Does 'smell' go along with Large Collections?

I was wondering if those with large collections of herps, is there more of a smell? Maybe you guys don't notice, since the nose gets used to it, but I'm asking those that maybe visited large facilites...has there been a smell?

I visited Reptile Depot and Prehistoric Pets here in South Cali, and they both smell. Now I'm wondering is it because they're not cleaning the cages, or is it...the more animals, the more smell?

In my experience visiting large facilities, there IS a smell associated with it. It's inevitable with hundreds (or even merely dozens) of animals in the same building. It's not a bad smell, because these were clean businesses that I visited. But just a sort of basic, musky "animal" smell that is easily adjusted to.

When you think about it, it's inevitable that with huge collections of critters, at any given time there is going to be waste material in at least a few enclosures. As well as spilled water....or shed skins that got left draped over a water dish....or any number of other little messes that critters can make. It all adds up to a scent that even us dull-nosed humans can detect. But if the facilities are properly maintained by reasonable, responsible people, it's not an offensive smell at all.

I've only seen Bob Clark's place. It definitely smelled "snakey" but it wasn't an unclean smell. Just the general odor that you get with hundreds of snakes in an enclosed space.

OK, thanks. I think it was just the shops I visited. There was an odor (more pungent than musky) it was kind of hard to tolerate (I ended up covering my nose). I guess they just weren't as clean then.

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Originally Posted by Kizerk

OK, thanks. I think it was just the shops I visited. There was an odor (more pungent than musky) it was kind of hard to tolerate (I ended up covering my nose). I guess they just weren't as clean then.

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Some people will be more sensitive to such odors than others. And what some of us find merely a bit "musky" may be quite offensive to someone else. Also, facilities that include rodent breeding will have a much stronger odor that may be less tolerable.

In the end, it really is a combination of how well the facilities are kept, exactly how many and what kind of animals are being kept, and finally how sensitive the nose is that is sniffin' the air. ;)

You know how scents remind you of places you've been before? I've visited a large facility, and like Judy, there was a scent, but it wasn't an offensive one to me.


A few weeks later, I was home, cleaning enclosures, and one that was just a bit urine and urates smelled similar to that smell, and it took me back to that time and place and I remember thinking - oh! So that's what I smelled.

Like Judy said, with such a large collection, it's inevitable that there are going to be dirty cages, although not the same ones every day. Even with my 16, everyone is clean and dry tonight (after cleaning up two tubs that were defecated in) and tomorrow, there will be maybe three more that will have defecated between now and then, the next night, some others will need my attention. It's not that my collection isn't cleaned, it's just inevitable that "someone's" going to do something each day. I just clean each day! :)

alrighty, i'll deal with it :) it comes with the territory

Yep you can pretty much walk into our BP room which houses 13 of them right now (5 are in QT upstairs) and it's going to occasionally have some odor going on. Usually it's a case of "okay which one of you just dropped a load!!!" and off we go on the tub hunt LOL. The big females can really stink up the place somedays. As well, I don't mind the smell of feces, but I seriously don't care for the smell of a fresh, still wet shed....that smell just puts me right off.

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

As well, I don't mind the smell of feces, but I seriously don't care for the smell of a fresh, still wet shed....that smell just puts me right off.

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The worst is when you find the still wet shed with still wet poo and urates inside... YUCK!

I don't notice any smell. I wear a lot of deodorant.

You also have to realize the combination of animals in these facilities, turtles in water, snakes, rodents, lizards, crickets, worms, etc..... You get that combo smell and even if they clean the tanks once a day, which I'm sure they can't get to all of them, you are gonna have feces, urine/urate smell constantly. Mix all that together and you get something beyond any snake room. You just gotta grin and bear it.

I have about 20 snakes and there's a weak odor from the snake corner, but it's definately not bad. The only time it's bad is the couple of days after feeding day I have 10 snakes all pooping at once. But quick spot cleaning of all the afflicted cages and it's gone right away.

I've always smelled a "snakey" smell at my local breeder's place, but it doesn't bother me at all.

Yes, the few places I've been there has been a humid, aspen, musky smell. It's not horrible smelling but it's there and I'm pretty use to it now.

Yes there can be an oder. Is it like a dog kennel no. But think of it like this you get 12-500 of any kind of animal in a concentrated area and there is going to be an oder. those people with big fish tanks..ever notice how the water smells before a change :D Hell you get 50 people in the same room and theres a smell.

My room does have a slight smell.. But, to prevent it, although I do not find it offensive at all, I use a charcoal air filter to filter out the smell.


I agree with most that when it comes to having any large group of ANYTHING living, it will smell a bit.

I've got an exhaust fan in my herp room, so it's not usually too bad. I've not tried it, but I've heard that the deodorizer called simple green works really well. (I think thats the right name????)

This is something I found interesting... In the "Snake Room" all of the snakes are on aspen... if one drops a load, (to use Jo's phrase) :P it's hardly noticeable. Even a large adult. In my bedroom, where I quarantine... I keep them on paper towels. When one goes in there, (even a baby poo) it's SUPER noticeable. :oops: As in: I can even tell what side of the room and what tub! Just an interesting observation!

OH! Also as far as deodorizers go... Rapture mixed some Chlorhexidine (sp) that I clean with... that stuff imediatelly neutralizes the poo-funk!

I like the word POO!!! :rolleye2:

Prehistoric Pets in So Cal? You talking chino? My buddy in the manager of that store. Its very well kept and he knows his stuff... I mean of course your gonna smell something but its not a foul stench or anything

Yup.. a group of any creature will smell. Ever go by a factory farm? 200-head of heifer fed on haylage = not a good smell :)
But in the case of snakes.. I guess that it would be an all-day, all-night job to make sure that no snake ever had feces in its tub nor urate.. pretty impossible.