Are you SERIOUS?

So im cleaning out my two snake tanks (one corn, one BP) and i spend ALL day getting them spick and span because im a neat freak when it comes to snake enclosures:yes: and by the time the sun goes down i have them both back at home and looking for food..just as i am about to leave and make myself some grub i check the temps and humidity one last time only to find....they both have NO remorse for my hard efforts and decided to lay huge craps that resemble the ones i JUST cleaned up! Its like they poop to signal the cleaning process but save some up to mock me with afterwards! Im beaten...:grabbed:

The joy of owning snakes. Why did it take you all day to clean two tanks though (unless that's an exaggeration)?

There are two certainties in this world: water your garden and it will rain, clean your snakes and they will poop.

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Originally Posted by Daybreaker

The joy of owning snakes. Why did it take you all day to clean two tanks though (unless that's an exaggeration)?

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Originally Posted by John1982

There are two certainties in this world: water your garden and it will rain, clean your snakes and they will poop.

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Both of these ^^^ X2...

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They prob did it out of spite since it took you all day to clean their tanks. Hahaha!

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Originally Posted by dssims89

Its like they poop to signal the cleaning process but save some up to mock me with afterwards! Im beaten...:grabbed:

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I actually believe that may have some basis, not the mocking part, but that they defecate because they feel their surroundings are now clean and ok for defecation. I have noticed something like that myself in my snakes.

Happens to me every time

Try soaking them before you place them in their clean home. Mine usually will go while swimming in the bath tub.

Mine do that also, everytime im done i turn around and there it is.....poop. It happens to the best of us, luckily tubs are alot easier to clean than tanks.

I would advise against soaking as this can cause more problems for the snake, its not needed.

Actually that does happen quite often, One theory I've heard was that they do it so that it smells familiar. Snakes are creatures of smell, and they can be nervous in completely clean enclosures because it doesn't smell like home. I don't know if that's true or not, but they do crap in freshly cleaned cages a lot. Maybe next time don't clean quite so well so that not all of their familiar scents are removed?

KMG - Sooo...you'd rather clean poop out of your bath tub than the snake's enclosure? :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by KMG

Try soaking them before you place them in their clean home. Mine usually will go while swimming in the bath tub.

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Lol I'd rather spot clean poop then have snake turds in my tub any day.

As I go through my 20 something tubs i always hear the nice sweet relaxing sounds of snakes crapping. Last time I cleaned I had just gotten to my last tub only to realize that I had to go back through an do half of them again. I hate disinfectant day!


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Originally Posted by travis11

I would advise against soaking as this can cause more problems for the snake

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Couldn't disagree with this more. Do tell, if you would, how this can cause more problems for the snake?

With my corns, if I handle them three days after feeding I can almost always guarantee that they will poop for me while they are out. I will wait for the muscle undulations near the vent, hold the snake over the toilet, and then flush when they are done. You could say that my corns are somewhat "toilet trained." LOL

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Originally Posted by gsarchie

Couldn't disagree with this more. Do tell, if you would, how this can cause more problems for the snake?

With my corns, if I handle them three days after feeding I can almost always guarantee that they will poop for me while they are out. I will wait for the muscle undulations near the vent, hold the snake over the toilet, and then flush when they are done. You could say that my corns are somewhat "toilet trained." LOL

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So do you just hang out in the bathroom with them? :P

In some cases, at least with ball pythons, it's advised against soaking them prior to a shed, because too much soaking can leech out the essential oils under the old skin, making the shed worse, rather than better.

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Originally Posted by Annarose15

KMG - Sooo...you'd rather clean poop out of your bath tub than the snake's enclosure? :rolleyes:

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It's tons easier just to spray down a ceramic surface with bleach and water than it is to clean out a cage again. /shrug

I haven't had the need to clean the cage yet, but when I do I'm probably going to keep her in my bathroom sink for this reason.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

In some cases, at least with ball pythons, it's advised against soaking them prior to a shed, because too much soaking can leech out the essential oils under the old skin, making the shed worse, rather than better.

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Is it okay to do if there isn't going to be a shed soon, though?

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Originally Posted by MarkS

Actually that does happen quite often, One theory I've heard was that they do it so that it smells familiar. Snakes are creatures of smell, and they can be nervous in completely clean enclosures because it doesn't smell like home. I don't know if that's true or not, but they do crap in freshly cleaned cages a lot.

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I agree with you on that Mark. As clean as we want them to be, they want their cages dirty. They want it to smell like its their home and that's all a part of it. That's why I always feed a day before cleaning day. You can take one group of Ball Pythons that have fresh cleaned cages, and another group with dirty cages, and nearly every time, the snakes in the dirty cages will eat better than the ones in the clean cages.

No, it can't hurt if they aren't about to shed, and what Rabernet said is definitly news to me.

Rabernet - No, LOL, but if you are paying attention to the snake you can tell when they are about to go. Unmistakable muscle contractions at the vent to break up what is about to come out. Either that or to work it down to the vent.

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Originally Posted by KMG

Try soaking them before you place them in their clean home. Mine usually will go while swimming in the bath tub.

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Soaking them isn't good for them.

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Originally Posted by Sam Rickim

It's tons easier just to spray down a ceramic surface with bleach and water than it is to clean out a cage again. /shrug

I haven't had the need to clean the cage yet, but when I do I'm probably going to keep her in my bathroom sink for this reason.



Is it okay to do if there isn't going to be a shed soon, though?

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I NEVER soak my snakes, unless they've had a bad shed and need assistance getting the shed off. There's simply no benefit that I can see for soaking/baths. It's stress that I don't want to put my snakes through unless I need to.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

I NEVER soak my snakes, unless they've had a bad shed and need assistance getting the shed off. There's simply no benefit that I can see for soaking/baths. It's stress that I don't want to put my snakes through unless I need to.

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What about putting them in a tub with a paper towel on the bottom with a reptifogger hooked up? This is what I use to help with bad sheds. SO they arent soaking but get a nice steam bath.