• In case most of you have not noticed, I made changes to the donation amounts as well as the durations for all of the paid membership levels. Things are winding down here, and this seems to be the most prudent way to deal with the "end of life" period of this site.

    Contributor level members - $10 per 30 days
    Sponsors - Eliminated
    Benefactor level members - $25 per 30 days
    Endowment level members - $50 per 30 days

    Account Upgrades Page
  • Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

Ball Python Defecation

Digestion can depend on the temps and meal size, but I believe 4-8 days after eating is typical. Also in my experience snakes will often wait until they finish the shedding process to defecate, so it can take longer then.
 
Thanks. She had been going about once a week, but it has been two weeks now. Her eyes turned gray about three days ago. I soaked her in 86 degree water last night for about ten minutes, but to no avail. I had her feces tested for parasites about 6 weeks ago, and I feed her inside a tupperware bin (away from substrate). I have no other animals in the house.
 
That's not unusual, if they don't go when they should then that's often a sign that they'll be going into blue soon. Right now it sounds like she has more time left in the shedding process and that's why she hasn't gone yet.
You can't rush it though, I'd just provide her with proper temps and a humid shed box to assist. Chances are that she'll defecate after she sheds. If there's retained skin or if she still doesn't go, then you'll want to consider warm soaks, but right now everything sounds like it's on track.

Good luck~
 
Some of our adults go a month or two between poops so I wouldn't really worry about it. It is extremely nasty when it finally comes out though :(

This doesn't mean that you can completely ignore their pooping habits. We have one girl that constantly has constipation. There has been a few times where she spent several minutes trying to push out a turd while bathing. Sometimes I have to gently squeeze down on the blockage above the vent in order to pinch a piece off and allow the rest to pass.
 
Thanks everyone. Just an update, she shed late last night and also used the bathroom. Your posts made me stop worrying.

Signed,
First time snake owner and possible hypochondriac
 
So glad to hear it~
It's great that you're on top of these things and asking questions, it's always better safe than sorry. Your bp is real lucky to have gone to such an attentive owner.
 
Back
Top