Least smelly snake breeds (Are Colubrids off the table?)

Hey guys, prospective first time snake owner here.

Was looking at cali kings and MBKs, even corn snakes. The more I study up the more I'm reading that colubrids have the smelliest poop.

What are your experiences, goes without saying that I do plan to spot clean everyday, but I still hear something like a corn snake has extreme poops :O

On the other hand grey banded owners seem to report no smells. How about MBKs, or any other snake breeds?

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Also wanted to say I'm aware of the musking aspect of cali kings, will disregard that part as I assume as I continue to handle my snake it would not be musking regularly.

Your snakes shouldn't smell. Musking is a defense mechanism that untamed individuals will use but after they are tamed it's not very common.

The actual poop smells at first but only if you stick your nose right in the cage, it usually dries out within a few hours and doesn't smell.

When it comes to choosing a snake, smell should be the last thing on the list.

Well snakes don't actually poop very often (sometimes going more than a month) so even if it smelled bad, I don't think that would be a problem because it wouldn't happen very often.

When I had 20 snakes in tubs on paper towels it seemed like every day I had at least one go to the bathroom and I could smell it when I walked into the room. Since I've changed to a coconut husk substrate I don't smell it at all, at least until I open up the tubs (I check them all now every morning). My retic smells the worst, her poop is as big as my St. Bernard's poop! And when she pees I can smell it too, but she is on coconut husk and it tames the smell down, but usually that's the only one I can smell now walking in the room. She is about a 30 pound snake. I change out all my substrate once a month, but my retic could use it every two weeks.

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Originally Posted by cchardwick

When I had 20 snakes in tubs on paper towels it seemed like every day I had at least one go to the bathroom and I could smell it when I walked into the room. Since I've changed to a coconut husk substrate I don't smell it at all, at least until I open up the tubs (I check them all now every morning). My retic smells the worst, her poop is as big as my St. Bernard's poop! And when she pees I can smell it too, but she is on coconut husk and it tames the smell down, but usually that's the only one I can smell now walking in the room. She is about a 30 pound snake. I change out all my substrate once a month, but my retic could use it every two weeks.

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I totally agree. I could NEVER go with paper towels. Bleh. I use it for the hatchlings, and even that stinks up the room when one pees. All my adults and sub adults are on coco. SO much better. And since I still check and clean every day, I don't feel that it makes it any less sanitary, as a matter of fact, it gets soaked up in a corner, not like the paper towels who get soaked all over making the snake lay on the smelly mess..

I honestly NEVER smell it when my Cal King poops. Even when I clean his enclosure it NEVER stinks.

My hognose stinks like a cow pasture when he poops. How such a tiny snake packs such a stinky poop still surprises me.

My BP stinks, but only when I open the enclosure and get close enough.

Never noticed a problem with any of my snakes. I use Repti Carpet and astro turf before Repti Carpet was invented. When soiled I remove it, replace with a clean mat. Wash, disinfect, rinse, and dry the soiled mat. Then repeat.

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Originally Posted by Joci

Well snakes don't actually poop very often

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....Colubrids do! ....and it's pretty bad actually! Well, at least compared to ball pythons or other species. The poo of a colubrid is often more watery as well and it "smells" longer if you will. I've had cornsnakes that will make a bedroom smell like a truck stop gas station in a mere 15 seconds.


Honestly, Ball Pythons are probably one of the best "non smelly" snakes I would say. Boa's aren't terrible either but the urates can get pretty smelly if not removed right away.

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Originally Posted by Joci

Well snakes don't actually poop very often .

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Yeah, this varies drastically by species and other variables.

I keep one ball and she or her enclosure rarely stink even after a poo.

Good feedback so far guys. Here are my notes and obviously this is very subjective:

- Colubrids do in fact tend to poo more, have strong smelling poop

- Ball pythons seem to be the least smelly

- Coconut husk or other absorbent substrate seem to make the difference instead of paper towels

Anyone have feedback on MBKs?

Any advice on not getting your snake to poo on you or poo outside of cage? The first one seems to be when you get it as a baby, don't just put it down or put it back in it's cage when it poos. Then it becomes learned behavior.

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Originally Posted by silentchief

Good feedback so far guys. Here are my notes and obviously this is very subjective:

- Colubrids do in fact tend to poo more, have strong smelling poop

- Ball pythons seem to be the least smelly

- Coconut husk or other absorbent substrate seem to make the difference instead of paper towels

Anyone have feedback on MBKs?

Any advice on not getting your snake to poo on you or poo outside of cage? The first one seems to be when you get it as a baby, don't just put it down or put it back in it's cage when it poos. Then it becomes learned behavior.

