[intravenous]

My vivarium is rather large (6ft x 2ft floor space) with aspen substrate and quite a lot of decor. My snake is only a baby.

My question is...how can I tell when/where he's done a poo :roll:.

Will it smell strongly enough for me to be alerted to its presence? If not, how do I go about finding out if he's been or not :??

Then I should just follow my nose and go digging :-|?

 

[darren.j.b]

i would use newspaper if you cant find it, you will be able to smell it but i think aspen is supposed to remove thew smell so not sure about that, you should be able to see the poo really, should just be on top of the aspen i guess. what kinda snake you got? :razz:

 

[intravenous]

Well I've had him less than a week so I don't think he's been yet. He is a boa constrictor.

I don't want to use newspaper because it just doesn't look as nice...I only have the one snake so I kind of like his viv having the natural look.

 

[Elaphe]

isnt that a bit large for a baby boa?

 

[intravenous]

isnt that a bit large for a baby boa?

I know a lot of people say baby snakes will get stressed in large vivariums but I don't agree.

In the wild a baby snake has the whole world to roam and it gets on just fine. If the snake was left in a bare viv then yes, it would get stressed from lack of cover but if you put in plenty of hides and cover then I think the snake should be fine...I have 7 hides, bamboo and fake plants and my snake isn't showing any sign of stress: he wanders around his viv and is happy to stay out in the open most of the time.

I do generally listen to the advice of more experienced keepers, it would be stupid not to, but that doesn't mean the generally accepted way of thinking is always the only right way. I take most advice because I can see the reasoning behind it and it makes sense to follow...but just for this I decided I didn't agree and wanted to try my own way. If my boa had started to show signs of stress I would have done something about it and moved him into a smaller area...I may like to think for myself, but I wouldn't go against advice if I could see it was hurting my boa.

 

[Razaiel]

Hahaha - another poo thread ...!

Sounds like you've got plenty of hiding places for him and cover. 6ft does sound a little large to me but having said that I put my 16 week old BP almost straight into a 3x2x2 viv (I couldn't get on with the temps in the plastic things). I also put in lots of scrunched up newspaper as well as hides and we had no problems and she fed from the get to and hasn't stopped since.

As for the poo - I can usually tell when mine have been.

 

[Issa]

Stick your nose in the viv and inhale deeply, trust me you'll know!

 

[Dan]

The poo wont be buried and it will be a diff colour from the substrate so should be easy enough to see.
The problem will be the urates but a regular sifting through with your hands will help find any.

 

[radrob]

Trust me you will know when your boa has gone kaka!!!!
Mine usually do theirs in the water bowls, yuck!
It stinks though so dont worry about not knowing!

 

[Razaiel]

The poo wont be buried and it will be a diff colour from the substrate so should be easy enough to see.
The problem will be the urates but a regular sifting through with your hands will help find any.

Oh yes - the sifting through - always an exciting adventure :razz:

 

[intravenous]

Ok, that's good to know ...I'll keep my nose alert then:roll:

 

[intravenous]

I guess that won't be a problem...he just did a massive dump in his water bowl, and it looks like there's urates too.

...yay :roll:

 

[Rubber-man]

I know a lot of people say baby snakes will get stressed in large vivariums but I don't agree.

In the wild a baby snake has the whole world to roam and it gets on just fine.

I've got to agree with you there Intravenous, I always believe that as long as the snake eats, sloughs and excretes waste normally than the bigger the Viv the better.

My scrubby's a mere 5ft (tiny for scrubby) and he's moving into his new 7ft x 6ft3 x 3ft (lxhxd) viv in the next few days, and i'm sure he'll love it.

Glad to see he's poo'd, make sure you scrub the water bowl!

 

[skimpy]

i would use newspaper if you cant find it, you will be able to smell it but i think aspen is supposed to remove thew smell so not sure about that, you should be able to see the poo really, should just be on top of the aspen i guess. what kinda snake you got? :razz:

Aspen does not remove smell!!! oh, it is rank!