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Fur and bones in cage?

Optreptiles

Optreptiles

New member
My adult cornsnake has been eating normally, but lately I have been finding a strange white powder scattered in his cage with a few small bones and bits of fur mixed in. It is usually completely dry when I find it. I have never heard of such a thing happening before, and I can't find any information about it. I don't think it is regurgitation because it is only bones and fur. He readily accepts food, and goes into a feeding frenzy whenever he smells food nearby. He does not act sick or lethargic in any way, but he does act somewhat nervous when he is first held. I looked in his vivarium today, and instead of normal feces I found a cement-gray mass, that looks like it has been slithered over. His last recorded "normal" defecation was on October 25.
 
The white powder would be urates, and sometimes not all of the bones/fur are digested. I would say that and the gray stuff (feces) would still fall into the "normal" category.
 
Can you post a pic of it? While it could be normal, it could also be a regurge, & if that's the case, you will need to follow the regurge protocol to get him back on a normal feeding schedule.
Also, if it is a regurge, there's something that may need to be addressed. It could be temps (too high or too low).
When was the last time he shed? Sometimes, if they eat in the clear phase, they can regurge.
 
nwheather said:
Can you post a pic of it? While it could be normal, it could also be a regurge, & if that's the case, you will need to follow the regurge protocol to get him back on a normal feeding schedule.
Also, if it is a regurge, there's something that may need to be addressed. It could be temps (too high or too low).
When was the last time he shed? Sometimes, if they eat in the clear phase, they can regurge.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the replies. I don't think it has anything to do with temps, I am using a heating blanket right now, as I cannot afford a conventional heating pad. The blanket also gets to be in the upper 80's (89 last time i checked). I am keeping a female corn snake on the same blanket, and she eats and defecates just fine. I will upload pictures as soon as possible.
 
Do you mean a human heating blanket, the ones that go on your bed? If so, that is a huge fire danger, IMO.
I would either pick up a UTH *& thermostat* or get a ceramic heat lamp, to use for heating her cage.
 
Does she have a cool side to go to (upper 70's)? Is the temperature measured in the high 80's the air temperature or surface temperature?
 
Here are some pictures. I am keeping both of the snakes on the floor in 90 quart bins, with a heating blanket on one side (gets to about 89 degrees), and a cool side that gets to around 75-78 degrees. The male is the one who is having problems. They both have hides on each side of their vivariums, one for the cool side, and one for the hot side.
 

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I have nothing helpful to add, but if the white powder is in fact urates, it's probably fine since it came out the right end? Times like these don't you get jealous of the people posting "ew my snake pooped on me" because at least they know, and kind of want to set up a webcam just so you can keep a better eye on the snake...
 
Wouldn't a regurge be the whole mouse, not just grey blob like masses? Also, is it normal for snakes to excrete non-liquid urates?
 
For the most part urates are only supposed to be dry, they come out wet at first and then should dry up almost immediately. My ball python's urates come out looking dry, since I always find them in little cylinders. It looks like just poop to me, my snakes are having poops like that now more often as they move up in size from fuzzies to hoppers. Though finding bones would be a concern for me, but fur is normal.
 
Thanks for the help. This kind of defecation seems odd to me in contrast with my other snake's normal looking defecation. I will keep an eye on him to see if he defecates normally the next time I feed him.
 
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