Worried

[SilverTongue]

Hey, my corn is spending all its time in the cold hide of my tank. At the beginning of this week I put a ivy plant in there to block the heat from the waterdish. It looks really great but the snake never wants to leave it. I am worried, because when i pull her out she is ice cold!! She never wants to go to the warm side. The temp there is always between 80 and 90. At night it is between 70 and 80. I mist the plant and waterdish side several times a day. I am worried she might get sick if she is not already. When I pull her out she is ice cold but acts fine after she warms up in my hands. I know she knows better than I do what she needs as far as heat and cool, but everyday and all day for a week??? Am I just being an overprotective mother or what?

[Colleen]

Mines going the same thing! I'll be interested in everyone advice. Maybe it's just the heat. But I know what you mean about her being ice cool when you get her out, ours seems to "thaw out" when we hold her and then she moves like lightening.


Colleen

[Bippy]

Mine also tend to hang out on the cool side of the tank. I think it's just normal for them... mine only go on the warm side when they're trying to warm up to digest, or when they're out 'hunting'. Beyond that, I pretty much always find them on the cool side. I wouldn't worry. If you want, though, put a hide box on the warm side in addition to the hide on the cool side, so the snake will feel comfortable when it's trying to warm up.

[lynn]

Wilma is alway's on the cool side, I had her hide on the warm side and she never bothered with it, so now I have put it halfway and she still never uses it. I have an artificial vine in that I might try putting on the warm side, she like's to hide under that. I think when I get her next vivarium I might go for a different kind of hide. Tango on the other hand, uses both warm and cool side's. I suppose they know what they are happy with.

[Rich Z]

I don't know where I heard this or how I came about to have this figure in my head, but my rule of thumb has always been that the preferred temp for a corn snake is 78 degrees F. They only seek out warmed temps when they have a fresh meal in their belly, or a female is carrying eggs. If a corn snake is too warm, it will spend much of it's time in the water dish. If it is too cool, it will also be in the water dish. Apparently they know that water will help change their body temperature.

Watch your animals and then figure out why they are doing what they are doing. They are doing their best to tell you what they want.

[SilverTongue]

Will do. She seems to be ok.

[B-J@y]

Mu snakes always stay in there hides on the hot side of the tank! the hot side is +/- 90F

They never go to the hide on the cold side! they are (Almost) never in the waterbowl! just saw it once, and took a picture of it! it is posted on my homepage (http://home.planet.nl/~bjvl99) and on the photogalery!

[Gregg]

I don't use any type of heat source in my snake tanks. I think it's pointless to do so for corn snakes, if the temperature of your house is warm enough. The temperature in my house ranges from the high 70's to the low 80's all year round, because I like it warm and because I have no air-conditioner.

How many of you live, or have lived, in the range where corn snakes exist naturally in the wild? I bet, if you were to turn off your air-conditioning, or keep your snakes outside, they would be just fine--and you would save on the electric bill.

Corn snakes are temperate snake, not tropical snakes.

[Alicia]

LOL Thats ok Gregg, I'll keep my a/c and gladly pay the electric bill:D :D It's in the 90's here today and that's not even adding in the humidity. Even the snakes have sought cool shelter;)

:) Alicia

[SilverTongue]

Umm hun where do you live? Main!! Rhoad Island? I live in Texas. A cool summer day is in the low 80s here! It gets upwards of 100-106 not including humidy in July and August. People die all the time here w/o ac. So if ya thinking that heat exhasution is worth saving a measily $100-$150 ( I live in a second story apartment with a computer that i hardly never turn off and family that dont know how to turn off lights) to me then you are sadly mistaken :) Thanks for the idea though.