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Posted by glenn bartley on January 21, 2003 at 20:54:42:
In Reply to: snake penis???? posted by GoryLori on January 21, 2003 at 20:42:35:
When you say the snake urinates on you, do you mean it actually passes water? Or do you mean it excretes musk and feces. If it has the consistency of mammal urine, like water, then there may be a health problem. Snake pee is not very watery at all, but is the dryish white substance secreted along with the feces. Musk is also usually somewhat solid or gooey/creamy in consistency(mmmm delicious NOT).
Chances are that this is musk, especially since it happens each time you pick up the snake. Musk is a defensive substance secreted to scare off predators - fould smelling and I imagine fouler tasting. Kingsnakes are notorious for musking. The thing you see popping out could be a hemnipenes (male sex organ) but is more likely the snakes everted cloaca (kind of like if you could pop out the inside of your rectum). As long as it goes back inside, there should be no problem. Never touch it by trying to push it back in.
Someone else may have quite abit more knowledge on this than me, but this is how it has been explained to me in the past. I never worry about it all that much as long as it goes back inside in a short time.
Best regards,
Glenn Bartley
Musking by the snake will likely taper off and eventulally 'hopefully' cease once it has become totally accustomed to handling. Some kingsnakes keep on musking throughout their lifetimes.
