One more corn lover!

Hello, my name is Lauren, and I love snakes. I suppose that's obvious. XD (for those text symbol challenged, look at "XD" from the side.)

I can remember when I thought there was no chance I would ever own a snake while living with my mom. Thanks to the owner of the local pet store, who had a gorgeous wild caught corn, my mom got used to snakes. Soon, she liked them. My stepdad was another story. But no one listens to him, anyway. Besides, he's fine with it now. Even my grandma, who swore she'd never come in my room if I had one changed her mind.

My baby is Jack, an Amelanistic corn, 3 years old, and of unkown sex. At least until next week. I got him when he was just a thread!

I will be getting another corn once Jack is sexed. I intend on a Lavender, hence my username. Mom's only thing with getting another was I had to breed them. I have no experience save for what I've read from Kathy Love's 2005 guide. The pet store lady has experience with hatching them, so we're not completely lost.

Now...What to name the Lavender...

Hi there and welcome to the forum. Don't hesitate to ask any questions. I am attempting breeding for the first time this year, it's really helpful to have a reputable breeder contact person in the process, idk if I could do it without the help of all my wonderful breeder Girlfriends I have met since getting our first two corns. Anyway, post pics of your boy? when you can.

Welcome! I'm sure you'll find this place to be a wealthy of friendly information and camaraderie. I'd love to see a pic of your amel when you have a chance :-).

BTW, my Blue and Gold Macaw and my son both tell me that "Bob" is a great name. Think about it! *grins*

Welcome Lauren and Scalebabie/s!

Welcome to the Forum! You'll find this place very helpfull.

I have this problem with my mother... She won't let me get another tank so I'd have two in one, which you guys seem to be against. The lady at the pet store (local, ran by one person) says its okay as long as they are well fed and the same size. But when they reach adulthood, it would be a tight fit for two. Mom won't let me have a longer tank, only a taller one, and it isn't taller by much.

I really hope Jack's okay. He/she's been tossed in with another corn at the store until the guy comes in to sex him/her. They're about the same size, the other is an Okeetee. In her 20 years of running her store, our pet store lady says she rarely sees cannibal corns. She usually pairs two hatchlings per tank. I've only seen one of them be cannibalistic, but it was only during feeding time and both are sold now.

If something happens to Jack, she'd better GIVE me a snake. Preferably the gorgeous snow she got in yesterday that she's decided to keep. That she threw in with Sal, her 9 year old female normal corn.

Oh dear, I have a feeling people are going to give you an earful on that post.

As for the tank situation, a taller tank won't help you out with corns since they aren't arboreal. A lot of people keep their snakes in see through sterelite containers with locking lids and lots of air holes drilled into them. Which might be an option for you. We have all tanks because my BF doesn't like the sterelite containers.

Don't see why anyone should be mad at me, I'm just following the adults in my life who "know everything". I asked my mom about getting another tank and she flipped out. She doesn't realize there's more to snake breeding than her simple ideas of it. She's used to breeding dogs. Not quite the same. Remember, until now I've known very little.

Dunno what mom would say about the containers. Probably no, because its the most frequent word from her mouth. Also, where could I find containers big enough to comfortably fit an adult corn? What kind of substrate would you use? Or water?
Are they heavy enough a cat can't knock it off?

K. Rene said that because there have been HUGE discussions on this forum about co-habbing snakes. Most everyone on this forum is against it. I, as well, am against it. You should just wait to have a proper enclosure for the other snake, its better to be safe than sorry.

As for the containers, many people on this forum use those plastic shoe boxes or the sterilite containers to keep their corn snakes in. You can find them just the right size in WalMart or somewhere you know where they keep those tubs. I'm not sure of how big and wide they are supposed to be, because I dont keep my snake in that. But they do act as a good alternative to glass tanks.

For the water, you should use bottled water (refrigerator water works fine too). Tap water, may have too many minerals (depending on where you live) of some sort that can harm your snake. If you know the water around your area has low percentages of those minerals, then it would be fine to use tap water.

You should put the tubs where they can not be knocked over, or, where a cat wont be able to reach them.

For the substrate, you should use Aspen Shavings. There are other types of substrates you can use, but I recommend this one because its fluffy enough for the snake to burrow, and it is light in color so spot-cleaning is a breeze, its also odorless and it doesnt let off much dust, so that's an advantage to people with allergies, and to the snake. Do not use any kind of sand (The sand gets in the snakes scales and irritates the skin) or "natural" dirts, like topsoil or anything like that, it can have pesticides or other chemicals that will harm the snake.

Hope this helped!

I would not have left Jack at the pet store. He can be exposed to a number of harmful things there, including mites. And you would not have a way to quarantine your new snake if you just threw it in with Jack right away. Snakes need to be quarantined, alone, for a minimum of three months before being introduced to the rest of your collection, ESPECIALLY in the case of a pet store snake.

In any event, let's say you get the new snake and Jack and Jill breed. Then what? Do you have the money/space to set up an incubator? What about 24-30 hatchlings all in individual bins, because they can and WILL eat each other- we see it here every season. So you will have to provide the hatchlings with housing, heat, water, and pinky mice for a minimum of three meals before you can sell them.

What if some or all of the babies refuse to feed? Do you have the experience to deal with a clutch of non-feeders? Do you have a plan for that?

What if you are unable to sell the babies? Even well-known breeders with highly-desireable snakes are having a tough time selling them in this economy.

Let's say you _can_ sell the babies. Do you have someone who can teach you how to sex them?

What if one or both parents experiences difficulty with breeding? The male could encounter a hemipene injury. The female could become eggbound. Will you have enough money in savings to get veterinary care for them, if that happens?

I know you are taught to be respectful of all adults, and that is a good thing, but just because someone owns a petshop, and has a lot of animals, does not mean that they are providing proper care for them. I am not suggesting that you confront the petshop owner, but that you stick around here, and learn. Learn enough so that you can recognize bad husbandry and avoid being pressured into accepting it as good. Read both Kathy Love's and Don Soderberg's cornsnake books. After a couple years of learning everything you can about cornsnake husbandry, __then_ decide if you really want to commit yourself to the responsibility of breeding.