with me because I am usually the only one that will handle her. When others handle her, she almost always poops on them. I always sit there while she is being handled so I know she isn't being treated roughly or anything like that. I never handle her for a minimum of 24 hours after she eats. So my question is, do corns poop as a defense mechanism or a territorial marking? Strange questions I know, but this has happened 7 times. She has never pooped on me. Thanks in advance.

Tim Savard

Maybe other people just scare the poop out of it.

Yes, some corns do poop for a defense mechanism, and others will go one step further and produce musk from their anal gland. Either way, it's nasty, and I am really glad when they get over their fears.

Others also poop for territorial reasons. That's why you can clean some corns' cages, and the very first thing they do when re-introduced is to leave their calling card on that new aspen! To confront this, I take a little of the non-soiled, but sufficiently scented old shavings, and add them to the new shavings when cleaning cages. That seems to do the trick, and the shavings last longer that way.

Good luck with your snake!
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Darin Chappell
Hillbilly Herps
PO Box 254
Rogersville, MO 65742

Wow, that's really interesting. What do you recommend? Should I continue to allow others to handle her and hope she gets out of her pooping fear? Do they out grow this stage of their life? Corn poop is the nastiest smelling poop ever. It makes dog crap look like roses. Thanks again.

Tim Savard

I've just got a brand new corn (from a friend of a friend who didn't want their snake anymore). I introduced him to the tank and five minutes later, guess what... he pooped...

I've also seen the anal spray, when the vet was looking at one of my kings...

Strangely enough my original corn doesn't mind male people handling him; but when a female comes close he will rear and has struck before. I've never understood this one!