Musking ?

At least I never have to clean poo out of Inez's viv! She is so funny. If she wasn't so tiny, though, she _wouldn't_ be so funny. Look at her little red freckle on her nose- isn't she just precious?

Nanci

what is musking? is it just when they are scared? we got a snake today and when i went to it today it was rattling its tail at me. i wasnt warned about any musking!! and im not looking forward to it happening either! argh!!!

It's more of a king snake/milk snake thing. You'd have to really upset a corn snake to get it to musk. It's no big deal. It just smells bad. Or good, depending on if you like the smell.

Nanci

phew!!!!
cheers for all the advice on the other snake by the way (with the kink in his tail?) we got a new one this afternoon- hes 6months old instead of 6 weeks but im hoping to get another one aswell if they get any more of the really black ones in.
had the new one out for a bit while i was putting his water in the new faunarium, he was fine this time, no rattling haha!!!

x

A six month old one is going to be so much less fragile, IMO. He'll be really well-started feeding. What color is he? Was that other pic the kinked snake? It was gorgeous...(You know they change color a lot as they grow up, don't you?)

Nanci

yeah that was the kinked one, i was gutted cos he is gorgeous!
i didnt know they changed- how do they change? much?
ill try n resize the pic of the new one, hang on...

Ew, all that stuff is so gross.
I've been musked once by my little ghost. That was 'cause I kissed him on the head. Stupid idea on my part. But he's just too cute.
I'll never kiss him again though 'cause of that.

Pic of Angus!!!

Kissing will set Choco (king snake) off. He thinks I'm going to eat him. Also digging him out when he isn't already out.

I have this new snake, Jake. He's a massive Florida King. He's not unfriendly, especially once he's out, but he makes me feel like I'm imposing on him if I want him to come out. Anyway- when I get him out, he doesn't coil or tail rattle or anything, but he gives off this very strong apple smell- but nothing comes out- and then it just fades away. I wonder is it's some kind of musk smell.

Nanci

Nanci said:

Kissing will set Choco (king snake) off. He thinks I'm going to eat him. Also digging him out when he isn't already out.

I have this new snake, Jake. He's a massive Florida King. He's not unfriendly, especially once he's out, but he makes me feel like I'm imposing on him if I want him to come out. Anyway- when I get him out, he doesn't coil or tail rattle or anything, but he gives off this very strong apple smell- but nothing comes out- and then it just fades away. I wonder is it's some kind of musk smell.

Nanci

Click to expand...

You snake-kissers crack me up! :grin01:

My big female FL king gives off a weird smell too, sometimes. I've never thought of it as "apple-scented", but it isn't offensive, and it doesn't smell like normal king musk. I always think it smells "spicy"-- not salsa spicy, but more like some of the stronger baking spices. :shrugs:

It's weird how different snakes can have different odors-- even within a species. Abigail, my pet store normal corn, actually has an odor that I would call pleasant. When you open her tub, it smells like a mixture of freshly-cut wood and freshly-shucked corn. Sure beats the usual pissy urate scent of many of the snakes. My MBKs seem to be the worst in this regard. :awcrap:

My MBK musks me ALL the time...every time I go to take her out of her cage...I get the full-on musking, tail whipping, tail rattling, "I swear to God I'm gonna kill you" routine...but it doesn't seem to stink. I get the liquid and whatever urates she has "stored" in her vent, and she empties the whole thing. I've never been pooed on, yet, though.

But the wierd thing is...her musk doesn't stink. I have even brought my nose down to the muck on my hand and taken big whiffs, trying to smell it...nothing. I have heard everyone talk about how terrible it smells...nothing. And she is currently my only musker.

My Florida King also has an odd odor, though it isn't what I would call unpleasant. I don't think it is something she emits, however, because I smell it on her body and in her tub. Maybe some snakes have a particular body odor? :shrugs:

(Angus is very cute!)

I asked the King of Florida Kings about the FK smell, and he hadn't noticed it.

I don't know what it is about snakes that makes me want to kiss them- I don't get that urge with the turts or torts ever...

I'm about to go get Jake out for his vet visit- I'll see if he smells.

Nanci

Definitely an odor of irritation- I got a super tail-rattling, too. He's very jumpy today.

Nanci

I know! I always want to kiss my 2 snakes. No way am I ever going to try kissing G.J. Having King in him I have no idea what he'll do.
But all my other animals..I'm sure they feel they get too many kisses from me.