corn snake frequently pooping

harry crisp · 03-11-15, 11:42 AM

Hi guys , over the last 3 weeks my corn snake has been pooping nearly everyday and is really active ! The poo looks normal and he is eating fine. I was thinking he was active maybe because of breeding season but that wouldn't explain the pooping ? He started this behaviour after coming out of a shed and i fed him two mice in 1 week to get him back on feeding schedule. He is usually fed every 7 days and eats like a champ. Any ideas or experience on why he might be frequently pooping ?

**Tsubaki** · 03-15-15, 08:28 AM

How old is the corn snake? Feeding twice a week is a schedule only newborn cornsnakes should be on. (and once a week is too much for an adult too)

prairiepanda · 03-15-15, 10:24 AM

If you fed him twice as much as usual, then I would expect twice as much poop. In the future; you don't need to feed extra after a shed. Even if he stops eating for 2 or 3 weeks because he's in shed, he'll be fine if you just feed him like normal after. Feeding double his normal amount, especially on an empty stomach, is hard on the digestive system.

harry crisp · 03-16-15, 07:57 AM

Ok , i only fed him because of the shedding
Thanks for replies , ill keep you updated but he seems to have slowed down in pooping so im not feeding him this week. Thanks again

harry crisp · 03-16-15, 08:01 AM

ok thanks guys

harry crisp · 03-18-15, 02:13 PM

Hi guys , my snake is still poo quite often. Although it has slown down to about 1 poo every 2 days instead of 1. I didn't feed hi this week to see if it would help , which it kind of did. I think his displaying breeding behaviour , does breeding behaviour cause them to poo more often ? And should i leave another feed this week ? Many thanks

reptiledude987 · 03-18-15, 02:31 PM

Is it actual black/brown poops youre seeing? Or is the white urea that youre finding. It should only poop when theres a meal to be passed but you will tend to see the white "pees" more frequently.

prairiepanda · 03-18-15, 11:49 PM

Another question that has come to mind as well; is this excessive pooping in the enclosure or while being handled? Some snakes like to poop defensively.

Also, how do his current poops compare in size to his normal poops? Are they quite small?

harry crisp · 03-19-15, 06:49 AM

It poops inside the enclosure , not when being handled. And the poop varys in colour , sometimes its just white but when i feed him its obvoiusly brown. I just dont know whats making him poop so often

harry crisp · 03-19-15, 06:50 AM

The poops are also quite small compared to when he use to go once a week.

prairiepanda · 03-19-15, 09:16 AM

The little white poops are urates, which do tend to appear more often than the real brown poop you see when you feed him. I haven't seen urates appear every day, though, except in a friend's snake who liked to pee on people. Since this just started after a shed, I wonder if there might be a partial blockage(of stuck shed) of the cloaca that he's trying to clear out? Just speculation... as long as he continues to improve and doesn't show any signs of poor health, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

harry crisp · 03-19-15, 11:51 AM

Ok thanks for reply. His also very active but i think that's because his looking for a mate. Other than that , he acts normal.

harry crisp · 03-21-15, 11:37 AM

Hi again, my snake pooped white urinates yesterday , do you guys think i should leave feeding him for another week ? It has gotten a little better since i stopped feeding him , so should i leave it another week ?

reptiledude987 · 03-21-15, 01:32 PM

No it should be fine to feed. the white urates are basically like us going pee. Just means its drinking. No cause for concern there.

harry crisp · 03-21-15, 04:17 PM

well i left it a bit too late to feed now , going to sleep soon. Im sure leaving him one more week wont harm him ? I just wanted to give his digestive system a rest.