Hello

[R00K]

Hi, I just got my first Corn yesterday. It is my first snake ever. Well in captivity. I've always seemed to have luck finding Garter Snakes in the woods.
My background is in Tropical Fish. I've kept fish since I was a teenager. I am one that prefers to replicate the natural habitat. I tried to do this with my fish over the years. Real plants, wood and rocks. Sometimes substrate.
I once had two small geckos but had to give them away when I went to college.
I started the 10 gal Tank on the Wednesday and picked up the corn on Saturday after JiuJitsu. The tank has the reptile bark mixed with aspen mulch and potting soil for the plants. There is a ceramic bowl and a rock with a cave under it. I am still looking for a nice branch to add. I have an aquarium thermometre right now. Ordered a nice digital temp/hyd with probe. I have a lamp and UTH but only use the lamp once or twice a day if temp dips. (See attached)

I've been waiting to get a corn for over a year. But thought it would be too difficult. After visiting the PS a couple weeks ago I was originally going to get a couple Rough Green Snakes because they ate crickets and I've dealt with crickets before. Wasn't too keen on doing the mouse/rat thing. I have two young kids. I read up on Rough Green Snakes and found out that they're very fragile and are not advised for beginners. They said it was because the profession still doesn't know enough about their diet. Corns on the other hand are suppose to be good for beginners. So I've heard.

Anyway. Picked up the corn, brought him/her home. How do I tell sex? Let the corn out into the viv and corn went right for the cave under the rock. Then later moved to the plants. He/She was out and about lastnight around midnight and didn't seem to mind me sitting here at the computer reading Cornsnakes.com. I have a large desk and the viv is on the left side of the desk. I'm going to build the corn a new home as it grows. I'm thinking of a rack cuz I think this is gonna be an itch that won't be satisfied. Lucky thing I don't have a wife to justify this new addiction too. :)
The corns favourite hide is under the ivy plants. It likes the cave when it's out cruising. Plays in, on and around it. The cave has a front and back entrance.

Love the site. Learning lots and really like the atmosphere.

R00K
http://home.cogeco.ca/~sabrams/10gViv1005.JPG

[coyote]

Thanks for joining up!

So tell us which morph you have. And how much window shopping have you done?

Accurate sexing is done by experienced persons who insert a special instrument into the cloaca opening and into a pocket pointed towards the tail. The depth that the probe can be passed indicates if the snake is male or female.

[R00K]

I'm not really sure what morph I have. The person at the PS wasn't the "Expert". I am going to call back during the week and ask the snake person. They apparently get their critters locally. I think it's a norm. I looked around with google and found ones that look like mine. A couple said normal. Then again some that had other names looked like normals to me. :) hehe. When "we" (myself and corn) feel comfortable I'll start taking him out and snap some pictures.

As for window shopping, I've looked around for about a year. Everytime I go to a city/town I go to a pet shop and look at the snakes. I think i'm gonna go looking for a shop in Cincinatti in the next couple weeks. I go to Northern Kentucky for business once in a while. After all the surfing, I still find myself confused about things. I need to get Mrs.Loves book. If only they had a "Corn Snakes for Dummies" book. I find the morph thing really confusing.
TTYL
R00K
(Scott)

[R00K]

PS.
Thanks for the Sexing info. Guess I won't be finding that out on my own. Maybe when I take him/her to the vet for the first time they can tell me, if the snake person at the PS doesn't know.

[coyote]

See this is one of the things you, as a new corn owner, will have to be initiated into. You can't just say "Look at my new cornsnake". You have to say what morph it is too. Like "Look at my new cornsnake. It's a normal/snow/anery etc."

Also, the prevailing point of view among those who have been in the hobby for a while, is a preference for buying your snakes from reputable breeders and avoiding most petshops.

Kathy Love's book is an excellent resource. Do a lot of reading and searching of topics on this site. I struggle with understanding the genetics. Some understandings just come incrementally. Enjoy the process.

[R00K]

yeah it's gonna be an interesting journey. Thats good. I like learning. Seems this is a hobbie that has a lot to learn.
I'd like to buy from a breeder but can't seem to find one in this area. The only ones close by are on the other side of the city. (Toronto). I usually only buy animals (Fish included) from private run stores. No animal "big box" stores. I had a local family that supplied me all my fish for years. Sadly they decided to retire.
If anybody knows a breeder in the Port Hope/Cobourg/Peterborough Ontario area drop me a note. I'd love a chance to learn from someone with experience.

Thanks for the info.
R00K

[R00K]

Just found out my little corns birthday. July 29th. So he/she is 3 months old and about 14" long.

Here's a couple pics of my corn. (http://home.cogeco.ca/~sabrams/newcorn1005.jpg)

TTYL
Scott

[Roy Munson]

Welcome! Looks like a nice little normal. Some prefer the term "classic" or "wild type" to "normal." :)

[R00K]

Thanks Dean
The person at the local PS called it a Regular.
Scott

[KyleK]

Hi Rook

Nice corns you have there.