Squirting

One of our water pythons has developed a habit of excreting small amounts of clear, musky smelling fluid on me whenever I take him out. Has anyone an idea of why this might happen?

[NCHERPS]

Spilota chic,
Some snakes will do the squirting thing as a defense mechanism, so when you are picking up the snake, it will feel treatened and excrete the vile smell from glands.
I have come across it with various North American Colubrids and also insular island boa's, I have no doubt it happens with water pythons and others to.

It's a hard smell to remove too, specially from your skin, have to scrub hard!

You will just have to keep working on the snake and try to reassure it whenever you get it out, and in time the snake will become less treatened and stop the excreation. Better that than bite you I suppose !

NC HERPS

[Morelia_man]

why water did this a few times when someone else handled him. i think he only did it when they didn't handle him proper and he got nervouse.

cheers
charles

[snakehunter]

Sounds like when you stop to help a turtle cross the road and it tries to wizz all over ya when you pick it up!

[NoOne]

Some water pythons have a habit of doing this, especially wild or untame specimans.
My big female water did this for a while when i first got her but she wasn't kept very well by her previous owner, she has now stopped doing it.

Hmm. The offender has been nothing but a gem for 7 months now, so I can't link his new squirting habit to anxiety or the fear of being handled.
His enclosure is located in the same room with a number of female water pythons. Also noticed him partially extending both hemis on occasion.
Perhaps he's marking his territory, is that possible?

[grahamh]

Amanda

I reckon he can smell the females and it's probably coming up to mating season. The marking of teritory would come with that and as he finds himself in a new clean smelling (ie not like his enclosure that he's already marked) environment he would want to let any other males know he's around.

rgds....Graham

Yeah i reakon it wants to make a few babies how big is it? Shove it in with a girl.

[gbskda]

It sure sounds like he is wanting to mate, if he is squirting all the time.
A male dog will do this when a bitch is on heat nearby.
Spilota Chic when they hatch can you contact me as I am after 2 more Waters
Regards
Grant

Well, we're chucking him in with one of the girls tonight. Does it matter that he has not been cooled?

[Stevethepom]

not sure but i would assume so, it was my understanding that males were cooled to produce/or help produce sperm

cheers
STP

[Brodie]

I dont know really but they are tropical, and i think that cooling really just makes the male produce more sperm or sumfing??
Cheers

[NCHERPS]

Spilota chic,
What size/ age is your male water python?

NCHERPS

He's 2.5 years old and about 5.5 foot

Interesting stuff. We paired them up last night and they both immediately opened their vents, protruded their stuffs and squirted.