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First time snake owner. Loving it!

I feed Rufus every sunday morning and he poops every wednesday. He's very regular you might say.

As far as how often you should handle him and how long you should wait ....etc....... Every person is different and every snake is different.

Rufus is the sweetest snake I've ever raised, (and I've had many over the years). I handle him on Sunday mornings right before I feed him. I have to transfer him to his Feeding Container so I go ahead and play with him a bit. No problem. "He Knows" exactly what that feeding container is. As soon as I place him in it, he starts looking for the Mouse.

After I feed him, I have to get him back into his home. I pick him up and put him in his main cage. No problem.

So today is Monday, I fed him Yesterday morning. Some people will say wait 2 days before you touch him again. But he's wrapped around my arm right now. And no I did not yank him from his cage, I simply opened the door and crawled out on his own into my hands.

Handling your snake may differ. "They" will let you know what they like and dislike. Just pay attention to their behaviors.
 
Good news all around. So glad you got the heating set up and that the breeder took the heat lamp back. The temp is measured on the glass under the substrate. They will burrow down if the surface is to cool, and I can confirm that from experience.

A mamba, eh? I like my mambas behind a thick piece of glass!

Slinky seems to be on the larger side, but there is no clear correlation between age and size so Slinky is Slinky sized. :)
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. I like the way you put it Dollysmom "Slinky Sized". I like the UTH setup much better but I think I need to get a better controller. The Zilla 500 Watt controller that I got does not seem to keep it at the temp that I set. Took a little bit of trial and error with the other digital thermo to get it set right. I was also reading reviews that this thing has a tendency to malfunction. I am considering forking out a bit more money for a better one. Any recommendations?
 
Maybe a rheostat would be the better way to go? I would imagine that it would be much easier to keep it at one temperature. This controller fluctuates +- 3-4* every 10 minutes.
 
Search on Amazon for Hydrofarm Thermostat or (I think) Apollo thermostat. If the Hydrofarm says "jump start" on it don't let that throw you.

All the inexpensive thermostats will hold a range, not an exact temp. They are go on when too cool and off when too hot. Mine is the Hydrofarm and it ranges from 83 to 87. The thermostat you currently have probably works the same way so set it for the range, with 84 or 85 in the middle of the range. Fine tune it up or down as needed until it ranges at the temps you want.
 
is 90* too hot at the glass? Where I have it set now it will drop to 78ish then kick on and doesn't turn off until 90ish...I saw the hydrofarm one on amazon but 8% of the 800 reviews said it stopped working pretty quickly. I don't want to take any risks.
 
P.S. The really good thermostat is called a Herpstat. It will hold an exact temp. Be prepared to spend more serious money for it. There are a number of models, too.
 
I like to keep it below 88. Many of us here use the Hydrofarm. It is really a matter of money. Someday I'd like a Herpstat, too!
 
I don't use a thermostat for that reason. I use a Rheostat. It took me about 2 hours to get it dialed in, but once i finally got it set, the temp stays put.
 
DollysMom said:
Slinky seems to be on the larger side, but there is no clear correlation between age and size so Slinky is Slinky sized. :)
Click to expand...

Aye, this is the truth of it. I held two 6-month-old siblings today from the same clutch. One was about 17-20g, the other probably no more than 8-9g. The smaller one had refused a few meals here and there, which ended up making a pretty big difference.
 
Welcome! I love the enthusiasm of new snake owners :) He is adorable! You've certainly come to the right place for the best help out there (which I'm sure you've already gathered :) )
 
Ok, so big change! I couldn't pass up a deal today for a 40B. It is a Zilla critter cage with the sliding top and it was only $60! Yes, I know, young snakes can get stressed out in that large of an area, however, I have now got him a whopping 13 hides! (6 of which are paper towel rolls =p). If I find that he is showing signs of stress then I will place a piece of plexiglass in the middle of it until he is larger. I can't imagine it will be too stressful...at least not as stressful as being out in the wide open world! But come on!? $60!!!
 
From "irrational fear" (which is how I got my first snake also...I would run screaming from them, then got my very first one who has since passed away...and now have 6 of various species :) ) to spoiling him ROTTEN! Which is awesome :D
 
Zombiegirl said:
From "irrational fear" (which is how I got my first snake also...I would run screaming from them, then got my very first one who has since passed away...and now have 6 of various species :) ) to spoiling him ROTTEN! Which is awesome :D
Click to expand...

I was quite running and screaming, but definitely didn't want to touch one. Now I can't wait to take him out every day.

Oh, did I mention that the 40B is brand new and still in the packaging!?!?
 
That was a great deal! Your snake will be fine in there, especially with all those hides. The hides are the important thing, not the size of the glass box.

I also love your enthusiasm. One of the reasons I love this place is that no one asks, "You love a what?" Or thinks you are crazy for doing so. Corn snakes are beyond precious. Frankly, I love my Dolly so much. He's the greatest pet and brings a huge amount of joy to my life. There is no doubt how much you care for Slinky. If they had little fingers, we'd definitely be wrapped around them.
 
XenDrgn said:
Large cages are less about stress, more about escapability. Just make sure you check all seals.
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I double and triple checked everything. There is a small spot in the corner that I can squeeze a pencil into, so I have that taped off for now until he gets bigger.
 
DollysMom said:
That was a great deal! Your snake will be fine in there, especially with all those hides. The hides are the important thing, not the size of the glass box.

I also love your enthusiasm. One of the reasons I love this place is that no one asks, "You love a what?" Or thinks you are crazy for doing so. Corn snakes are beyond precious. Frankly, I love my Dolly so much. He's the greatest pet and brings a huge amount of joy to my life. There is no doubt how much you care for Slinky. If they had little fingers, we'd definitely be wrapped around them.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I completely agree with you. Wrapped around their tails maybe? :laugh: I do enjoy having a place that I can converse with people about my love for him without getting any sort of harassment. Good to know that you guys think he will be OK in there. The family is going to be working on making him a few more hides today, even though I found him curled up under the substrate this morning in the middle of the Viv away from any hide.
 
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