Tidus died! :'(

[Jessica613]

I found my baby corn snake dead this morning. :( I was worried that he wouldn't eat but I only had him for two weeks and it doesn't sound like this would be the reason. I am so sad and don't understand what happened. This makes me nervous abt getting another one. Does this happen often? I bought him from a pet store, not thru a breeder, Idk if this makes a difference.... R.I.P. Tidus

[grankin01]

I am so sorry! :( He may have had parasites or something else wrong when you got him. This does happen from time to time. Getting one from a pet store instead of a breeder isn't always bad (2 of mine were from pet smart) but breeders usually know how to and do take better care of their animals than the big chain stores. I know it's early (and I'm not trying to sound heartless) but don't let it keep you from getting another one. They are usually really hardy little animals and are a joy to keep. :)

[ZoologyGirl]

Could you describe the set up your snake was kept in? Size and type of enclosure, type of heating, type of bedding, etc...

P.S. I am located in New London and go to UW-Oshkosh. Hello neighbor!

[bitsy]

I'm so sorry for your loss. They are very good at hiding when they're ill, as in the wild, weakness would make them vulnerable to predators.

Sudden unexplained death is more common in hatchlings, which can have developmental problems which don't become apparent until they start to grow.

Run some basic checks on your setup e.g. to make sure that you have the correct temperatures. Other than something in your husbandry being way off, I don't think there's anything you could have done to cause him to pass in two weeks. Healthy hatchlings can go much longer without food, seemingly without taking harm.

Pet store Corns can be a bit of an unknown. There are many good stores out there, but some don't really know much and won't worry about selling a non-feeder.

If you decide to get another and you're not happy with your local store, it's usually better to find a decent local breeder or a reputable online seller. A good breeder will only sell you an established eater. On the other hand, sudden deaths can occur in any hatchlings, regardless of how good the source. To avoid this sort of uncertainty, you could look for a yearling, which will be less fragile.

[Jessica613]

I had a 10 gallon with aspen bedding a heat rock, water dish, hide log and branch with decorative leaves around it. I also have a heat lamp above it that I would turn on when temps started to cool down.

[Dakota314]

Aww I'm sorry! If you only had him for 2 weeks, chances are he was sick before you got him. Some babies just don't make it. If you are wary about getting another one, you could always got one that is a bit older, about a year or so. Yearlings and adults have less of a chance of passing away from an unknown illness.

[Jessica613]

I'm in WI, would anyone be able to recommend anyone (store or private) that would be good to go to? I think I'm going to get my 20 gallon setup before I buy my next one and the kids would like to give Tidus a service, my daughter even decorated a lil box for him.

[grankin01]

NO heat rocks. They get way to hot for snakes. The UTH and the lamp should be all you need. By the description everything else looked good though. One hide on each side is usually best but depending on who you talk to isn't necessarily a requirement. I still don't think it's anything you did that caused what happened though.

[Dakota314]

Whoops, posted at the same time as ZoologyGirl Bitsy and Jessica. I would get rid of the heat rock and get a under tank heater with a thermostat to control the temperature. Heat rocks get way too hot. I'm not sure about the Petcos up by you, but the one down here by Southridge is a very good store. Their employees are knowledgable, they have clean setups, and a good variety of corns. My first snake was from Petco, and before he got out (we never found him :() he was a healthy little bugger.

[grankin01]

You could order one from one of the breeders here on the forum. They will be able to give you all the information you want about your snake plus a lot. ;)

Other than that you could go to one of the reptile shows in your area and look for breeders/animals there.

[Jessica613]

After joining here I realized pretty much everything Petco here told me was wrong :( I will definitely look into breeders. Thanks everyone!

[Jessica613]

Umm, how do I find breeders on here? lol

[Shiari]

Look in the For Sale section!

[ZoologyGirl]

Yeah petstores can be hit or miss, depending on the people working there.

