Sort of nervous..

Hey, I'm new to the forum but not exactly new to cornsnakes. I had one a few years ago and was absolutely in love with it. You can imagine how upset I was when, after seemingly healthy eating weeks, clean water, clean tank and all - the poor thing died. I was devastated, I figured I must have done something wrong. I knew someone who had snakes, I followed instructions, yada yada. Toward the end of it's life, the poor snake refused to eat, at first I figured it might have been the change in weather (nearing winter).

Anyway, it was a very young snake - still a baby. Maybe even too young, I don't really know. I didn't get another snake because, well, i was sort of nervous the same thing would happen. I think , possibly, it was the use of wood chip bedding that did it. I felt like total crap. Anyway, I still love snakes. Someone else said it probably wasn't my fault, it could have been the pet store because I used the same bedding that the store did. I want another, and I want to make sure that it all goes ok this time.

Any tips on where to get a cornsnake I know took care of them - or better ways to help the snake once it gets here? This time I want to er, play it as safe as possible. I guess this is kind of a weird thread but maybe some of you have suggestions, anyway.

It is hard to make suggestions without knowing the circumstances and husbandry practices that might have been involved with your snake.


You might want to consider an adult or a sub-adult. Established snakes are much hardier and forgiving of mistakes than juveniles.

hmmmm, it could of been the substrate... did you feed on the substrate? if so it could of been impaction. or a drop temps might have stopped it eating. like CAV said, it is too hard say with the info you gave us.
as far as substrate goes, opt for newspaper while your snake is settling in, so it will be easier to spot any problems. then in a few months you could move onto aspen, or keep with the newspaper.

Thanks to both of you. The snake I had didn't die of impaction - couldn't have, anyways, because I always fed it in a separate area.

I've found a nice petshop and they expect to get some snakes in soon, so I'll hopefully be bringing one home in a few weeks. Just to be safe - It's nespaper for me this time, and I'm moving the tank away from a window, away from anywhere that the heat could be tampered with, etc. All that shtuff.

Thanks