Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hey, i know bitis are famous for not defecating on a regular basis but i was wondering what is the usual time period between eating and defecating? ive had my rhino for about a month now and it has never defecated in my care (except for its arival it [bleep] all over itself during shipment)..it has eaten 3 meals with me but still no feces? not worried just curious..oh and i soak her every other week..should it be more often? im not a fan of soaking her because of the stress factor..thanks in advance

Rhinos (along with other Bitis) are famous for retaining their feces for extended periods of time. At certain times, a Bitis' total mass can be comprised of up to 20% retained feces. The reason they do this is to ballast themselves for their lightning fast, hard strikes. I would say a month is fine (especially since it crapped in shipping). Soaking snakes can alleviate constipation, but constipation in this case is a natural part of the snakes lifestyle.