If the snake rack I ordered ages ago would have shown up I could probably sell you a relatively good priced deal on a 20 gallon long tank plus screen lid plus UTH, would only need a thermostat to regulate the heat. I don't know when my rack will arrive though, so all my 20 gallon longs are still occupied for now.

As far as heat I'd recommend a UTH and thermostat. That is all I use here, even in winter (though I usually have the house at 68 minimum). Heat rocks are notorious for causing burns, especially if unregulated. I just put a UTH under one side of the tank, covering about 1/3 of the area of the tank. After they eat they will usually lie on top of the heat to digest. UTH can also get too hot if unregulated though, so a thermostat or rheostat of some sort is a must. I use this one: http://www.reptilebasics.com/ranco-etc-111000-pre-wired There are better and worse variations (and more expensive and cheaper), but this one suits my needs.

Just for a quick idea: I once ran a UTH unregulated without a thermostat just to see how hot it would get (no snake in the enclosure at the time I did the test). The UTH reached over 110 degrees before I finally shut it off....way way way too hot for a cornsnake, and could easily kill the snake at that temperature, which is why a thermostat is so important.

I don't know if anyone has experience with this one: http://www.bigappleherp.com/BAH-1000-Thermostat?sc=2&category=15 But looks like it might work. I prefer digital readouts myself though, rather than an analog control like this one. Just make sure you also have a digital probe thermometer to monitor the temps, can pick a probe thermometer up at home depot or wal mart for around 10 bucks give or take (the type of thermometer you keep in your house but also has a probe on a wire that you can send out your window, so you have "inside" and "outside" temps. Put the probe part in the tank above the UTH and read the "out" temps.) (I'd use a thermometer with any thermostat just to keep an extra monitor on it, never know if a thermostat will crap out on you and a thermometer is another way to keep an eye on the temps).

Something like this thermometer: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Acu-Rite-Indoor-Outdoor-Thermometer/896347

Herpstat proportional thermometers are probably one of the most recommended thermostats: http://www.spyderrobotics.com/products/herpstat.html but they are going to cost a bit more.

The cheapest alternative is to get a lamp dimmer from home depot http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=202502171&storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&PID=603315&cm_mmc=CJ-_-603315-_-10368321&cpncode=30-39666163-2&AID=10368321&cj=true&srccode=cii_5784816 However, this must be manually controlled (output adjusted up and down by hand), and the temperatures of the UTH must be monitored very closely by your own eyes with a thermometer for manual adjusting as the temperatures will change if your house temperatures change. It's just easier to get a good thermostat.

In summary, for heating I'd recommend:
1. UTH (under tank heater) (can find these at petco/petsmart/etc)
2. Thermostat (more preferable than a lamp dimmer type rheostat) (probably order online)
3. Digital probe thermometer such as http://www.walmart.com/ip/Acu-Rite-Indoor-Outdoor-Thermometer/896347

Also, I don't know what colors you are looking for or what you want to spend, but I have a couple 2011 hatch butter stripes still available, and wouldn't need to pay for shipping. I'm also expecting some hypo, lavender, motley combinations in June (provided egg laying and hatching all goes well), but don't know if you'd want to wait that long. The W.I.R.E show will be in Madison on April 22 I think, but I've never been to that show and don't know how represented cornsnakes are. Or you can search the classifieds on this site and find tons of snakes for sale.

[beautifullywild77]

If you order from a breeder always check the BOI on fauna classifieds. But there are some awesome breeders on here!

I am so very sorry for your loss. Sometimes when you get them from the pet stores they are already too far gone and there is nothing you could of done about it! :(

[beautifullywild77]

Zoologygirl is awesome... just thought I would throw that out there :)

[Christen]

If you are looking for a local breeder I would PM ZoologyGirl.

[HermesMom]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

[Jim king]

It is not possible to know how long your snake had gone without food before you bought it. Perhaps it had never eaten. What did you do to entice it to eat? Also all the suggestions to get a snake that is older or at least eating frozen thawed pinkies regularly will most likely lead to future success. Sorry for your loss.