New to all this....

[Emily1976]

New member, new owner!!!
Hi all, I've wanted a snake for the last 30 years and finally managed to get my husband to allow me to own one on Sunday, 2 days ago.
Am a complete, but well researched, beginner so would appreciate any advice.
Somehow managed to suddenly own 2 male corns, aged approx5-6 years.....
Tried to feed today as due a feed today or tomorrow...but no joy.
Temp in viv 80 degrees at warmest end. Offered thawed mouse, warmed and cut. Think maybe snakes stressed as me n my kids overjoyed at finally owning them and may have over handled....
Both snakes seem happy, bright eyed and shiny, no strange behaviour but no feeding despite 'prowling' viv for last 24 hrs....
Maybe I'm panicking for no reason. Hope that's the case...
Anyway, hello all!!!

[Shiari]

How many vivs do you have? This is breeding season and housing two males together is going to stress them out, make them 'fight' and many males like to go on hunger strikes this time of year anyway.

[Emily1976]

I only have one. Apparently they have shared since babies...I bought the whole set up from their breeder....they seem fine together, always curl up on top if each other and don't seem to be fighting at all...

[Emily1976]

They always seem to seek each other out too....wherever one is the other will be close by, touching if poss

[beautifullywild77]

That is because they are fighting for the best spot in the tank. The best resources! I would use the search button and enter cohabbing. There are many, many, many different threads on the topic. They will give you the good, the bad and the ugly truths about keeping snakes in the same cage.

[Emily1976]

Ok thanks...as soon as I can sort another tank I will...just seems odd as this problem has only started when I got them, apparently anyway....

[Emily1976]

Stupid question maybe but how do I know if they hate each others company if they're not actually fighting...?

[beautifullywild77]

You are welcome. Cohabbing is a hot button topic. There are some snake keepers in Europe that cohab successfully but they usually have HUGE naturalistic vivs for their corns. Most snake keepers cohab unsuccessfully, despite what they tell you. Keeping them together, you run the risk of having two sick snakes, you wont know who has the funny little poop, or which one regurged. If one gets an infection the other one will be infected as well.

There truly isn't a good reason ever given to what benefits there are with cohabbing. Snakes are solitary creatures. If they do encounter others in the wild, it is brief and each snake will have miles of habitat to get away from each other.

[beautifullywild77]

Corn snakes don't have feelings. So instinct drives their behavior over emotions. So snakes don't like each other. They will compete naturally for the best resources you provide them.

[Nanci]

There is a sticky at the top of this section about why to not keep snakes together.

[gsdbecca]

I'll leave the co-habit issue to others. Also, wanted to point out that you should leave them alone for a week. No handling! This is to allow them to settle into their new home. Then feed. Once they have successfully fed, no handling for 48 hours (time to digest). Then, you can begin short calm handling sessions.

[gsdbecca]

Stupid question maybe but how do I know if they hate each others company if they're not actually fighting...?

Because they are solitary animals. Period, end of sentence. No behavior needs to be observed. Snakes do not want or need company.

[Emily1976]

Thank you. All of you!! Hopefully me and my new friends can all live happily ever after....(seperately) ;)

[Nythain]

Because they are solitary animals. Period, end of sentence. No behavior needs to be observed. Most Snakes do not want or need company.Fixed it for ya. There are some species that actually seek out "friends". Corns aren't one of them, but not *all* snakes are solitary creatures. They still don't have "feelings" like people sometimes like to impose on them though.