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- Saying colubrids poop more often is definitely subjective and will vary from species to species. Hognose have an EXTREMELY high metabolism, so yes poop often. Kings have a higher metabolism than BPs, so poop more frequently than BPs.

- BPs are FAR more smelly than Kings in my years of keeping both. Hognose are no doubt the smelliest I've ever kept.

- Coco husk, repti bark, etc... are no doubt more absorbent than paper when it comes to odor.

- MBKs, no, but Cal Kings I have years of experience keeping.

- My only snake who has ever pooped on me is my BP, Tyson. And he's done it 3 times. My King, Django has pooped on my bed once. Other than that, they poop when they poop and there is no learned behavior with them when it comes to pooping. They go when they go. There is absolutely no way to get them to learn when or where to go.

"Any advice on not getting your snake to poo on you or poo outside of cage?"

I don't think they have a "learned behavior" as far as defecating.

Just pay attention to when you feed them, and how long it typically takes them to defecate after the feed. If you know your snake typically "goes" 7 days after you feed.....then just be aware that if you hold it on day 7 or after, you may be in the "danger" zone.


I'm wondering why you are so concerned about it however?....this is an animal you could potentially have for 20+ years. So you better get used to being pooped on occasionally if you want one.....

Same as a dog or anything else.


"they poop when they poop and there is no learned behavior with them when it comes to pooping. They go when they go. There is absolutely no way to get them to learn when or where to go"

+1

MBK is as bad as any other king snake, and since they have high metabolisms they go often. My BRB's don't go often but when one does I know it as soon as I walk in the room.

My boas are pretty non-stinky simply because they only go once every few weeks. They usually are pretty tidy about it - they go in one corner then move to the opposite corner and stare at you with this "Slave... clean that up now" look.

Retics are really bad because they poop in their water bowl, bathe in it, and then dump the poop soup so it gets absorbed into all the substrate.

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Originally Posted by craigafrechette

Yeah, this varies drastically by species and other variables.

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What I meant was that they don’t usually go every single day. Compared to other animals (like pet mice for example, who poop at least ten times in ten minutes) they go very little [emoji23]

Most of my balls, when they are not on a food strike, go once a week. The smell of the urate is usually far worse than the actual poop. I use paper substrate and like Zina said, it does stink up pretty quick, however I do not miss anything unusual in the defecation using paper and I know I am not leaving anything behind when I clean.

I've never thought my corn snakes poo smelled any different or worse than any of the other snake species I keep. I keep my corns and my king snake on aspen.

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Originally Posted by Joci

What I meant was that they don’t usually go every single day. Compared to other animals (like pet mice for example, who poop at least ten times in ten minutes) they go very little [emoji23]

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Gotcha, definitely true :D

Smelliest snake in our house is the Stinking Goddess. :) AKA King Rat Snake (old world species). Very sharp odor, similar to the hoggie, but more so. Next worst is whoever last didn’t eat *and* hid their rodent.

The kings, corns, Beeps, KSBs, and Morelia are all about the same as each other, IMO. Although just-deposited corn snake is pretty bad, and Henry, the long-term boarder, has a talent for going on his owner so that we don’t forget that, it dissipates pretty quickly.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Corns and Colubrids in general have always seemed like they are much worse to me....

BUT....there's a lot of different opinions here so.....


Really, the only way to settle this at this point is to have an old fashioned "Poo Off".

Someone will have to compare each freshly produced sample.

I for one, am out. Any volunteers?

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Originally Posted by Tinyballs

Corns and Colubrids in general have always seemed like they are much worse to me....

BUT....there's a lot of different opinions here so.....


Really, the only way to settle this at this point is to have an old fashioned "Poo Off".

Someone will have to compare each freshly produced sample.

I for one, am out. Any volunteers?

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I look forward to the results of the "poo off" :rofl:

Yay...POO OFF !!!! :judge::popcorn:

*chanting* POO! OFF! POO! OFF! POO! OFF!
:winner:

I would like to note that garters' urine and feces smell differently depending on what they've been eating lately. A diet heavier on the fish will produce a distinctly fishy smell while a worm heavy diet will leave them peeing and pooping more frequently but with a more subtle smell.

The smell of snakes' poo will also be affected by how often they choose to go. The ball python is somewhat smellier when he poops now that he tends to go monthly versus when he went weekly. The urine has very little scent while the garters' urine has somewhat more scent that as long as they're not on a very heavily fish diet, I would best describe as slightly musty. The slight musty smell is not particularly unpleasant or anything, so it's a non-issue.


