Why do they do this?!?!

[snakelet]

Just two minutes after changing the paper towels and the water in the baby corns cages, they both left me fresh poo. The weird thing is, they hold it in just for me... even though the cages weren't dirty I decided to "refresh" the paper towels, and of course they both poo.... they hadn't poo'd for two days, I though they had it out of their system. Anyways, I've heard other people with the same complaint, but does anyone happen to know why they do this? Scent marking? To punish us evil humans? Why why why?

Leanne

[eyespy]

I have a friend who had a pair of snakes named Spite and Malice because of their tendency to poop on freshly renewed paper. ;)

[ChaosCat]

Mine do that all the time. Funny, cause the first thing my cats do after I change their litterbox is immediately go in it.

I think its just an animal thing!

-cat

[sapphire_moon]

I always wait for ours to poo atleast 2 times in her cage she tends to poo in one general area and not go over there except to poo..........

[Tim_Cranwill]

They do it just to show you who's REALLY in charge! ;)

[enso]

I have only one snake that does this. Stinky the Common Garter Snake. I change the substrate (shredded aspen) and she craps on it almost immediately. I still love her. =)

[eyespy]

How can you not love a garter named Stinky? :D

[enso]

I agree, you can't not. Double negative, weee. 28' of Stinky garter goodness. =P

[Simon]

well I too notice this
and from what I think they do it for 2 reasons
1) they are scared of the new environment and too stressed out so they poop
2) they want to mark the teritory and say 'this is my place'

just my own opinion and what I think...cause a lot of my corns do this too...and it is just what I think only..

[KingFfaj]

Originally posted by enso
weee. 28' of Stinky garter goodness. =P
Wow, a 28 foot garter snake, now that is impreseve;)
My snakes always poo in the corner of the cage, they dont like living in S*** i guess. But this does mean that if i time it rite, I can always get them to poo out side the cage, its like there toilet trained:D

[BoidKeeper]

Simon,

That seems like the most logical explanation I've heard to date. I know mine all do as well. I've gotten so used to it that I prepare myself for a double cleaning. I have out twice the paper and things like that.
Cheers,
Trevor
PS
Another reason why I'm the BoidKeeper and not the ColubridKeeper!

[jwsporty]

Yeah I can relate to this all the time, except for one. I have a Thayer's Variable King that has consistantly pooped for me right after she eats in her feed tub. Twelve weeks running and I have yet to clean any poop from her tub. what a little lady. Hopefully I didn't speak too soon..;)
Otherwise all my adult Kings poop for me like clock work on the fourth day after eating, they never miss a beat. All the others aren't so predictable.

Jim

[Jayson]

Another possible reason could be that snakes in captivity normally lead an inactive life and when you take them out to clean the cage it gets their bodies moving inside and out.
This movment probably gets the bowels moving.
Just a thought Jason