snake doctor?

alrighty. well i am a beginner, and future snake owner. i have read up on different snakes and have decided that a cornsnake would be good for me, seems like a nice beginner snake and i think they are beautiful animals. i have read about basic care, pretty much got all that down. i just have a few questions.

i've heard that snakes are prone to infections? and also have been advised to set up a visit with a vet that specialises in snakes and other reptiles, and not to trust a typical vet with it's needs. is this true? and are cornsnakes very prone to different illnesses even if properly cared for?

also, i would love it if someone would tell me if loud noises will bother snakes. (hang on, don't laugh just yet, i know they dont have outer ears.) i am asking this in regards to the vibrations of the sounds, and hey, vibrations in general. my brother is teaching me drums. should i move the snake out of the area if im playing? i dont wanna freak the little guy out. i realise it would have to have a few weeks to get used to its surroundings, but after ive had it for a while, will it still get skittish at those vibrations?

also, at the moment i have a 10 gal. tank. i cant exactly afford to buy a hugh 20-30 gal. tank yet. i plan to save up, it shouldnt take toolong, but how long before a baby snake, say a month or two old, gets too big for the 10 gallon? and how big should my final tank be?

one more thing. every pet supply store ive asked about for tererrium supplies has sugested lights for heat. but i have also heard that it is better to get an electric heating pad under the tank as well. is this ok? will it get too hot?

thanks for your advice and help. i really wanna take good care of the little guy when i get 'im.
~lina

Yer a diabolically good fella!

Glad to see you did yer homework before making your purchase. It will save you lots of money in the end. NO, snakes are not "prone" to infections whatsoever! Nonsense. Compared to keeping a terrarium or vivarium with lots of moisture (frog's "red leg" disease, fungal and bacterial infections on salamanders, frog, and turtles...) a dry cornsnake cage is highly unlikely to ever give you isuue with a sick animal.

Let me be honest. I own around 70 snakes at different stages of life, 50 plus of them corns. I neither have a true Veternarian (I do have some VERY learned friends) nor have I ever had an "infection" with any snakes. I have had poor feeders, regurgers, flighty specimens, waterbowl soakers, nose rubbers, live-only feeders, "only poop in a clean cage" poopers, biters, infertile breeders, persistant double-clutchers, "won't eat when I'm horny" males, "stop eating to early in Autumn's", and the famous "I'd never bite, but my goal in life is to see how many people, ESPECIALLY children, can I crap on in my lifetime's". But you'll seldom run into a sick snake if cared for properly.

Okay, yes, drums and snake's don't mix. They are especially sensitive to lower vibrations. Drums would make their life miserable. There have been lots of old threads discussing this matter.

My opinion about the tank... just get a rubbermaid container. Less than six bucks and it can be heated like anything else. With one snake, I'd get an under the tank pad and only attach it to one side, providing a gradient and keep it in a warm room. Not the prettiest set up, but practical, and you can take out the snake if you want to look at it. Read the Cornsnake Manual, by Kathy Love.

You're on the right track to getting a great "pet" and taking proper care for it! I wish that were the case with everyone who bought a corn...

I don't think snakes have medical problems very often if kept in proper conditions - keeping them too cold, too wet, etc. is an easy way to get a sick snake.

Yes, you should find a vet that has experience in reptiles. That's not a standard part of vet school, so most dog-and-cat vets won't have a clue what to do with a snake - some will take your money and 'treat' they snake even though they don't know what to do (giving it standard mammal treatments, for example, that aren't appropriate for a snake).
I haven't seen the need yet to take one of my snakes to a vet (regular checkups aren't needed), but I do have one just in case.

A 10 gallon tank should be good for about a year for an average corn hatchling. I would look into getting a larger tank when it's around 30". As an adult it would need a minimum of a 20 gallon long (30"x12"x12").

For heating, most people only need either a lamp or a heat pad. The choice is really up to you - both have their ups and downs. Make sure to measure the ground temp of whatever you're using - and if you're using a heat pad, I would measure the closest the snake can get to the pad also (so if you were using aspen, you should also measure the temp of the tank floor underneath the substrate) since they burrow. I have had experience with heat pads that get quite hot - make sure to measure the temps!

shpanks

hey thanks for the help. can't wait to post back here sometime and post a pic of a cute little snakie.
~lina

Good luck! Everyone has already given you fabulous advice so I'll just provide a link to The Corn Snake Manual (if you're interested) and get outta here