A Few Questions

I am in the process of getting my first corn snake and am setting up its enclosure before I choose a snake. In reading this forum and other resources, I am still left with a few questions:

1. Is a male easier to care for than a female, considering egg binding? Is egg binding a serious issue?

2. Is it recommended to use vitamins/minerals for the health of corns (thinking of the needs of beardies for extra calcium)?

3. I've read a lot of conflicting information concerning tank size. Since I want to get a young snake, I purchased a 18"L x 12" W x 6.5" H Exo terra faunarium to be a starter home. Should I have just purchased a large enclosure that could be its final home? I have read a few accounts of snakes becoming very bothered by moving to a new space.

4. How long do frozen pinkies last in the freezer? Do they come with an expiration date?

5. Are certain color morphs more prone to health issues?

Thank you so much for passing on your knowledge and expertise!

picosnek said:

I am in the process of getting my first corn snake and am setting up its enclosure before I choose a snake. In reading this forum and other resources, I am still left with a few questions:

1. Is a male easier to care for than a female, considering egg binding? Is egg binding a serious issue?

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Not sure. I've had several snakes over the past 45 years or so, and some were females. I personally have never had issue with it. I currently have a male though.

picosnek said:

2. Is it recommended to use vitamins/minerals for the health of corns (thinking of the needs of beardies for extra calcium)?

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I'm not going to say it's "Recommended." But some people do and some don't. I use specially reptile formulated vitamins and calcium every 4th feeding myself. That's roughly once every 2 months.

picosnek said:

3. I've read a lot of conflicting information concerning tank size. Since I want to get a young snake, I purchased a 18"L x 12" W x 6.5" H Exo terra faunarium to be a starter home. Should I have just purchased a large enclosure that could be its final home? I have read a few accounts of snakes becoming very bothered by moving to a new space.

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I would say that's a myth. But then different people treat their snakes in different ways. My snake is a pet. He spends as much time out of the cage as he does in it. He goes where I go, (with a few exceptions), and he's quite used to people, and various surroundings. I think he'd be happy anywhere I placed him. But you will need a bigger cage within a year or 2. And "Taller" cages work better for Rat Snakes (which a corn snake is) because they like to climb.

picosnek said:

4. How long do frozen pinkies last in the freezer? Do they come with an expiration date?

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I would think anything frozen has an expiration date. Would you pull a hamburger patty or chicken leg out of your freezer that's been in there 2 years and eat it? Then why would we want our pets to? I personally have just 1 snake right now, so I never have more than a few months worth of food on hand in the freezer. Unless you are planning to have many snakes and possibly breed, there's not a lot of reason for you to either. A lot of people think it's more economical to buy bulk mice (dozens or hundreds at a time) because they get a cheaper rate. But you still have to pay the shipping, you still need to make sure to keep them from thawing out, and then you worry about expiration dates? Not me.

picosnek said:

5. Are certain color morphs more prone to health issues?

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I'll let one of the more professional snake gurus delve into that, but I'll say this, Some of the prettiest corn snakes I have ever seen are the Alabama Wild Type. Where do all these colorations come from anyway. You rarely (or never) see a wild corn snake that looks that way. They come about by gene mixing and manipulation by breeders out to make a buck. So buy yourself a normal color, (they're cheaper anyway) most of the time prettier, and will probably not have the health issues you are concerned about.

Great questions. Here are my thoughts
1. I have one of each and there's no difference. They both have their own personalities.
2. I haven't done anything with supplements at this point. May take Karl's lead on that though..
3. I started with a 20g with one snake. When I got the second, I moved him to a 40 and the little one took over the 20. Now they both have 40g's. A leopard gecko is enjoying the leftover 20g.
4. I only buy enough for three or four months at a time. I think they would have a shelf life and wouldn't want to feed my pet a freezer burnt meal. Just my thoughts..
5. No idea.. For a first snake, I wouldn't spend hundreds of dollars on one as there is a chance, albeit slight, that you won't like it and will want to get rid of it. I paid $50 for each snake and enjoy them as if they cost millions..

Good luck!

for question 3 - Could I get the 40 right off the bat? Like would a baby snake really be hurt by it?

barett said:

for question 3 - Could I get the 40 right off the bat? Like would a baby snake really be hurt by it?

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Sure you could. My snake has been in a 30 since day one. He's over 4 yrs old now and still in the same.

what are the dimensions of that? Exo Terra?

barett said:

for question 3 - Could I get the 40 right off the bat? Like would a baby snake really be hurt by it?

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I would definitely go with the forever size enclosure. I started my male out in a 20L terrarium that I already had when he was just a noodle. As long as you have plenty of appropriately sized hides it will be just fine unless you have a really paranoid little shoelace. I don't even use bedding. I like the reptile carpet.Still, no problems. I imagine if you use bedding just laying something like pieces of cardboard on it would serve well as hiding places so you wouldn't need to buy small hides only to replace them with larger hides as the little one grows.

4. How long do frozen pinkies last in the freezer? Do they come with an expiration date?

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Pinkies should only be on the menu for a couple months anyway so I wouldn't worry about stale rodents.

5. Are certain color morphs more prone to health issues?

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I have heard that blood reds were a little more prone to illness but I think that has more or less been bred out of the line by now. No first hand knowledge rather just stuff I've seen on Youtube and arount the interwebs.

Cane said:

I have heard that blood reds were a little more prone to illness but I think that has more or less been bred out of the line by now. No first hand knowledge rather just stuff I've seen on Youtube and arount the interwebs.

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That's very old info. Bloodreds are as hardy as any other in the market.