alergict reaction?

OK, i just got my first cornsnake 10 days ago. i did not have a snake-proof lid for a fish tank so i used a window screen untill i could make a new one. I made a lid for it and ever since i put it on he has been very lazy and unless I touch him he does not move at all. i have since then found out that he may have extreme alergies agianst pine and spruce. i took the lid off and put the window screen back on. is the reason he is being so still all the time because of the lid? or do snakes normaly act like this?
Thanks in advance.

I not a 100% sure but, maybe he's just getting used to his new envirment.

I got my corn two years ago and when I touched him he did not move at all. But now when I touch him he moves around alot.

good luck with the snake :wavey:

You are not using pine shavings are you? It has oils in it that the snake will breath in and it can ultimately kill the snake. If you use shavings you should use aspen which does not have oils that are harmful and preferably dust free. (cost a lil more)

Or do you mean that you made a lid of pinewood? Is the snake getting enough ventilation? What kind of heating system do you have in place? Corns are nocturnal so you probably won't see a lot of movement unless they are hungry or looking for a mate. I have one corn that is very active all the time and the other really doesn't run around to much until about two days before feeding day.

I would suggest maybe an aspen substrate it is easy to come by and if you get it at target its only $3.50 and is virtually no different from the other stuff at a pet store.

Nathan

no, i am not useing any type of woodchip or gravel. i am useing paper towel at the moent but im getting something else soon. i am also wondering, on the way home my pinkey mice because a little bit soft, and a bit smelly. i re-froze them and thought nothing of it. could those mice posibly be bad for him (food poisening)?

I am using a exo-terra light, and heating pad. i do have a hide for him although all he wants todo is sit under his aspen log.

What are you temperatures? Using a light and a UTH will probably make the temperature skyrocket. I'd suggest getting an indoor/outdoor thermometer with probes so that you can monitor your temps accurately (I believe you can get them at Walmart and the like). In the mean time I'd suggest only using one of the two heating sources and making sure that your corn has plenty of access to water as well as multiple hides.

~Katie

The tempurature in the midle of the tank is usualy about 75-80F right on the hot spot (pad and light) get up to 88F on top of the rocks. he has great access to water, and has only 1 hide but he does have a log he likes to hide under.

To be honest, this whole thread has me a little worried.
You should have a warm side of the tank and a cool side of the tank, not a warm middle of the tank. So I would move your uth to one side of the tank also put a hide on each side and let them choose where he wants to be. And what are you using to read your temperatures??. A digital thermometer with a probe is ideal. I wouldn't use a light for heating purposes either just for your own need to see. I have a used fish tank that did have a screen lid and I was able to get one a the local pet store that sold fish and they had "hold down" clips too. It was not expensive and better for securing the tank. This would be a better solution for you too. And for the bedding, try aspen, your snake will feel more secure in it because they can burrow in it and it easier to spot clean. As far as the pinky goes... basically toss it, but I'm not sure what you mean. You bought a frozen pinky at the pet store and it defrosted and started to smell??? If so.. take a cooler with ice with you next time and keep it in there until you get home.

Good Luck :cheers:

Ok, lenny this is definatly not as bad as you seem to think it is. i have a warm side and a cool side, i have made a short term lid untill i can buy a new one. i have a digital thermometer with a probe that is right in the middle of the tank. i am getting aspen as soon as i have then chance ( my local petstore owner say they may swallow it but i dont belive him). as as for the pinkey matter i bought new ones but i havent fed him yet.

cornsnakefan999 said:

Ok, lenny this is definatly not as bad as you seem to think it is. i have a warm side and a cool side, i have made a short term lid untill i can buy a new one. i have a digital thermometer with a probe that is right in the middle of the tank. i am getting aspen as soon as i have then chance ( my local petstore owner say they may swallow it but i dont belive him). as as for the pinkey matter i bought new ones but i havent fed him yet.

Click to expand...

