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Hi - I am pretty new to cornsnakes. I have been keeping them for about a year. I have been reading this site off and on the whole time and it has given me tons of useful info (thanks everyone!). Anyway - I have a funny story and I am wondering if anyone can confirm what happened for me. I'm pretty sure I know, but not absolutely.

I had my yearling snake out the other day. I was letting him crawl around on my bed, and he started to lift and straighten his tail a bit. I immediately though, "don't poop on my clean sheets" and grabbed him. Well, he wrapped around my arm and I noticed that in his ven area it looked swollen and red (hemipenis?) and when he moved a little he left a tiny white glob on my arm (sperm?).

Did my flannel sheets excite my snake? Has anyone else had this happen. I did not have any of my females on the bed anytime recently. Is it possible that my girlfriend scented the bed with her pheremones and this got the guy going?

So that's my funny story. Thanks for listening.

>>Hi - I am pretty new to cornsnakes. I have been keeping them for about a year. I have been reading this site off and on the whole time and it has given me tons of useful info (thanks everyone!). Anyway - I have a funny story and I am wondering if anyone can confirm what happened for me. I'm pretty sure I know, but not absolutely.
>>
>>I had my yearling snake out the other day. I was letting him crawl around on my bed, and he started to lift and straighten his tail a bit. I immediately though, "don't poop on my clean sheets" and grabbed him. Well, he wrapped around my arm and I noticed that in his ven area it looked swollen and red (hemipenis?) and when he moved a little he left a tiny white glob on my arm (sperm?).
>>
>>Did my flannel sheets excite my snake? Has anyone else had this happen. I did not have any of my females on the bed anytime recently. Is it possible that my girlfriend scented the bed with her pheremones and this got the guy going?
>>
>>So that's my funny story. Thanks for listening.

I woulkd be more inclined to say your snake musked you.
When upset they can expell a white, smelly fluid.
This is called musking. Some corns may never do it, some may only doing when very young and some may only do it once or twice in their whole lives.
It seems to be more prevelant in rat snakes then corns.
At least it is with my rats and corns.
You were probably right thinking it was about to go to the bathroom on your bed and when you grabbed it up, it probably got distressed and gave you a little squirt
Nasty smelling too, isn't it?....LOL
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

Draybars Snakes

If you ever get musked by a snake, and you have a cat nearby, let the cat smell it. They act like it is catnip, rolling around and rubbing on the spot that has the scent. It is really funny to watch!

I don't have a dog, so don't know how they would react. But it would be interesting to try it on a cat, then let a dog sniff the same spot to see if there is any unusual canine reaction.

my cat is stinky enough, thank you very much. haha.
And he tears me apart if i try to bathe him...

interesting that a cat would react that way to snake musk..but I wonder if it is more a reaction to a strong 'cover' scent than the reaction to catnip. Wild cats (and great cats too) often roll in rather smelly substances, to cover their own scent from prey. The cat may be acting on that instinct more than a catnip effect.

I have noticed myself that the smell of cornsnake musk reminds me alot of stink bugs..very similar smell though the stink bugs are mcuh stronger. Stink bugs are polyhedron shaped bugs that you can find in fields, very interesting looking bugs actually, not very big but when they musk, very potent for something no bigger than a quarter to half inch.

>>If you ever get musked by a snake, and you have a cat nearby, let the cat smell it. They act like it is catnip, rolling around and rubbing on the spot that has the scent. It is really funny to watch!
>>
>>I don't have a dog, so don't know how they would react. But it would be interesting to try it on a cat, then let a dog sniff the same spot to see if there is any unusual canine reaction.

I'll have to try it with my cats. My dogs don't really care too much. A couple of my dogs got a little too "nosey" with one of my snakes and ended up getting biten so they tend to shy away when I get any of the snakes out.
It will be interesting to see what happens with one of the cats.
-----
Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

Draybars Snakes

The little spot he left didn't have any smell at all. I actually sniffed it to see if it had any identifiable odor. Is it still possible that it was a very pathetic musking? Could it have been a small amount of urates? It was a tiny white glob about 1 - 1.5mm in diameter and roughly the consistency of crisco, with a small amount of clear liquid around it.

Your snake loves you.I have a male amel that will mate with my arm anytime of the year.lol.For some strange reason he wont mate any of my females this year.I might have to handle him some to get him in the mood.lol..This could only happen to me..Paul

I'll have to see what happens when I try to mate him. It was pretty funny. I've had my cats do the same thing. I guess sometimes the little guys just get a little too excited.