My baby ball python keeps pooping every time I handle her...

[Allie Weibel]

Okay, so I have had my one normal bp, cuddles, for about seven months now. He's has been an amazing snake and has such a personality. I have never had any trouble with him at all. He is my first snake.

Recently, I went to a reptile show and bought a new snake. She is a Mojave ball python and her name is snuggles. When I bought her she was only three weeks old and was eating fine and is very healthy. I have had her for about a month now. I would say, about one out of every three times handle her, she poops. It is getting really frustrating. Cuddles has never pooped while I was handling him, or even when I was watching him in his tank. I just find it really odd how she keeps pooping pretty much every time I handle her.

My boyfriend also bought her sister, a spyder ball. They are from the same clutch. The same thing happens to his snake too. It's just really annoying! I'm afraid to hold her or else shell poop! Will she grow out of this? Is it sort of like human babies,pooping a lot? When I got cuddles he was much older than she was. I am hoping it is just a baby snake trait.

I know this is a really awkward post, but I really just want to know if this is normal or if shell grow out of it, or if anyone else has had this same problem. Thank you!

[loonunit]

So, babies eat more, so they poop more. But I think some snakes really do poop on people when they're stressed.

I think you should handle her more often, actually. They only poop at most once a week, so the days immediately following a big one should be safe. You should also learn to identify The Ominous Butt Bulge of Doom: if you look at their butts, you can usually identify an imminent poop, because it look like the vent is about to pop. That's not a good day to handle. Wait until the bowel movement, THEN handle.

Lastly, when she poops/pees on you, don't put her back. That just teaches her that that's a good way to get out of handling. Wash off, and keep her out for another 1/2 hour or so.

(Poop or urates? Is it white or brown?)

[TimNA]

The Ominous Butt Bulge of Doom

[CustomChevyGuy]

that got me too!

[Edward F]

Just see how fat she looks when you handle her. If you keep the tail in the air and head lower they won't poo/pee on there own heads. I don't know if its gravity or the snake knows better.

[Allie Weibel]

Haha thanks everyone. And I've tried to look to see if she was going to poop by looking for said buldge. I'd be staring all day! And it's definitely poop.I can't believe such a little thing can secrete so much. I know it is gross, but thank you.

[DellaF]

Mine get me sometimes to. They like to lay on my lap and chill. Just when I think aww! They drp the bomb

[Vypyrz]

The Ominous Butt Bulge of Doom

I call it Sausage Butt...

[Bill T]

Baby ball pythons dont have as much controll of that muscle back there as an adult so i would doubt if its always on purpose. It probably needs to get handled more and it will eventually stop feeling stressed too. Ull just have to tough it out

[Jessica Loesch]

if they stop moving, and they lift their tail tip, get a paper towel asap lol.