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HELP i have a poopoo problem!

visceralrepulsion

visceralrepulsion

Nay-Sayer
[F]i recently aquired a 4ft long ghost corn from a neglectful home. i do not yet know its age, weight, or sex because i havent had a chance to take it to the vet yet. i will definitely get it into the vet this week though for sure. he/she is very tame, docile, etc. and ive been making it a point to hold the snake daily to keep up its good demeanor. this snake is nothing short of adored. its a healthy eater, eating one adult mouse every 8-10 days, and seems healthy in all ways i can observe....there's just one problem. it refuses to poop/urate in its own cage, it will only go outside of the cage, which needless to say usually ends up on me, my boyfriend, or the couch or chair. does anyone know why this behavior is taking place, and if it can be stopped somehow?[/FONT]
 
Hmm, maybe the kiddo doesn't think he has enough space to do it in his cage, or an agreeable spot to do it in.

What size enclosure do you have the snake in?
 
im not sure if its a 20 gallon long , or a 30 gallon long. but im planning on getting it into a larger viv asap. i want him/her to be comfortable and happy.
 
Try a 40gallon tank or a 60gallon, but stay away from the 55gallon if possible. They're not wide enough, and most adult corns would rather stay on the ground versus climb, and 55's don't allow enough space for ground activity.

How do you have the tank set up as well? I'm just curious if it may have something to do with that, or temps, etc. If you can tell me the setup and the temps I may be able to give some feedback on it, although I'm not sure if that even has anything to do with it. I'm looking around to see if I can find some information on why this may be happening, but I'm assuming your kiddo just doesn't like making a mess in his "zone."
 
the tank is set up with the uth under one side, where it has a hideout, the viv also has a few rocks, and on the othe side it has a water source, and another hideout. the temp i believe is around 80 degrees on the heated side.
 
im not sure the difference on the cool end, but i believe the temp is lower on that side because he does choose to vary between which side he hangs out on. and when i pick him up from the non heated side he feels much cooler than if i pick him up from the heated side. i know, shame on me, i need a better thermometer.
 
Having thermometers on both ends can really help if you ever have a problem and need to determine if temperature is at fault.

Another handy tool to consider getting is a temp gun, that way you can measure temperature literally anywhere in the enclosure.
I'm still researching, but so far not that much on the subject. Maybe someone else here has had this happen before to them and could give advice.
 
You're handling the snake every day... of course it poos on you! Snakes don't go every day, your not really giving the snake a chance to poo in the cage. There is nothing you can do to prevent the snake from going outside the cage, with the exception of not handling the snake. When you take a snake out of its cage, you usually pick them up when they are at rest, and a snake very seldom go when they are resting. It usually happens when the snake is out and about, when its juices are flowing, so to speak. Nothing gets the juices flowing like exercise out of the cage
 
well i considered that theory. but the thing is if i were to work around his bowel movements id never get to hold him because he poops more than onceand and hell have plenty of time in his viv to poo, but wont, until hes out of his viv for a bit. when i clean his viv there isnt a spec of poo anywhere in the viv. that little stinker!
 
That's a good point too. You may want to just have a pillowcase ready and learn the signs of poo events, haha, and just catch it in the pillowcase. Then all you have to do is throw it in the washer.

And yes, handling less frequently can help too. It's a ton of fun to handle them, but sometimes snakes get stressed from a lot of handling.
 
they usually poo approximately 2 days after feeding. you shouldn't be handling until 48 hours after feeding anyways, to prevent regurgitation.

so, feed the snake, wait 2 days. if the snake has poo'd, take it out. if not, either grin and bear it when you get shat on, or wait longer until you find a nice "present" in the viv!
 
I think this is one of the situations where you have to work round the snake, rather than trying to get the snake to do what you want.

Less frequent handling won't do the snake any harm. They don't seek out or need interaction with humans. Being handled once or twice a week won't turn a docile Corn into a wild one.

If he's been neglected then it could take quite some months for his "system" to settle down into a more natural way of working. Usually one feed = one poop (although there are honorable exceptions - yes Jemima, I'm looking at you!).

Also, pooping on you may be one way of expressing stress. If he's been badly treated then he may associate being handled or taken out of the tank, with being hurt or scared. He's learnt that if he poops, he can get put back down again fast. Maybe you ought to ease off on the handling for a couple of months. Leave it until you see poop in the tank - it's unlikely that he can hold it in for over a week if he really needs to go. Once he's "empty", you can get him used to gentle handling without being fertilized! It would mean you enjoying less handling but it might do the snake a lot of good.
 
i appreciate everyones input. i know not to handle him after he eats for 24-36 hours atleast, so i always go by that rule. but one thing that struck me odd is ive waited about a week or more before, to make sure he did his duty in his viv. then id take him out and a little while later, surprise, poopy. then id look in his viv to find he never went in there at all. so im kind of worried about him not going until i take him out. a lot of the time when he poos outside of his viv hes happily curled up in the blankets on the bed sleeping, where no one is bothering him. though im not denying stress may be the cause, and ill limit my handling more. maybe the vet can address this issue from a medical standpoint. this week when he goes to the vet ill find out if he has any parasites or other gastrointestinal issues going on that may be attributing to his irratic pooing. also, ill be getting him a larger viv as soon as i can, which may help.
 
First off, it's super that you've given this snake a break at a good life!

I don't handle my big girl until I've seen at least one good poop in her Viv. Even then, I know there will be a 2nd good poop within a few more days, so we learned to always have toilet paper in hand when handling her. She gives us notice by stopping and then the tail raise. The pooped on TP is easily flushed.

Leave your snake alone for 2-3 days after she's eaten. Better yet, wait to see a good poop in her Viv first. Remember that as much as you feel the need to handle her, she doesn't feel the need to be handled. Handling our snakes is for our pleasure.

Continued happiness and joy to you with your new Snake!

EDIT: I see you posted while I was typing. Your snake is probably motivated to poop by the warmth of your hands and the simple action of exercise. I may have missed this but is your snake active otherwise or does she curl up and stay in one place all the time?
 
Great idea to get a parasite check. That could well be a factor. Sounds like life's gotten a lot better for this particular snake now that she's found you!
 
hes pretty lazy haha. for the most part he likes to curl up and sleep. but i do see him out and about now and then, moreso when the lights are off, or when i have just a dim red light on. he could very well just be stimulated to go with the exercise like some of you have said. and thanks bitsy =]
 
Corns are naturally more active during times of low or no light - dawn, dusk and night - and they hide away during the day in the wild. If folks are worried that they never see their Corn and they use lights, I advise them to leave the lights off for a few days (as long as they're not the heat source) and see what happens. There's usually an increase in activity levels.
 
30257_1358206247321_1596453426_844502_1334109_n.jpg


HERE'S A PIC OF MY LITTLE GUY (OR GAL)haha
 
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