This is going to sound weird, but I can't confirm that our new corn is pooping properly. He's eating just fine, hasn't refused a meal since he came home (3 feedings, once a week). I've cleaned up what appear to be maybe some little teensy poos twice, but nothing I can 100% say was a snake poop. He's still small, about 18 inches, and a snow so I can see the food moving through him. it moves to the tail area, and I've seen it later and it looks like it's passed, but I can not for the life of me seem to find it in his viv. When we pull him out to feed I do a pretty thorough check of the bedding, but nothing. I don't want it sitting in there and making him ill, but I just can't ever seem to find anything. I'd be more concerned if he was behaving oddly in any way. Any advice?
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Is my snake pooping?
- Thread starter BDolle
- Start date
Karl_Mcknight
Common Sense Holder
I assume you use Aspen for your substrate? That's one of the reasons I no longer use it.
"I know there's poo in here but where oh where is it???"
Chances are, if you completely removed all the aspen and sifted through it with your fingers, you'd find some poo. And even after you remove the poo and clean the cage, if you sift through the aspen you'll find more poo.
I prefer to be able to look into the cage and see the poo and not have to look for it.
Some people think "But it's so cute my snake likes to burrow in the Aspen."
True, but they do that because you give them that option. If you use newspaper, paper towels, or reptile carpet, you can find the poo immediately. With the newspaper or paper towels you simply throw it out and replace with new. If you use reptile carpet, you clean and replace. And don't let the internet trolls tell you the carpet does not work or is bad for your snake. Nonsense. I'd think crawling around in aspen soaked with poo would be worse.
"I know there's poo in here but where oh where is it???"
Chances are, if you completely removed all the aspen and sifted through it with your fingers, you'd find some poo. And even after you remove the poo and clean the cage, if you sift through the aspen you'll find more poo.
I prefer to be able to look into the cage and see the poo and not have to look for it.
Some people think "But it's so cute my snake likes to burrow in the Aspen."
True, but they do that because you give them that option. If you use newspaper, paper towels, or reptile carpet, you can find the poo immediately. With the newspaper or paper towels you simply throw it out and replace with new. If you use reptile carpet, you clean and replace. And don't let the internet trolls tell you the carpet does not work or is bad for your snake. Nonsense. I'd think crawling around in aspen soaked with poo would be worse.
DollysMom
It never gets old!
With a small snake the poo dries into a very small bit in the aspen. What you found is the poo all dried out (desiccated). It's one of the great things about aspen, it dries out the poo really fast.
If you want to use aspen, tons of people successfully and safely raise their snakes on it. If you want to do as Karl suggests, and which is also a successful way to do things, that's fine too. I certainly do not want to start a flaming poo war over substrate.
I use aspen for my corn snake and paper towels for my African house snake. Use what works for you and your snake within the subset of known safe substrates. Each substrate has its pros and cons, advantages and disadvantages. There is no one right way.
If you want to use aspen, tons of people successfully and safely raise their snakes on it. If you want to do as Karl suggests, and which is also a successful way to do things, that's fine too. I certainly do not want to start a flaming poo war over substrate.
I use aspen for my corn snake and paper towels for my African house snake. Use what works for you and your snake within the subset of known safe substrates. Each substrate has its pros and cons, advantages and disadvantages. There is no one right way.
I do like the look of the aspen, and Finn seems to love burrowing around in it. But as a new snake owner my main concern is providing for the health of our new friend, and I worry that if I'm not able to find his poo consistently he'll get sick. I'm sure we'll find something that works. I appreciate the second opinion!
DollysMom
It never gets old!
I would suggest that if you are going to stop using aspen, that paper towels are easier to keep clean than reptile carpet. Karl is, in my opinion, very good at keeping his carpet clean. I'm not so sure I would do as well. It's certainly not a task and responsibility I personally want to undertake.
If you go the carpet route have at least two pieces of carpet and more is better. It must be thoroughly washed and dried and replaced frequently or it presents, in my opinion, a much greater risk than a piece of dried poo in aspen.
