Snake poop

[Cookie_enthusiast]

Hi there,
So I've recently realised over the last couple of weeks that my Childrens has been producing a mostly white poop after feeds. There's only the slightest bit of brown at the end (did not think to get photos).
I think she's roughly 5 months old, maybe slightly older. She's currently taking 2 pinkies each feed, every 6 days.
Is this normal? Is it a diet issue? Should I move on from pinkies to fuzzies? Thanks for the help.

 

[Sdaji]

Yes, it's completely healthy and normal. It's a product called uric acid. All healthy snakes produce it.

Reptiles put extra energy into more heavily processing their bodily waste to make it less toxic. This means they require less water to flush their system out, meaning they have lower water requirements. The tradeoff is that they have to eat more, but reptiles being ectotherms have far lower energy requirements than mammals, so overall still eat far less. Mammals being endotherms, their food requirements are huge so they constantly have to be active to obtain food, so while at it they can venture out and get a drink... usually, for most species.

Interestingly, birds (which are also a type of reptile incidentally) retained this reptilian trait, and the lower water system works especially well for them because not only do they fly around obtaining meals so are generally good at finding a feed and thus have the energy to fuel the system, but while obtaining water would generally not be an issue for them, consuming it is a big problem because water is heavy and carrying extra weight around with you is a big problem if you want to fly, so for them it makes sense as a weight reduction strategy. You'll see that same white stuff in bird poop too.

 

[Cookie_enthusiast]

Yes, it's completely healthy and normal. It's a product called uric acid. All healthy snakes produce it.

Reptiles put extra energy into more heavily processing their bodily waste to make it less toxic. This means they require less water to flush their system out, meaning they have lower water requirements. The tradeoff is that they have to eat more, but reptiles being ectotherms have far lower energy requirements than mammals, so overall still eat far less. Mammals being endotherms, their food requirements are huge so they constantly have to be active to obtain food, so while at it they can venture out and get a drink... usually, for most species.

Interestingly, birds (which are also a type of reptile incidentally) retained this reptilian trait, and the lower water system works especially well for them because not only do they fly around obtaining meals so are generally good at finding a feed and thus have the energy to fuel the system, but while obtaining water would generally not be an issue for them, consuming it is a big problem because water is heavy and carrying extra weight around with you is a big problem if you want to fly, so for them it makes sense as a weight reduction strategy. You'll see that same white stuff in bird poop too.

This is a greatly detailed response, thank you! So just to make sure I've completely understood, it's okay that the poop has been like 98% white? Thank you heaps for the response!

 

[Sdaji]

It won't always be 98%, but if they pass something which is all or mostly uric acid, it's completely fine and normal. The snake will also produce some more normal looking poop, but it won't usually pass both types in average ratios in every bowel movement. It's somewhat like a person sometimes peeing or pooping all or mostly one or the other in one movement - this isn't a problem as long as what they produce is in healthy ratio on average over the week, and there's some healthy scope for variation depending on age, conditions, feed and growth rates, etc.

I wish they did pass 98% uric acid - it's less smelly, dirty and toxic. Being the colour and having similar physical and chemical characteristics to plaster... I've sort of had stupid... er... fantasies (?)... notions anyway, of getting some fresh uric acid and putting into moulds to make scuptures...

Just a weird thought I have, I know, it's weird, I won't ever actually do it, but it's my secret awkward, inappropriate thought. Don't tell anyone.