Two new corns

Just got my two baby corns recently. One is a male and the other I have no idea but I've been calling it a him. One is a normal colored Motley (the one that is a male) and the other one is a Okeetee. Both are about 13 inches long. I didn't really expect to get them when I did but luckily their tanks were mostly set up. I let them settle in and then last night I fed them. I have some old rubbermaid containers that we weren't using anymore so I put some papertowels down and poked some holes in the tops. I defrosted their pinkies and placed them in the tubs. Then in went the snakes. The Okeetee slithered around for a couple of minutes and then realized that dinner was waiting. The Motley on the other hand has proved to be a shy feeder. I waited for a couple of minutes and then just took the tub and placed it inside his tank. Came back twenty minutes later and the pinkie was gone. The only thing is that I think the pinkie was too small because there was not much of a lump(barely visible at all) after he ate. Do I need to feed him sooner since his meal was so small? Or should I just wait until next Monday when I feed again? The guy at the store said that they were eating once a week.


Here are some pictures of them:

Male Normal Motley:



Okeetee(unkown sex):



We've been calling the Motley Nibbles because he thinks he's a rattlesnake. The Okeetee has proved to be more laid back. But then again, I know once they really settle into their new homes their true personalities will start to show.

Also, will my Okeetee turn really red like alot of the Okeetee's that I've seen pics of or will he keep the colors he's got now? I'll like him no matter what but I really like the way he looks now! But I think the Motley is my favorite colorwise out of the two.

Well, sorry for the novel. Feel free to give me any advice that you think I may need! I'm new at this and know that I have alot to learn.

Thanks!
Manda in Seattle

Hey, Manda...

What lil'cuties! My Bellerouge looks just like your Okeetee and per a photo of a hatchling sitting next to an adult in Kathy Love's corn snake manual (which happens to be in my classroom at this moment so I don't know the page number...!), our lil'ones will start to change into the colors as you described them. I do like Belle's colors now, but I think it will be fun to see them change -- just like watching anything/one you adore change & evolve.

As for feeding...when I first got Belle, also about the same size as your wee ones, I barely noticed a lump with her first pinky. (She is also a shy eater...she has to eat in her deli cup inside of a larger, dark box...she's a bit of a lady!) Just to be on the safe side, I gave her only one pinky for about 2 more feedings, just to be sure that she was keeping them down & doing well with adjusting. Then, I tried giving her two, and she's been doing well with that for a few feedings now. I would wait about 4 days between the pinky feedings, and then maybe try 2 pinkies...I guess the rule of thumb that I've come to follow is wait 4 days between pinkies, 5 between fuzzies, 6 between hoppers, 7-10 between adults. And, when the midsection no longer shows a lump 24 hrs after feeding, then it's time to start transitioning toward a larger size feeder by trying two pinkies for a few feedings before moving on to one whole fuzzy. Then again, I don't know if this is a rule of thumb...it's just kind of what I've been doing based on bits of advice gleaned from here & there. A feeder should also always be no bigger than 1.5x the size of the snake's midsection. My other snake, Maizie, is now transitioning from fuzzies to hoppers and I started with one fuzzy + one pinky for a few feedings, and then 2 fuzzies...and soon we'll be on 1 hopper. My, how fast they grow...

(I would definitely check the FAQs at the top of every section, though, in this forum because there is TONS of wonderful information...it will seem overwhelming, at first, but give it time...I barely know anything, I still feel like a new mother -- I know enough to get by, and the rest is filed in my brain somewhere for when I need it... )

Good luck! You have some handsome babies!

PS...I love Seattle! Great city!

The pinkie that Okeetee ate was almost a fuzzy and the one that Nibbles ate was a bit smaller. I got eight pinkies when I got the snakes and not even thinking a mixed the bigger ones in with the smaller ones. So to be safe I think I'll feed them both again on Friday and then again in another four days. I just didn't want to be power feeding them as I don't plan on breeding anytime soon(maybe someday in the future) and I want them to grow at a normal steady rate. My younger cousin is gonna be all over the snakes when the family comes for Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. The snakes should be finished digesting by Thursday since I fed them last night.


Keep the advice coming! I've been reading the Love's cornsnake book (the one with the albino Okeetee on the front{atleast I think that's what that snake is}) but more is always better in thses kinda cases!!!

Thanks for the compliments on the pretty worms(not being derogatory towards the snakes as I call my ferrets furry worms and the cats fourlegged heathen worms).

Manda in Seattle

Ps... I usually like Seattle also but the weather lately just blows(literally). The wind was blowing so hard today that the rain was coming down sideways in sheets! And it's cold too..... Hate being cold!!!!!

That's ok...a friend lent me a similar expression, and here's the darling:

The worm with a head

I agree with you regarding advice, so that's why I suggested the FAQs -- I still refer to them, and if when you need to do a search, click on "advanced search" -- 99% of the time, I have better luck as most of even my questions have several threads created on them already. The Feeding FAQs were super-helpful for me when my Fritz was having his regurge/feeding problems and even last night when I was searching on information about the difference in size between large mice & small rats. What's nice, though, is that it sounds like you have a good grip on what's going on & are doing your research. Many congrats on your new snakes!

(You can see Fritz here...he's a bit of a local celebrity And I posted a photo of the lovely Mademoiselle Bellerouge below...)

And, I know what you mean about weather...I've lived mostly between northern New England and the northern Midwest throughout my life -- snow and I just ain't friends...I'm already planning my move south, because you don't have to shovel humidity.