I personally see no reason to stop using aspen. When you clean, remove a clump around it as well as the poo and then replace what you took out with fresh aspen. Periodically you replace all the aspen. How often depends.
Also check along the edges. A lot of poo ends up under the substrate along the edges of the viv. Snakes will also poo under carpet and paper towels. You always need to look beyond what is on top.
If you go the carpet route have at least two pieces of carpet and more is better. It must be thoroughly washed and dried and replaced frequently or it presents, in my opinion, a much greater risk than a piece of dried poo in aspen.
I personally see no reason to stop using aspen. When you clean, remove a clump around it as well as the poo and then replace what you took out with fresh aspen. Periodically you replace all the aspen. How often depends.
Also check along the edges. A lot of poo ends up under the substrate along the edges of the viv. Snakes will also poo under carpet and paper towels. You always need to look beyond what is on top.
daddio207
THUG FROG !
Welcome.
I'll give you my take on substrate to add to the good advice and opinions already posted.
I've used aspen, cypress, newspaper, paper towels and carpet. I base my decision on the age of the snake, what I'm going to keep it in and how I'm going to feed it .
Aspen is definitely the #1 choice. It's qualities make it the right choice for most keepers. Urites and feces dries quickly. Spot cleaning is easy. It provides a sense of security for hatchlings.
Cypress is beneficial at holding humidity and as a sturdy substrate for large reptiles.
Newspaper is ok to use but it will stain the animal. Large breeders that need substrate in volume like newsprint because they can get it free.
I like select a size paper towels because it fits perfectly in my shoe box size tubs in the racks and is easy to change out plus there is no worries about substrate ingestion during feedings.
When I owned my pet store I initially used a lot of reptile carpet. The benefit was that it showed off the occupant better by preventing it from hiding. The drawback was that I had to remove everything from the tank to change it. Also I had to have twice as many carpets. If your not diligent in cleaning then the carpet builds up bacteria as any substrate will but the carpets design promotes bacteria like a sponge. Another drawback of carpets is related to lizards. Carpets that are woven threads can unravel and wrap around lizards toes causing the lizard pain then loss of the appendage.
I have never worried about whether my reptile pooped or not. I can't even recall when was the last time I had a constipated snake. Your worries about not constantly finding his poop or he will get sick is unfounded in all that we know through years of reptile keeping.
I'll give you my take on substrate to add to the good advice and opinions already posted.
I've used aspen, cypress, newspaper, paper towels and carpet. I base my decision on the age of the snake, what I'm going to keep it in and how I'm going to feed it .
Aspen is definitely the #1 choice. It's qualities make it the right choice for most keepers. Urites and feces dries quickly. Spot cleaning is easy. It provides a sense of security for hatchlings.
Cypress is beneficial at holding humidity and as a sturdy substrate for large reptiles.
Newspaper is ok to use but it will stain the animal. Large breeders that need substrate in volume like newsprint because they can get it free.
I like select a size paper towels because it fits perfectly in my shoe box size tubs in the racks and is easy to change out plus there is no worries about substrate ingestion during feedings.
When I owned my pet store I initially used a lot of reptile carpet. The benefit was that it showed off the occupant better by preventing it from hiding. The drawback was that I had to remove everything from the tank to change it. Also I had to have twice as many carpets. If your not diligent in cleaning then the carpet builds up bacteria as any substrate will but the carpets design promotes bacteria like a sponge. Another drawback of carpets is related to lizards. Carpets that are woven threads can unravel and wrap around lizards toes causing the lizard pain then loss of the appendage.
I have never worried about whether my reptile pooped or not. I can't even recall when was the last time I had a constipated snake. Your worries about not constantly finding his poop or he will get sick is unfounded in all that we know through years of reptile keeping.
sian.kelly
New member
I've found that if my corn hasn't pooped handling stimulates him to poop. While it's good that it gets him to poop, it's quite annoying when he does it on my bed!
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cornsnakeaurora
New member
I use paper towels for this reason... Lots of strips so she can hide. Last time she popped in her water bowl so that was easy
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