Many people ask me - what does snake poop look like? The answer is that it's pretty hard to identify. Snakes are carnivores. They eat only meat, but specifically, they eat whole animals. Small snakes eat insects, then as snakes get a bit bigger, maybe small frogs, other snakes etc. and then larger snakes eat mammals. Mice and rats are common, but large snakes can eat big mammals, whole of course. The feces of carnivores tend to be somewhat mushy, because there's not a whole lot of plant fiber. This is also the case with snakes. Snake feces are usually pretty mushy, and smooth. Some snake poo does contain fur, of course, since they eat mammals, but still, the consistency is generally a bit mushy with smooth edges.
Also, snakes basically poop and pee at the same time out of one hole, the cloacae, so that also makes things a bit runny. Oftentimes snake poo has a white cap, or white stuff smeared throughout it. This is called a urea cap, or urea smear. You might think that snake droppings would be long and thin, since snakes are long and thin. However, this isn't the case - they are fatter than you might imagine.
When fresh, the snake poop is usually dark brown, but as it dries out, it turns more chalky in color. The bottom line is that it is fairly difficult to identify, in my opinion, at least if you don't already know what the droppings of other animals look like, which would allow you to rule out other critters. I know what the feces of over three hundred and forty different animals look like, so I could rule out a lot of the usual suspects first. For example, a lot of animals leave pellet turds - little round or oval balls. Snakes don't do this. They pass their waste fairly infrequently, just as they eat fairly infrequently. When they do go, it's a large, relatively thick, slimy mess.
You may want to read my Shed Snake Skin Identification page if you've simply found the sheddings, and want to tell what type of snake left them behind.
As a side note, I will state that in seventh grade, my science teacher had a pet snake, a seven foot boa constrictor, and one day it crapped all over him, and me and my friend Jeff Wohlbach the trumpet player laughed and laughed and laughed, because that's what 13 year old boys do at such times.
You basically have four options for getting rid of your snake(s). First, you can call a professional wildlife expert from my below directory. This person can catch and remove the snake(s) and take other actions necessary to solve the snake problem. Second, you can purchase a snake trap if you wish to catch the snake yourself. Third, you can modify your land and seal up your house to help keep snakes away and out of the house. Fourth, you can try a snake repellent.
Option 1 - HIRE A PROFESSIONAL
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Option 2 - BUY A SNAKE TRAP
If a snake is indoors, a trap will work. I do not recommend using a glue-based trap outdoors, because it can inhumanely catch other small critters. I have reviewed and field tested several snake trap designs, and the one featured below is the most durable and effective. It is the highest quality snake trap available on the market. Read more about Snake Trap.
What does snake feces look like - Snake feces look like the feces of many other carnivores. Because snakes eat only other animals, there is little plant fiber in their intestinal tract to created well-formed stool. When a snake eliminates, the resulting mess is very moist and haphazard, filled with bones, beaks, teeth, and nails. Sometimes you will be able to see a white urea cap within the pile. A urea cap is excreted because snakes use the same opening at the base of the tail to eliminate both liquid and solid waste. Unlike what you might assume about snake poop, the feces are not expelled in a long column resembling the form of the reptile. Snake feces will be as blobbed together as other animals’ waste. They key is to see if you can eliminate other critters as the culprit. It is not always possible to say with certainty that you are looking at snake poop. If other carnivores can be rules out, and if you are not seeing the droppings frequently, then you may just have a snake after all.
How does a snake poop - Snakes digest their food just like most animals; however, the snake excretes both solid and liquid waste from the same hole. This opening, the cloaca, is found at the base of the tail. Snakes eliminate solid waste infrequently, so it is pretty uncommon to find snake droppings around your home. If you do find a pile of wet mush, you should also see a white urea cap within the mess of nails, bones, and teeth. You will not always be able to determine what animal left the feces. Many small carnivores will leave droppings similar to that of a snake. You might think that snakes eliminate long, cylindrical fecal material, but that is not correct. The poop left behind by a snake can be just as round and patty-like as any other animal. The most you can hope to discern from snake poop is the general size of the animal based on the undigested contents of the droppings. A larger snake may have remnants of birds or rats in its stool. Smaller snakes will be more difficult to identify because there will be few bones or nails in the poop.
