Should I be concerned?

[ruthupton]

The last couple of times that I have handled my six-month-old female Cali King she has 'pooped' on me. I can only think that she had digested her feed and was due to 'go'. I would hate to think that I had frightened her.

Should I be worried?

[Auskan]

Kingsnakes notoriously "musk", especially as youngsters, but with regular handling, usually calm down and stop doing this as they get older.

[ruthupton]

Er, this didn't look like musk. I have already had the pleasure of that. This was a mixture of black and yellow mush. ;o)

[marisa]

It probably went to the bathroom on you. They do that too on purpose. Use it the same way as musk :) Just trying to make you put it down. :)

Keep handling, in time and age it should stop.

Marisa

[ruthupton]

Right, i shall have to modify a few small band aids and market them as 'snake daipers'.

[crazyboy]

It is a defense machanism. Your not supposed to put it back down after it has pooed on you because then it willt hink its plan i working and will keep doing it. while if you keep handling it after it pooed on you it would realise that it didn't work and hopefully top pooing on you.

[ruthupton]

Well, I've hung on for grim death three times now, but it hasn't stopped her doing it. LOL

[Tim_Cranwill]

Try holding her over her cage until she calms down. This won't "sooth" her or anything but if you're fast enough, you can dodge the poop and it will land in her cage rather than on you or your clothes.

They will out grow it if you give them time and have patience. :)

[ruthupton]

That's what I usually do. I have a very large tub thing that I hold her over. Then, if she riggles loose I won't lose her under the furniture. LOL

When I put her back she looks up at me and shakes her tail. It's quite funny.

I've noticed that, if she is hungry, when she sees me she comes to the front of her home, waiting to be fed.

[Vanan]

Not all snakes poop just as a defence mechanism. Some snakes get stimulated by the movement of being out of their enclosure and they go. We have a corn (tame as any other) who would almost wait til you were handling here before she goes. Needless to say we don't handle her for very long when she's "due".

[Vanan]

Your not supposed to put it back down after it has pooed on you because then it willt hink its plan i working and will keep doing it. while if you keep handling it after it pooed on you it would realise that it didn't work and hopefully top pooing on you.

?!?! You're saying that we can train snakes?! LMAO!!! Sorry about being rude about it, but if you've got no evidence to back yourself up, don't claim stuff.

[Ace]

We have a corn (tame as any other) who would almost wait til you were handling here before she goes.

That's funny....I have a King that seems to wait till I change the water in his bowl? LOL

[KingFfaj]

one of mine always does his poo in the same corner, its ike a little reptile wc

[ruthupton]

Me train my snake? Er, I think it's the other way round. ;o)

[Lrptls]

in the summer i take my boids out in my backyard to slither around. my 6 foot female red tail boa always goes to the bathroom in the grass. i think she waits just to go outside to do it. its nice too, i dont have to clean it out of her cage. snakes are weird arn't they, good luck with your poopy king :)

[marie]

my 6 month cal king has pooped on me and my hubby one way to tell when they are going to do it they get very very still and sometimes raise their tail . i just keep folded up paper towel on my stomach no fuss no muss ,marie

[C.m.pyrrhus]

I just assume that my snakes are going to ***** on me. Thats my advise. Also...it is an animal that cannot be trained, so why be concerned anyhoo? If they go, they go. Thats why there is soap to wash up, wether or not they ***** on ya. Some of you folks are odd.

[gonesnakee]

I've had friends with Boas that were "tub trained". Buddy would give them a bath around the time they should be ready to poop & they would everytime within the first few minutes of their bath. Most of the success was not due to training, but the fact that the boas would become quite active swimming & start moving things around in the bowels. I find that 9/10 times if a snake is due to go, they will within the first few minutes of being handled. Yours sounds like a typical Cal-King baby to me & it should settle down over time with gentle handling. I love how they shake their tails to mimick Rattlers. "Don't mess with me I'm a big tough baby snake!" LOL Mark

[Oliverian]

my 6 foot female red tail boa always goes to the bathroom in the grass. i think she waits just to go outside to do it I've had a couple of my guys do that too. I would guess it's because of the warmth of the sunlight and/or the movement of being handled. Useful, anyways. Then you don't have to clean out poo as often.

-TammyR