Myth: snakes can't release liquid aka "peeing"

Where did this myth start that snakes are incapable of "urinating"? Yeah, I understand they secrete their uric acid in urate solids and as such don't urinate (liquid with urea) in the traditional mammalian sense of the scientific term but the widely held belief that a snake, especially a ball python, is incapable of passing liquid from their kidneys out their cloaca just seems really lacking, to me anyway, in understanding of snakes as pets.

Anyone have any good information on this and if I am just the one who is wrong and imagining my ball python peeing or have you all experienced the same with yours?

I just want to better understand if it is pee, musk, just water in small amounts that seem large (mine leaves a big wet spot where he drops his urate), or if it is all an illusion and they are indeed incapable of passing liquid

If it is indeed fact that they do not "pee" then what the heck has my BP been doing all these years?!

i have no idea where this myth started but Yellow has DEFINITELY peed on me before during handling. it sure has heck wasn't apple juice coming out of his cloaca...

when you spot clean your enclosure, those puddles definitely would be pee.

This is honestly the first time I've ever heard of this myth and it makes ZERO sense to me!

I have not found any pee from Tapioca yet, but oh the stories I've heard and videos I've seen! THE VIDEOES!! who knows maybe one day I will first hand experience being peed on. Not that I'm looking forward to it <_<

Where do you see this myth being propagated?

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Where do you see this myth being propagated?

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Youtube, reddit, facebook, etc.

If you look at my reply and posted video about bioactive terrariums, you can see the vendor of setups for bioactive terrariums actually states in a youtube reply (that was the head scratching point for me)

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...=1#post2556411


Image of the reply in question


http://i.imgur.com/7JN76Y5.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SDA

Yeah, I understand they secrete their uric acid in urate solids and as such don't urinate (liquid with urea) in the traditional mammalian sense of the scientific

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by SDA

http://i.imgur.com/7JN76Y5.jpg

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If we want to cherry pick the terminology and technicality. No snakes don't poop it and yes there is always liquid, its not 100% completely solid. However you guys pretty much say the same thing. I don't understand why a couple internet comments now make this a myth. They do what they do, its verifiable across the board if anyone want to look into it. However most people don't put a second thought toward what comes out of a snake, until they get one and a white mass comes out of them and they panic.

I've had a snake "pee" on my kitchen floor once. Luckily in all this time, it's only been once. Mine all seem pretty good at leaving waste in their tank. They even have designated or preferred bathroom spots.


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Yep! My Banana peed on me while lying in bed.. Luckily he just got my shirt and not my bed sheets. And it wasn't just a little tinkle either!!! :rofl: