Potty training snakes?

[Trollbie]

lol

I got Penelope's new cage today and while setting it up I noticed that she peed on her half log :/ She really likes that hide and I do too, so I don't wanna have to get an ugly plastic one.

I tried to wash it off of the log as best as I could but it still smells a little.

Is there a way to either "train" them to only go in a specific place or only when they're out of the tank? She goes in random places all over her cage. :confused:

[Caylan]

Yeah I doubt it with a milk snake honestly.... Some snakes you can learn to gauge when they might go and put them in the bath or something, but other then that I don't think so. Some of the reptile safe disinfectants have pretty good odour control, could try one of them. Can't remember what we use at work, but it smells kinda soapy and helps quite a bit. You just add like 10ml to a spray bottle and you're good to go, great for cleaning anything reptile related. Pretty sure its chlorohexadine but I'm not sure on that, but you can probably order some from a reptile supply site. It last's a really long time, and works really well. I'll see if I can't find the name of the stuff I use, if not someone else might chime in, but i'm usually the only one awake right now lol.

[drama x]

This made me lol

Its impossible to potty train a snake, and to even attempt is a complete waste of time.

But hey! If you figure out the secret please do share! Im not a fan of getting pee'd on lol

[infernalis]

Snakes just go at will whenever and wherever.

Some of my garter snakes smear it all over the glass of their enclosures.

[Gungirl]

Potty training snakes = Fail

[lady_bug87]

.... my bullsnake poops in one of her hides, (which is 3pvc pipes stuck together) then she races through it getting herself covered in poop.

I COULD try hitting her on the nose with a rolled up newspaper.. good call!


/facepalm

[KORBIN5895]

Just because they love you so, Wayne.

[theapexgerman]

I'm lucky all my snake poop in ther water bowl or in the corner of there cage

[Trollbie]

Okay I'm not that stupid to think that you can potty train a snake... But I've heard people's snakes only going in one place in their cage or never going in their cage. She doesn't pee on me or when she's out. I just don't want her to pee on her wood log which is hard to clean.

Can I even clean the wood with chemicals?

[theapexgerman]

Some pet stores carry some reptile cleaning stuff says it safe for the reptiles never use it tho my self

[mykee]

Is it just me or are thread topics getting dumber and dumber?

[marvelfreak]

Is it just me or are thread topics getting dumber and dumber?
Trust me Mykee it's not just you.

[Trollbie]

Is it just me or are thread topics getting dumber and dumber?


:( I did not expect to be able to potty train my snake like you can a dog, but I'm new to snakes so I just wanted to know if there's something I could do to discourage her from peeing on the only thing in her cage that is difficult to wash properly.

My bad....

[marvelfreak]

:( I did not expect to be able to potty train my snake like you can a dog, but I'm new to snakes so I just wanted to know if there's something I could do to discourage her from peeing on the only thing in her cage that is difficult to wash properly.

My bad....
You could start putting her food on it. Every time you feed lay her food on it. Most animals won't keep going where their food is. I never try it but it's a idea you could try and let us no how it works.

Also you can soak it in bleach water, risen, and let it air dry. Then put it back in this will help remove the odor. Then maybe she will quit doing it on there. As long as she can smell her sent on it she will keep doing it.

[Gungirl]

Take out the log soak it in bleach then let it air dry for a few days. That will kill of the smell.

[Trollbie]

You could start putting her food on it. Every time you feed lay her food on it. Most animals won't keep going where their food is. I never try it but it's a idea you could try and let us no how it works.

Thanks

Take out the log soak it in bleach then let it air dry for a few days. That will kill of the smell.

I'd be too paranoid that the bleach didn't all evaporate

[Gungirl]

Then throw the log away- Buy a new one. Seal the new one with a water based sealer so that the poop/ urates cant soak in.

[marvelfreak]

Thanks



I'd be too paranoid that the bleach didn't all evaporate
Then just bake it in the oven on about 150 degrees for about 30 minutes or longer to make sure it dries out all the way.

[Trollbie]

Then throw the log away- Buy a new one. Seal the new one with a water based sealer so that the poop/ urates cant soak in.


This will work. Thank you

[alessia55]

One of my ball pythons (Kaybe) always "goes" in the same corner of his enclosure. And IDK if it's a coincidence or not, but Pika (my other bp) always leaves urates in his cool hide, and feces in his warm hide. Maybe they've picked up on my OCD :laugh:

[Trollbie]

One of my ball pythons (Kaybe) always "goes" in the same corner of his enclosure. And IDK if it's a coincidence or not, but Pika (my other bp) always leaves urates in his cool hide, and feces in his warm hide. Maybe they've picked up on my OCD :laugh:

If I'm going to be dealing with her poopees all over the place every week, she's gonna have to say goodbye to aspen and hello to paper towels... The only reason I haven't switched yet is because she does like to bury herself occasionally.

[theapexgerman]

Why not reptibark lol

[Trollbie]

Why not reptibark lol

Because buying new reptibark weekly is not something I can afford lol

[theapexgerman]

You can reuse the stuff lol it says how to do it on the bag

[marvelfreak]

I just spot clean mine and every 3 month's pull it out and give it a cleaning.

[Ikester1981]

Ime. the bleaching would help but you would have to make sure you rinse it well. I have home made hides and they poop/pee all over them all the time. I use palmolive oxy antibacterial soap and the hottest water I can stand. A scrub brush/sponge. and put it right back in. all wet and everything. This is the BEAUTY of owning a snake. thats why I have 3 jcp's and plan on breeding more :)

[Trollbie]

Is reptibark good for milksnakes? I heard not so much

[alessia55]

Is reptibark good for milksnakes? I heard not so much

It's fine. If you don't want high humidity, just don't mist it with water. ReptiBark is what I use- It's great. I just spot-clean and I don't have to change all of it every time.

