It's funny you suggest that they want to keep it clean. I've thought for a few years that snakes try/want to keep their living quarters clean similar to how a dog or cat would.

The majority of my snakes will nearlly always defecate in the corners of their inclosures... my black milks and one corn seem to use the same corner every single time and have for years.

I've started taking my argentine boas outside for a "bathroom break" and it works quite often. once they get the pudgy look near their vent, i'll let them crawl around the back yard for a few minutes and bam... no mess to clean in the cage.

i've notice the corner defication increase when using newspaper substrate as well. In my mind i think that maybe they know the newspaper isn't going to do a ver good job of keeping the mess in once spot/ away from them, so they deposit it as far away from them as possible.

there are exceptions though, like my dumerils boas just seem to not care and will go anywhere at any time. then on the other hand thanks to FR and BR making posts that get my brain going, I wonder if dums not travelling to another area to defecate is part of their natural bahavior as highly camoflaged ambush hunters who get to eat by staying in one spot and not moving about. similar to snipers who have no choice but to ruin their pants because moving around would give them away.

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