Odd timing of dropping sperm plugs.

[saisaac]

So I have tried a lot of different substrates in my quest to find one that both I and Chewy seem to enjoy. Right now orchid bark (fir) seems to be the winner. It is inexpensive, looks nice, works well dry or moist, doesn't have lots of dust, and isn't splintery.He seems to burrow more in it and also move about the cage more. He of course increases his activity immediately any time I make a change in his enclosure, but it does keep him exploring longer than say when I switched from eco-earth to cyrpess.

Both times I have first put orchid bark into his enclosure, he started dropping sperm plugs within an hour of me switching the substrate out. The first instance was last spring and it was then that I verified he was a male. Then I recently switched him from cyprus to orchid bark and right after he went back into the enclosure I thought he was going to poop just to be a jerk, but instead he "exposed himself" and dropped a plug. I have never actually seen him drop the plugs when he was on other substrates.

Any idea why this might be the case?

[donkeybuff]

Now that you mention it, I feel like I remember finding many more sperm plugs when Coffee was on orchid bark as well...
I might just be imagining it, or it could just be that I found more since they contrast more with the darker substrate. If he really was dropping more, I have no idea why it may have happened.

[saisaac]

I agree that finding them more is probably due to the color difference, but I also witness him doing it more. So odd. Might be something about the scent.

[Richard.C]

Could possably be a scent marking behaviour,they often poop when u just change substrate,also for you its the time of year when spermplug dropping is a common occurance

Some substrates do allow u to notice plugs more though