[Trollbie]

It's fine. If you don't want high humidity, just don't mist it with water. ReptiBark is what I use- It's great. I just spot-clean and I don't have to change all of it every time.

Hmm... I definitely like how it looks...

Can she bury herself in it if she wants?

[marvelfreak]

Hmm... I definitely like how it looks...

Can she bury herself in it if she wants?
Yes. My BRB, Yellow Andie, Dumeril Boa all burrow in theirs.

[Trollbie]

Yes. My BRB, Yellow Andie, Dumeril Boa all burrow in theirs.

Sweet. I'll use it for the BRB too then.

[*Don't Mind Me*]

Don't lizards have defecatoria though?

[alessia55]

Hmm... I definitely like how it looks...

Can she bury herself in it if she wants?

Definitely! My ball pythons love to burrow in it :)
Here is the set-up I have with ReptiBark for my ball pythons:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/alessia55/IMG02441-20120307-2149.jpg

[Trollbie]

The pet store said reptibark isn't the best... Why can't everyone just agree on one thing!

[Trollbie]

On a side note, I got to see the baby, and he's even more iridescent than the first time I saw him and seems to be doing well... only a week or less till I get to take him home!

[Lankyrob]

The pet store said reptibark isn't the best... Why can't everyone just agree on one thing!

What reasons did they give?

[alessia55]

The pet store said reptibark isn't the best... Why can't everyone just agree on one thing!

Interesting. What were their reasons for saying that?

[PureLine Exotics]

ya i wonder why they would say that??

[Trollbie]

Something about respiratory... I'm going to take the advice that the majority gives me though.

[alessia55]

Something about respiratory... I'm going to take the advice that the majority gives me though.

Respiratory what? That they breath in dust or something? :confused:
ReptiBark is great. Tons of people use it (myself included) without any respiratory problems with our snakes :rolleyes: I'd say go with it :D

[Trollbie]

Respiratory what? That they breath in dust or something? :confused:
ReptiBark is great. Tons of people use it (myself included) without any respiratory problems with our snakes :rolleyes: I'd say go with it :D

Mmmmmmmmkay

[Gungirl]

If you are getting your advice from a pet shop don't rely on it. Reptibark is a great product.

[Lankyrob]

Personally i would say reptibark is one of the least dusty substrates, especially compared to something like Aspen

[MoreliAddict]

Personally i would say reptibark is one of the least dusty substrates, especially compared to something like Aspen
why?? i keep my carpet on aspen lol

[Lankyrob]

We had aspen originally for our corns, the dust it gave off when changing/spot cleaning it played up my allergies something rotten, never had a problem since swapping to reptibark. :)

[KORBIN5895]

Also a lot of people are allergic to aspen.

[MoreliAddict]

i actually like aspen alot for my carpet because carpets don't need too much humidity and it doesn't concern me if a bit of aspen is ingested every now and then.

and i'm not allergic to it

[Trollbie]

I'm pretty happy with the aspen, but I don't like how it looks lol.

I want something that snakezilla will be happy with and that can be cleaned rather than replaced.

[lady_bug87]

Aspen, reptibark, really anything can be cleaned without replacing the whole thing. You just take out what is soiled and throw a little in.

It's really not rocket science

[Trollbie]

Aspen, reptibark, really anything can be cleaned without replacing the whole thing. You just take out what is soiled and throw a little in.

It's really not rocket science

That's what I'm doing. But from what some had said, it seems like reptibark can be cleaned and reused. I could have read it wrong.

[lady_bug87]

Honestly to me it wouldn't be worth cleaning and reusing. If you're worried about cost you can buy huge bags of mulch at the hardware store that is undyed and pretty much looks exactly the same And is the same material

You're going to find being in this hobby that there are non reptile store substitutes that cost half the price simply because it's sold at a hardware store or at Walmart or whatever.

[Trollbie]

Honestly to me it wouldn't be worth cleaning and reusing. If you're worried about cost you can buy huge bags of mulch at the hardware store that is undyed and pretty much looks exactly the same And is the same material

You're going to find being in this hobby that there are non reptile store substitutes that cost half the price simply because it's sold at a hardware store or at Walmart or whatever.


The cost isn't that much of an issue since it's not that often I guess. Maybe I just need to try a bunch of things and see what works best.

The baby BRB is on mulch (I think) right now at the store so I might just keep him on that for now, but I'm really looking into the bioactive set up for him...

[theapexgerman]

I've been using reptibark for some time now a few months ever since I got my dum it takes me 7 minutes to empty the reptibark out of my cages put it in an bucket and put a cap full of bleach got stick stir it around the bucket dump the water out flush it whith clean water 2 times let it dry till its bout 80 percent dry and your done did it today and this was the first time I did it I'm sure chuck can do it faster than me but since you only going to have 2 snakes just buy an 24 dry quart of bag and it will last you awhile

[marvelfreak]

I've been using reptibark for some time now a few months ever since I got my dum it takes me 7 minutes to empty the reptibark out of my cages put it in an bucket and put a cap full of bleach got stick stir it around the bucket dump the water out flush it whith clean water 2 times let it dry till its bout 80 percent dry and your done did it today and this was the first time I did it I'm sure chuck can do it faster than me but since you only going to have 2 snakes just buy an 24 dry quart of bag and it will last you awhile
I wish i could do it that fast. I let mine soak in the bleach water for about 10 minutes, then risen, dry, and repeat. Plus plus four of my cages are 4x2x1 so it takes me a 3 hours to do all of mine.

[Trollbie]

What wouldn't we do for our snakezillas... haha