White snake poop - White snake poop means the droppings are old or full of urea. Snake’s eliminate both solid and liquid waste from their cloaca, the single opening at the base of the tail. Because of this, urea is excreted in a white form and can create a cap on the droppings or be smeared throughout. White snake poop does not have much significance beyond that fact. As snake poop dries, the dark texture quickly becomes chalky, as do the droppings of certain other animals. Do not be alarmed by this sight if it is on your property. Chances are that the snake has already moved on to another location. Not all snakes look to find a yard and remain in it. If you are having issues with persistent snakes, it’s time to re-evaluate your landscaping. Snakes will be drawn to areas with an abundance of insects or rodents. Food critters will live in lawns and gardens where the moisture content is high and the vegetation thick. Eliminating these two factors from the mix will mean your snake encounters will decrease. Even if food is not overly abundant, snakes will look for areas that provide good shelter. Aside from vegetation removal, repairs to any damage around the home need to be taken care of. Do not leave any cracks or openings through which a snake could wiggle.
FAQs
What is snake poop look like? ›
Like bird feces, snake feces is oblong in shape and also quite wet. Snake and rat poop are both oblong in shape. Snake poop tends to have pointed tips and is partially white. Rodent poop has no white parts.
Where do garter snakes poop from? ›Snakes and birds have a single opening, the cloaca, through which they discharge both feces and uric acid. In other animals, the kidneys extract nitrogenous waste from the blood and release it in the form of urea dissolved in urine.
Is snake poop yellow and white? ›It is common to see yellow in your snake's droppings… Their urates tend to range from white to yellow, and sometimes they can mix with the feces and make the feces appear yellow. Now, if you are confident that your snake's feces, and not just the urates, are yellow, make an appointment with your veterinarian.
What does snake pee look like? ›Snakes urinate and defecate through a single opening called the cloaca. This opening is located at the end of the belly or at the beginning of the tail. They urinate a fluid called urates, which is usually a yellow and white liquid or semi-solid substance.
What does a Copperheads poop look like? ›When snakes excrete waste, it's a mixture of white urine and feces that's more liquid than solid. Snake feces are much like bird droppings. They're often found in a U-shape or coil and can be mistaken for worms. The coil or u-shape shape results from snakes' long and winding intestines.
How do you tell the difference between snake and lizard poop? ›Snake droppings are looser and ropier than lizard droppings and may have undulations or no defined shape. The white urea portion may be in the form of a cap end or is more often seen as liquid white streaks along the brown cord portion.
Can you identify a snake by its poop? ›There is no definitive way, short of genetic testing, to determine what type of snake is leaving scat deposits in your yard or garden. Size of the poop will tell you the size of the snake. A copperhead snake will leave a much more sizeable deposit than that of a garter snake.
What attracts garter snakes to your house? ›“If you have the room and are really into it, having a little pond that's big enough to support local frogs or toads can be great for snakes,” Amarello said, pointing out that garter snakes often live near bodies of water and their diet often consists of amphibians.
How do you know if a snake is around? ›Spotting a snake
“They usually don't smell like anything unless you pick one up and smell it a lot, you might smell a musky, really nasty smell.” People might see snake skin sheddings around the house if a snake has been there for a while. It is common to see snakes in a home if there is a mice problem.
Skunk droppings look similar to those of a cat and are typically found in lawns and gardens. The waste is tubular, has blunt ends, and usually measures about a quarter to half an inch in diameter and one to two inches long. Skunk poop generally contains bits of undigested insects, berry seeds, fur, or feathers.
What does dry snake poop look like? ›
A snake's poop is brown, slimy, and oblong-shaped when it's first excreted and gets chalky when it's dried. Snakes don't poop often, so when they do, the feces is usually large and thick.
What does a fox feces look like? ›Fox scat looks more like cat poo than dog poo. It is dark brown to black and about the length and width of a thumb, and it can look a bit dry and stringy with a pointy end.
What animal urine keep snakes away? ›Use a Snake Barrier
Some of the most common ones are fox and coyote urine or a mix of sulfur and rock salt. Whether you make or buy your barrier, spread it around the area you want to block off, and keep an eye out.
Color in these snake body parts to find out: Cloaca: Birds and reptiles have cloacas for excreting waste and laying eggs. The outside of the opening is called the vent.
Is poop that looks like a snake normal? ›Types of poop
Type 1: Separate hard lumps (constipation) Type 2: Sausage-shaped but lumpy (mild constipation) Type 3: Sausage-shaped with cracks on its surface (healthy) Type 4: Smooth and soft like a snake (healthy)
These holes can be found embedded in grass, in piles of dirt or sand, or under piles of logs or sticks. Snake hole openings are circular but can range in diameter and depth due to the snake's size.
How do you know if you have a snake in your house? ›Spotting a snake
“They usually don't smell like anything unless you pick one up and smell it a lot, you might smell a musky, really nasty smell.” People might see snake skin sheddings around the house if a snake has been there for a while. It is common to see snakes in a home if there is a mice problem.