Hi -- new to the forum, new to cornsnakes

Hi,
I just found this forum earlier today. I have been doing some basic on-line research on these awesome animals for a few weeks now and I think I am going to take the plunge and start off with a few hatchlings. I've got two empty 30 gallons(no lids yet though, that's gonna have to change) and a local source for frozen pinky mice.
Why are corns for me? Of course, lacking experience with snakes I can't say I'll be 100% successful with them just yet -- but the genetic factor is irresistable to me. I am fascinated with the astounding variety of color morphs. I've been breeding Betta Splendens since 1999 for the same reason --seemingly endless variety of colors/patterns.
I started as a very young child reading care manuals on different animals -- for some reason I would always read the "breeding" section over and over(my mom used to give me dirty looks ha). Around age 7 I started out with my first pair of fancy guppies -- they ate all but one fry which I was able to "save" and put in an old cool-whip container with water...it lasted all of three days. At age 11 I had my own breeding colony of gerbils, I even had a notebook where I noted all the different color/pattern traits passed down. Anyway, to wrap it up I have bred several species of rodent, tropical fish, snails, dwarf shrimp and dwarf crayfish. I am very excited about owning my first snake and hope one day to breed some of my own.
Thanks for letting me introduce myself,

Amanda
phoenix, az

G'D morning and welcome to the forum..

Like you, it was the genetics that really attracted me. My daughter got me started. She wanted one..I said yes..fell in love with hers and bought my own. Now I am searching for just the right genotypes for my foundation pets.

My daughter, like you, has always been into the breeding side of things. Just this spring through the summer, she had her own colony of frogs. Tadpoles in one bucket..then tadpoles with legs and tail in another..then tadpoles with barely a tail..in a different one..then finally..the frog aquarium. She fussed over them like they were her babies.

She was even able to sell her tadpoles for $.25 each and the frogs for $1.00. Funny thing is, she sold them to other kids that had their own ponds and frogs..LOL.

Enjoy..and hey....don't fight the addiction...if anywhere..here you'll be understood.

Kathy

Welcome to the forum! Wonderful introduction there, I really enjoyed reading it. I used to own a few Bettas.. actually I had a few really nice females, no adequate tank to breed however. Exquisite animals, those Betta.

One suggestion on husbandry just from what you've written so far.. I'd save those 30gal tanks for when your snakes get a bit larger. Hatchlings do well in smaller enclosures where they feel safe and concealed. Living in a large Viv can stress out a hatchling to the point where it develops eating problems. If you absolutely must/really want to use the larger tanks right away make sure there are plenty of hides all around the enclosure.

Good luck, keep us updated!

Thanks for the welcome!
Kathy -- you are a lucky mom to have a child with such interests! Sounds like a future pro. I hope to interest at least one of my boys in genetics, but that'll be at least a few years(they're babies lol).

Jessica -- thanks for the tank advice. I've also got a 15 I'm not using, so maybe I could start them off in there. Regarding the betta breeding, it's really simple once you get the hang of it -- you only need a 5 or 10 gallon to start...of course, raising the fry does take a little dedication.

I hope to get my first snakes before the summer -- I'm willing to wait for the "right" genetic combo.

--Amanda

Amansa-su said:

I've also got a 15 I'm not using, so maybe I could start them off in there.

Click to expand...

A quick note...It sounded like you were referring to housing more than one in the same 15 gal tank. Before you do that I would suggest doing a search on cohabitation, housing together, etc. This is one of the few discussions around here that gets really heated, as most people feel corns should never be housed together.
Good luck and welcome to the forum :wavey:

Thanks for the heads up -- maybe I'll avoid a lot of the newbie fire since I haven't actually bought any snakes yet lol. However, I've been under the impression that young hatchlings can be housed together -- is that not the case? Then, what do the large scale breeders do about individually housing all the neonates? (picturing walls of individual "snake condos") I am(hopefully) on a waiting list now for some 2006 caramels -- how long can I house them together assuming I acquire them newly hatched?

thanks

--Amanda

Plan ahead for keeping them seperate. That way, even as hatchlings, you can keep good records of who shed, who defecated and who's showing any specific signs that you want to watch out for. If you're going to start off with just keeping a pair, those 30 gallons that you have will be far more than adequate. The problems you'll face will be heating them properly and keeping good humidity (of course, the heat is a little bit less of an issue for us here in AZ). Casey (Jynx) seems to have become an expert locally here in keeping good environmental conditions. Talk to her about some of the concerns that you have. Along with the rest of everyone here, I'm pretty certain you'll have all the questions you can come up with answered fairly complete.

Welcome!

Amansa-su said:

Thanks for the heads up -- maybe I'll avoid a lot of the newbie fire since I haven't actually bought any snakes yet lol. However, I've been under the impression that young hatchlings can be housed together -- is that not the case? Then, what do the large scale breeders do about individually housing all the neonates? (picturing walls of individual "snake condos") I am(hopefully) on a waiting list now for some 2006 caramels -- how long can I house them together assuming I acquire them newly hatched?

thanks

--Amanda

Click to expand...

Some breeders do have walls of tubs! Some keep their hatchlings in separate deli cups so they take up little space. Some people use 6qt sterilites. I'm sure some do house them together. You are always running risks of one eating the other or being aggressive. One or both can be stressed by living together even if they seem to be okay. In the end you have to decide if the risks are worth it to you. If you ever do have problems with cohabitation this should be the last place you want to talk about it.

Hi Amanda,

I'm new here too, also snake-less and waiting for the right snake(s), and also obsessed since a young age with genetics. Happy we can be learning along together.
Trace in Santa Fe