Opossums have the smelliest mammal poo out of the many I've frequently smelled. Ducks have the smelliest bird poo. This of course is assuming good digestive health and comparing the standard smells. Source: have smelled lots of wildlife poop at rehab center.

The "Art and Science" of Poo...

:)

I am going to win a poop off. My giant lesser girl has talent. She left me something so big the other day I thought I had left a male in with her and forgot about him.

" Would like to note that garters' urine and feces smell differently depending on what they've been eating lately. "

I rescued a BIG striped garter from the neighbor's lawnmower about a month ago, he was out sunning himself on their lawn and slithered into their garage. He bit me at least 10 times before he calmed down and musked me good. I knew I was going to get a little musk from it but ....OH MY GAWD!
I washed my hands for an hour straight afterwards and could STILL smell it.


Judging by the area, his diet was largely toads and frogs.

I love being known as "The crazy guy next door who will handle snakes". XD





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It sounds like we have a few volunteers for the 1st annual Ball-pythons.net "Poo off"

We should get some T-shirts made.....

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Originally Posted by Tinyballs

" Would like to note that garters' urine and feces smell differently depending on what they've been eating lately. "

I rescued a BIG striped garter from the neighbor's lawnmower about a month ago, he was out sunning himself on their lawn and slithered into their garage. He bit me at least 10 times before he calmed down and musked me good. I knew I was going to get a little musk from it but ....OH MY GAWD!

I washed my hands for an hour straight afterwards and could STILL smell it.


Judging by the area, his diet was largely toads and frogs.

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It sounds like we have a few volunteers for the 1st annual Ball-pythons.net "Poo off"

We should get some T-shirts made.....

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Lol, well musking is a bit of a different issue than just pooping since it does involve purposeful stink from the musk glands. I've yet to have the questionable pleasure of smelling it, even from the wild ones I've held. I've also never had the similarly questionable pleasure to smell a frog and toad fed garter's poo, but if I had to guess, I'd probably bet on it being equal or worse than fish-fed.

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Originally Posted by zina10

The "Art and Science" of Poo...

:)

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Somehow my boyfriend is unimpressed by my ability to identify various species of animals by poo scent...I can't imagine why.

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Originally Posted by Kcl

I've yet to have the questionable pleasure of smelling it, even from the wild ones I've held. I've also never had the similarly questionable pleasure to smell a frog and toad fed garter's poo, but if I had to guess, I'd probably bet on it being equal or worse than fish-fed. .

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Trust me, you don't want to.

Somewhere between a mix of roadkill and diarrhea.

:puke2:

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Originally Posted by Tinyballs

Trust me, you don't want to.

Somewhere between a mix of roadkill and diarrhea.

:puke2:

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100% faith on that one. I tap out somewhere after week old, maggot-ridden vulture leftovers (of which the deer was the worst because it was huge), but it took me years to get there and I don't really need more smells to fill in the high-end of that scale. At least it shoved most poo down to the middle of the scale so I no longer really care. :hmm:

The wort thing I have ever smelled by far was a regurgitated opossum, followed closely by durian fruit.

hey guys i found a sponsor for the Poo Off
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...7017f4cd69.jpg

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

hey guys i found a sponsor for the Poo Off
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...7017f4cd69.jpg

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ROFL. Excellent.

I would rock that shirt at every Tinley Park show if they were actually for sale :D

[

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

hey guys i found a sponsor for the Poo Off
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...7017f4cd69.jpg

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Hahahhahahhahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahahahhaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:rofl:

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

hey guys i found a sponsor for the Poo Off
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...7017f4cd69.jpg

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The first anual BP.net POO OFF !!!!!!

(insert cheering and whoooping)

:taz::taz::taz:

Just got back from work...what have I started here...

Anyway for the record I know and am not afraid of getting pooed on, but hoping it doesn't become a frequent thing which obviously it won't since snakes don't poo everyday. Hadn't even considered urate.

Seems like alot of mixed feelings in this thread, but now I'm leaning towards a ball python.

Kingsnake fans make your rebuttals!

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Originally Posted by silentchief

Just got back from work...what have I started here...

Anyway for the record I know and am not afraid of getting pooed on, but hoping it doesn't become a frequent thing which obviously it won't since snakes don't poo everyday. Hadn't even considered urate.

Seems like alot of mixed feelings in this thread, but now I'm leaning towards a ball python.

Kingsnake fans make your rebuttals!

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Seeing as I keep both species, and will continue to keep both species as long as I am in the hobby, I won't dissuade either.

Kings are easier as far as husbandry and feeding.
BPs are easier to handle since they are so darn slow by comparison, especially as juveniles.
The list of pros and cons will vary person to person.
It really comes down to which animal you want to care for for at least 15 years.