Hi, I have a spotted python I recently bought from the castle hill expo...we went looking for more beardies & came home with a spotty instead. I am surprising myself just how much I enjoy having her she was bought for my son & hubby but I find I'm spending the most time with her lol ! My question is not ever owning a snake before how will I know if she's pooed as I had feed her 7days ago & handled her for the first time yesterday ( an awesome experience) but could not see any signs of poo although my daughter said it was damp in one side of her hide. Can I still feed her even though I haven't seen any poo, she also seems to have soaked up her water as I've filled it twice now it's only a little dish we bought in the python kit at the show ! I feel silly asking these questions but I want to do the right thing by our snake.
Feeding & pooing - spotted python
- Thread starter Mel2752
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You should be able to see some sort of poo around, my snake is on paper towls at the moment so it makes it really easy to see. But if you can't I would still try to feed it as normal. If it doesn't want it then it won't eat it. If its not pooing it could e something as simple as coming up to a shed. It's watching your snakes behaviour is definitely a time thing. I would suggest if your concerned that if you don't already, start to document all your snakes behaviour (feeds, sheds, pooing) etc. that way it will be a little easier to se abnormal behaviour. I wouldn't be too worried in your position.
justin91
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If she's done a poo you'll smell it lol. Like arm06 said, she could be coming into shed and might actually poo as she sheds. It does happen.
Bellawonga
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Hi
It's ok to feed her if she hasn't emptied her gut if she seems fine all round and is warm and active. I gather you are feeding her in the evening? She might be settling in still to her new home. Have you got a thermometer in with her to check the air temperature is warm enough. I use thermostats to control the temp in my rehab boxes. Should be high 20's to low 30's at the top end of enclosure with one end or level being cooler. If she feels cool to the touch she isn't warm enough. Undigested food can rot in the gut if they are too cool and this will lead to infection and all sorts of problems. Hope this helps.
It's ok to feed her if she hasn't emptied her gut if she seems fine all round and is warm and active. I gather you are feeding her in the evening? She might be settling in still to her new home. Have you got a thermometer in with her to check the air temperature is warm enough. I use thermostats to control the temp in my rehab boxes. Should be high 20's to low 30's at the top end of enclosure with one end or level being cooler. If she feels cool to the touch she isn't warm enough. Undigested food can rot in the gut if they are too cool and this will lead to infection and all sorts of problems. Hope this helps.
Bellawonga
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About the faeces and urine - the faeces should be dark and formed and the urine is usually white and soft but goes harder when dry. Your snake may do one of these only or together. If the urine is powdery and yellowish, it might be a sign of dehyration. If the faeces are sloppy/watery and green or yellow then you could have a bacterial infection.
Thanks so much for your advice everyone! It really helps , I am feeding her @ night & she did feel cool but is active & easy to handle , very curious when in & she out . THe temp is 27 @ the warm end Ill be keeping an eye on her. I'm so glad this forum is available !
Bananapeel
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27 should be around the cool end. Might wanna change that. Usually between 32-35 degrees celsius is good so as stimigex said, around 32/33 with a bit of fluctuation is adequate.
If your temps are too low (which they are) their metabolism wont be working well as they are not warm enough to be active. They need the heat to digest meals and in result, excreting. Get the temps up higher quickly because she needs to digest and dispose of the meal she has recently consumed.
If your temps are too low (which they are) their metabolism wont be working well as they are not warm enough to be active. They need the heat to digest meals and in result, excreting. Get the temps up higher quickly because she needs to digest and dispose of the meal she has recently consumed.
Crazycow232
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i was just wondering, people always say if they dont want to eat they dont want to eat. but you obvioulsy dont want to waste any food. so can u put a thawed and warmed rat back in the freezer?
Bart70
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Definitely lift that temp.....Grab an electronic thermometer with a sensor probe in the end of a wire and put the sensor/probe on the floor of the tub (which is where she will be laying....not halfway up the tub in the air.
I keep my Spotty hatchy at 30-31 at the hot end, the cool end is ambient ( I live in a temperate climate so at this time of year it is around 25 degrees). My girl is very happy with these temps, was being handled 2 days after coming home and ate like a pig 4 days after coming home so her environment was not causing her any discomfort (She may just be a mega chilled Spotty tho...)
I keep my Spotty hatchy at 30-31 at the hot end, the cool end is ambient ( I live in a temperate climate so at this time of year it is around 25 degrees). My girl is very happy with these temps, was being handled 2 days after coming home and ate like a pig 4 days after coming home so her environment was not causing her any discomfort (She may just be a mega chilled Spotty tho...)
ronhalling
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Just as an aside to the subject of faeces (poo) it usually should consist of 3 parts i.e clear liquid(urine) white matter(urates) and brown matter (the poo) and as it gets onto furry foods the last one will include the fur...........................Ron
Help please!
Hi guys I'm back & need more help! After turning up the heat I checked when I went to bed & the temp was 32 deg now when I get up this morning & check on her the temp has dropped down to 27 deg ! Having never used this type of heating before its very frustrating! Does this mean my heat mat is buggered , shouldn't it stay at the temp I set it at!
Hi guys I'm back & need more help! After turning up the heat I checked when I went to bed & the temp was 32 deg now when I get up this morning & check on her the temp has dropped down to 27 deg ! Having never used this type of heating before its very frustrating! Does this mean my heat mat is buggered , shouldn't it stay at the temp I set it at!
Bellawonga
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This is normal for it to go down a little overnight and not a worry at 27' for overnight. Your thermostat will kick in. You will soon learn your enclosure and temp range but keep in mind if the room temp changes a lot in winter, you may need to make minor adjustments. I have hospital boxes for injured wild reptiles which are kept warm all winter and never put into brumation due to the fact they need to heal and put on weight as they came in sick. The room can get pretty cold so I just cover them with a wool blanket or similar. This means I don't have to crank up the heat as well. Feeding and treating them over winter means they can often be released by Spring or early Summer depending on extent of injuries. I always use a digital probe thermometer in my enclosure and place it in the centre of box just above the ground a little. You will get a more accurate reading with the probe than just relying on what your thermostat says. They are rarely the same. sorry for going a little off topic here.
Thank you for your advise bellawonga! I'm new to snakes only ever had beardies & never had trouble with there temp! The temp is slowly increasing, perhaps I panicked a little as I'm scared she won't be able to digest her food , I've grown very attached in the short time we've had her ! In winter the room is quite warm as we have a wood heater !
Bananapeel
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Haha it's ok to be a bit paranoid with a first snake but they are hardier than you think. It's just that you can't leave them for too long like this but they wont die as soon as the temp drops a bit! haha best of luck!
P
Pythoninfinite
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Zanks is wrong - you can refreeze a thawed food item if it has been thawed quickly (in warm/hot water) and remained uneaten for an hour or two. If you have left it in a warm place overnight or longer it's probably better to discard it, but even then it is unlikely to harm your snake. Snakes are not susceptible to the same decay bacteria as we humans are, because the food actually begins to decay in their gut before they fully digest their food, especially if the meal is a big one. People seem to consistently feel that snakes are similar to humans, but they are actually more like dogs when it comes to resistance to bacterial problems, and we all know what dogs can eat without harm.
Jamie
Thanks for that info Pythoninfinite
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