Well, Have someone else read this whole thread and see if I was wrong in my conclusion.
Also, you have your digital thermometer w/probe in the middle...is that where you have your uth is???

i have my heating pad and my light on the far left side of the tank, i have the thermometer in the midle of the tank and his waterdish in the far right side (cool side) of his tank. i also have an aspen log about 2feet long going from the cool side to the warm side. i have paper towle lining the bottum of the tank untill i can get some aspen substrate. i feed him in a seperate container. all i was wondering in the first place was would his lazyness be releated to either the lid of the tank ( which i was changed ) or what i was feeding him.

How big is the tank you are using and how big is the snake?

15 gallon tank (2 feet long, 1 foot tall, and 1 foot wide.) and the snake must be no longer than a foot long.

Sorry about double posting here, but he seems to be realy active right before feeding (about 1day) then after he eats he is realy, realy, realy lazy for about 5 days.

Since you have a thermometer with a probe I would suggest placing it on the warm side for a full day to see what the temperature gets up to. It would also be helpful to know the size of the tank (to echo Crow) and wattage of light and size of UTH. He could be feeling very vulnerable and if he's small throw some empty toilet paper tubes or paper towel tubes in there for him. Small boxes would work as well. They might not look the prettiest but will do for now. The more information you can provide us with about your setup the easier it will be to help.

~Katie

Ok...he's still a little guy. It's possible that he's still getting used to things. Since he's little he may just be a little stressed in his new place. A couple of mine have behaved the same way but after a couple of weeks they have come around. Just make sure to leave him alone for a while (at least a week)to get adjusted (I know it's hard) Also, it's a good idea to move the temp. probe to where your UTH is. That way you're measuring the hottest place in tank and can make sure your temps. aren't too hot for your snake. Those UTH's can get very hot so be careful and keep a close watch on it. Hope this helps...

"i have my heating pad and my light on the far left side of the tank, I have the thermometer in the midle of the tank and his waterdish in the far right side (cool side) of his tank. I also have an aspen log about 2feet long going from the cool side to the warm side. I have paper towle lining the bottum of the tank untill I can get some aspen substrate. I feed him in a separate container. all I was wondering in the first place was would his lazyness be releated to either the lid of the tank ( which I was changed ) or what I was feeding him."

You should place the probe of the thermometer above the uth ..not in the center.

The "laziness" of the snake has nothing to do with the tank lid......more like when you were feeding him.


"15 gallon tank (2 feet long, 1 foot tall, and 1 foot wide.) and the snake must be no longer than a foot long."

I don't agree with this but no big deal.

"he seems to be realy active right before feeding (about 1day) then after he eats he is realy, realy, realy lazy for about 5 days."

He sense it's almost feeding day and after you feed him he needs time to digest the food.
Corns tend to be nocturnal so you should only see activity at night.

Here a link to read up on to help you out.

Good Luck :cheers:

Husbandry and such
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28341
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28342
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17224
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/sh...?p=133428#post6
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28343

Diseases and health
http://www.herpvetconnection.com/
http://www.reptilia.org/News/salmonella.htm
http://biology.kenyon.edu/slonc/bio...rypto.htm#trans
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/sh...ighlight=nix*
http://coloherp.org/cb-news/Vol-28/...SnakeMites.html
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/sh...ight=jello+butt

Free Herp Software
http://www.serpwidgets.com/Apps/apps.html
http://www.proherp.com/

Setup
http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/t.../bltanksize.htm
http://www.mgreptiles.com/VIROSAN.html
http://www.anapsid.org/blacklight.html
http://arbreptiles.com/cages/flexwire.shtml
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19168
http://www.finegtps.com/cageplans.htm#Materials and Cut List

Miscellaneous
http://www.alysion.org/euthanasia/
http://www.moreptiles.com/cornsnake-lifecycle.htm
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/sh...17&page=1&pp=10
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26017&page=1&pp=10

Cohabitation
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17308
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31192

On-line frozen mice suppliers
http://www.themousefactory.com/
http://cajunmice.com/
http://www.rodentpro.com/index.asp
http://www.bigcheeserodents.com/
http://www.americanrodent.com/htm/mice.html
http://peticebox.com/