Snake's poop

[Canadain Eh?]

:confused: My snake was fed on last Friday now it's Thursday and he hasn't gone to the bathroom yet. Also I just got a snake and I don't know what it looks like. So how do I know if he went?

[bmm]

What substrate are you using? If you are using aspen the poop can be hiding and hard to find.

When he does go, and you see it, you'll know its poop. It almost looks like bird poop, dark feces, and white urates. Black adn white. Sometimes its a little yellow or a little more brown but generally it looks like what you might find on your car hood after parking under a tree. The consistancy can very from really runny (sometimes if something is wrong this can happen on a continues basis) or harder.

Your snake should be fine. Sometimes the little guys use most of their food for growing especially after being purchased at a pet store where they maintanence feed. I would say as long as she goes after the nect feeding you are A o.K.

If she doesnt go next feeding try a bath.

bmm

[canadianjoe]

The easiest way i find out if they have gone poo or not is to smell the cage. The snakes poo is pretty much it that could smell up the cage except for a regurge that u didn't see in the cage. The snakes poo looks really similar to bird poo.

[sumguy]

bought a baby/juvy corn 3/22. Was worried about not pooing also. Was feeding pinkies to start and and couldn't find feces. I'm thinking the pinkies were mostly processed. Seems to do OK with fuzzies (about 18+" now) and am noticing more of the white and black feces mentioned. Just wondering from a hygeine standpoint - do they urinate as well as defecate? Have only seen drinking once. Is snake urea always going to be white stuff or is that unique to defecating?

BTW using 1-2 inches of Repti-bark and have no noticable odors although it is harder to find. Thats why I'm worried about urination. Seems to like dropping load near bottom of enclosure. Have to dig around every couple days to check :(

Good ways to measure length and weight? Still skittish when held and occasionally makes a mad dash for freedom, fast sucker. Has rattled a few times but never tried biting.

close up (http://gallery.pethobbyist.com/index.pl?photo=64283)
eating (http://gallery.pethobbyist.com/index.pl?photo=64284)

[13mur 6]

I don't think snakes urinate, or atleast not in the same way mammals do (if they did, they'd drink alot more, and they'd have a faster metabolism). The white urates you see in the poo are the snake's equivalent of urine.

Easy way to measure length is to use a piece of string, just cut it or put a knot when the length is right. Weighing I use a digital scale (expensive lil things), and put a plastic box on it and tare it, and then add the snake.

For those who worry about snake pooping, why not use paper towel substrate? Hard to miss when they poop on that.

-13mur 6

[fateamber]

Snakes do urinate akasha has done it on my clothes a few times.

[bmm]

The white area in the poo is urates. If your snake is putting a clear msuky fluid on you when you are holding her, she is musking you. Not peeing on you.

bmm

[CAV]

BMM,

Are the females the only ones that musk or do males do it and I just haven't seen it?

[clumsly]

ya the do go pee becuase i always see my ball go pee in hes cage and its alot lol. it soaks up most of of his subsrtae so ihave o throw it out.

[Rachel]

Nope, they dont urinate like we do (ie watery 'pee'). They excrete a very concentrated urine which we see as the white solid urates that they pass with their faeces. If they excreted a watery 'pee' that they would not be suited for living in dry conditions as they would dehydrate.

They watery stuff some people are seeing is musk not pee. HTH :)

[CornCrazy]

It IS possible for snakes to excrete "fluidy" urine as well. Sometimes when the snake drinks excessivly, more liquid is excreted along with the "dry" urates. I have seen this on occasion. It was NOT musk on those occasions, either. Normally, however, a snakes' urine is simply the "dry" urates that everyone is talking about.

[bmm]

I agree with CornCrazy.

I don't think they pass only hard or semi hard urates.

I would think this could be the case in the wild, but not in captivity. When my corns go to the bathroom there is poo, white harder urates, and normally both of those are in a puddle of softer wet urates.

CAV- No both sexes can musk, corns aren't too big on that though unless they are real jerks. LOL. Most often than not they will just crap on you instead. :D

bmm

[13mur 6]

Another thing to note is that if your snake is passing an excessive amount of fluid, it can either mean 1) something's wrong and your snake is not properly absorbing fluid (usually accompanies dehydration), or 2) you have one very well hydrated snake and can afford to lose some liquid (in which case you have a healthy animal).

-Lemur 6