Constipation in Morelia viridis

Anyone caring for the green tree python Morelia viridis should familiarise themselves with the subject of constipation.

The term constipation is misleading, as it is the urinate that blocks the exit of the cloaca.

Urinate or urate is the salt of uric acid, which is formed at high concentrations of uric acid from a pH value < 5.5.

It is useful to know that the urine of a snake cannot be compared with that of a mammal.

The urine consists of a high proportion of uric acid. All snakes lack a urinary bladder.

The urine is therefore stored in the cloaca.

Initially liquid, the uric acid crystallises through the absorption of water from a pH value of < 5.5.

This produces a salt known as urate.

The consistency of urate, as it is called in reptiles, ranges from soft to hard.

In addition to uric acid, faeces are also produced by the food.

This is slowly channelled through the intestines towards the cloaca.

The digestion of reptiles is slow and depends on the outside temperature.

They are cold-blooded creatures that are unable to produce the heat required for digestion.

Depending on the food animal, indigestible hairs are carried along.

While carnivorous birds regurgitate the indigestible remains of their food as pellets, this residue is channelled through the snake's digestive tract.

If urine has already been formed at the end of the cloaca, excreting the food residue involves increased effort, which the snake initially tries to avoid.

To make matters worse, Morelia viridis is a faecal collector, which further increases the length of time the faeces remain in the intestine.

This causes the faeces to thicken and lose some of its soft consistency.

It is astonishing that it takes considerable amounts of urine and faeces in adult Morelia viridis before constipation becomes a problem.

The animals usually defecate before complications occur.

Urinary tract infections and inflammation of the intestines are the result of acute constipation and can be fatal if not treated.

But it is not only faeces and urine that can cause constipation.

Parasites in large quantities also lead to constipation and intestinal blockages.

Constipation can be recognised.

The rear part of the body hangs from the branch.

The snake appears bloated and feels unwell.

Urine and faeces are sometimes pushed outwards and can be recognised as dents.

Constipation can be reduced by

• Exercise and the encouragement to do so
• Reducing the amount of food
• Small food animals
• Provide sufficient fluids 

It is helpful to keep a logbook of when the snake defecates.

Adult Morelia viridis defecate approximately every four till six weeks when given rats weighing 60 - 80 g every three weeks.

To determine whether all faeces have left the body, the excreted amount of faeces and urine should be weighed from time to time.

As a rule of thumb, half the weight of the ingested food animal should have left the body in the amount of faeces.