So, how long is too long? (a pooping question)

[Blighty]

Hey there guys, just a question as per the title.

On Oct 7 I acquired a South Western Carpet Python. I don't have it's exact age but it should be a little under a year old. It's very cage defensive and flighty, but we are getting there. First handling I copped 6 tags in about a minute, but now we are down to around 1 per session (no tags when picking it up, just when redirecting it from my face >.>).

S/He is a brilliant eater. The previous owner had been feeding it Fuzzies and suggested I feed it the day after receiving it. I was dubious about offering food that soon but figured I may as well. I upped the food size to Hopper Mouse and the carpet took it very happily (but I could see it was debating whether to bite me or the mouse).

So since I have had the carpet it has eaten:

• 8 Oct (Mon) 1x HM
• 16 Oct (Tues) 2x HM
• 23 Oct (Tues) 2x HM

It has not rejected any meal in this short space of time, and it is definitely calming down a little. I do keep handling down to about twice a week.

In regards to husbandry:
Hot Side measures 33*C
Cold Side measures 25.9*C

Heating is supplied by a DIY Heat Cord Tile.
Lighting is an LED strip attached to a timer. Strip is on the outside, no need to panic about adhesives here.

The enclosure itself is a wooden viv I made up after realizing a click clack was just not working out (in order to replace his water I had to disturb him and take tags).


Whilst in the click clack he was using his perch, now he just hides in his box on the hot side.

His mice are defrosted in warm water and I do not dry them, so he is getting water that way. However, I have not once seem him go to his water dish. In all fairness, it is very rare for me to see my Stimmie drinking too.

In the time I have had him, he has not defecated once. He hasn't developed the appearance of "hips" yet near his vent and he has not the sunken spine of obesity nor the protruding spine + wrinkles of an underweight snake. For all intents and purposes he appears healthy so I am not terribly panicked or anything.

I just figured I should double check that I am not causing a problem here, or whether or not he may be in fact on the road to trouble.

Thanks for reading my ill-structured wall of text!

 

[LilithLeChat]

When I got our 3.5 year old male bredli, he didn’t poop for two months, and had three rats in that time. Then he shed and even before he got out of his skin, he had a massive poop and a flood of pee. It was as if the ring of skin rolling down his body pushed everything out.
Since then he’s been pooping regularly about 1 - 1.5 weeks after feeding.

Edited to add: he was vet-checked before he pooped because he came infested with mites, so I took him to the vet to find out the best treatment and check if there were any other health problems. Vet examined him all over and said that he’s healthy. Yours might be holding it in until it sheds too.

 

[Blighty]

Very possible he may wait, thanks for that response.

I have come across many poop threads on the net during my lurking and have seen my question asked many times. Figured I would just add yet another

 

[Ramsayi]

It's very cage defensive and flighty

It's feeling threatened by you as opposed to cage defensive.It's a flight or fight response and given that it is cornered in a cage that is the usual response.

The previous owner had been feeding it Fuzzies and suggested I feed it the day after receiving it. I was dubious about offering food that soon but figured I may as well. I upped the food size to Hopper Mouse

A nearly year old carpet should be on at least adult mice.Up the food size some more and things will change.

You might want to take it outside on the grass and get it moving which in turn should 'get it moving'

but I could see it was debating whether to bite me or the mouse

Refer to first point.

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

You're feeding it every 7 days but "keeping handling down to about twice/week"... I think you may wanna keep handling down to about twice/month and only when absolutely necessary. I've never been tagged by my pythons but then again I don't give them the reason or opportunity to bite me because I don't just go and open their enclosures and take them out to handle for no reason yet when I NEED to remove them for cleaning purposes, they're cool calm and collected because they're not feeling threatened/harassed by me picking them up and disturbing them multiple times/week with full stomachs . I'd be getting pretty annoyed trying to digest a feed and someone kept picking me up 2 times a week.. I suggest just leaving it alone so it can calm down and feel safe and secure in its enclosure. Snakes like all reptiles are more for observational enjoyment rather than hands on.

 

[Bl69aze]

Have u tried putting your snake on grass? They seem to like to poop as soon as they touch it

 

[Blighty]

All good responses.

It's feeling threatened by you as opposed to cage defensive.It's a flight or fight response and given that it is cornered in a cage that is the usual response.

My apologies, sometimes when I write I am not always the most clear or concise. I do understand that it is stressed to high heaven, especially at that age and in these circumstances.

A nearly year old carpet should be on at least adult mice.Up the food size some more and things will change.

I am in 100% agreement which was why I immediately upped it's food size (I honestly thought an SWC may have been getting to rats at this point). I will get it to adult mice ASAP.

You're feeding it every 7 days but "keeping handling down to about twice/week"... I think you may wanna keep handling down to about twice/month and only when absolutely necessary. I've never been tagged by my pythons but then again I don't give them the reason or opportunity to bite me because I don't just go and open their enclosures and take them out to handle for no reason yet when I NEED to remove them for cleaning purposes, they're cool calm and collected because they're not feeling threatened/harassed by me picking them up and disturbing them multiple times/week with full stomachs . I'd be getting pretty annoyed trying to digest a feed and someone kept picking me up 2 times a week.. I suggest just leaving it alone so it can calm down and feel safe and secure in its enclosure. Snakes like all reptiles are more for observational enjoyment rather than hands on.

Thanks Flavi. I think this has stemmed from poor advice I have gathered over time from the internet resulting in poor husbandry. Typically when you look up information on spooked or defensive snakes you find people telling you to handle "as much as possible to get it used to it" and so on. I figured lowering that to twice a week (about 5 minutes Saturday/Sunday, feeding on Tuesday) was a reasonable compromise. I see not.

The snake's stress levels are also why I swapped it out from a Click Clack. When I made the CC and perch it didn't occur to me that he would live on the perch and it would become a big drama for him everytime I needed to do maintenance. Each time I had to reach over the top of him (predator move, I know) it was causing tags, escape attempts and all sorts. I ended up building that wooden enclosure in the first week to alleviate that.

Have u tried putting your snake on grass? They seem to like to poop as soon as they touch it

I wish I had grass. My money got me one of those cottage blocks where it is all house then a couple of pavers :/

 

[dragonlover1]

With the feeding/handling schedule,The usual routine is don't handle for 3 days before or after feeding. For instance I generally feed my pythons on Saturday so if I handle them (rarely) I might do it on say Tuesday or Wednesday.
This doesn't get them in feeding frenzy or upset a bellyful of food.

 

[Blighty]

Well he has shed for me, decided not to poop yet but we will see. Still eating well and seems active enough. Had not attempted handling at all since I posted on here.

Decided to remove his hot hide to make sure he hadn't left any presents in there and got tagged for my efforts .


... I think he likes me
[doublepost=1542284190,1541680678][/doublepost]So still no poop since I have had him (7th of October). Still eats and climbs, no vent bulges or anything (that I can see, keeping hands off) and didn't pass anything during that shed last week. Would it be about time to soon consider adding a touch of oil to his food do you think?

I've just been using up some Weaner Mice and then he will be on adults as suggested above. I have also well and truly avoided handling.