common garter problems? ?

[aggro180]

hello,
my name is tony murray
about 5 months ago i bought a common garter snake. for the first 3 and a half months he was perfect in a faunarium. . . now he is growing up i moved him to a 2ft viv. he had been ok up until the past week, and he has decided to go to the toilet everytime he is handled.

is this a problem at all? ? ?
it has worried me as he was always so easy to handle and this seems odd that he has started doing this.

any help would be appreciated.

regards
tony

[FunkyRes]

It's called musking. Garters frequently musk when they feel threatened. My guess is that something about new enclosure isn't right, make sure it has plenty of hides - most snakes like tight places they can squeeze into.

[guidofatherof5]

It's called musking. Garters frequently musk when they feel threatened. My guess is that something about new enclosure isn't right, make sure it has plenty of hides - most snakes like tight places they can squeeze into.

It may just be that it is a new enclosure, not that somethings wrong with it. Something is upsetting the scrub. Be patient.
Is he/she still eating and drinking?

[aggro180]

hey, thanks very much for your posts.

i have heard of musking, he has actually done that to me before, he escaped and i had to search and when i caught him he did that, but i knew that he was just scared.

i cant understand why it would be the viv as he was ok for several weeks before this peeing and pooping started. . . he has been eating and drinking however and shedding perfectly, so seems a happy snake except for his wee incidents now. . .

are they good at scenting other lizards on us do you know? ? ? i was thinking that perhaps he smells our newly aquired bearded dragon from us as the incidents have started since she came into the house.

thanks again for taking time out to reply.

tony

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, Tony