I have been reading the forums here, but cannot decide whether to use aspen or Sani chips, any advice?
Either are probably fine. A lot of people keep hatchlings on paper for a little while to make sure they are pooping properly
I know that I will be using F/T mice, but I am not sure how long they take to thaw and how to thaw them.
Thawing time is dependent on size. I thaw mine in hot-as-possible tap water & pinkies only take a couple minutes.
I have heard so many horror stories about using heat lamps so I plan on using UTH. I was told that the pads can get too hot though and a way around it is to attach the pad to a ceramic tile, then place it under the tank, tile side up. Is there any truth to that?
I am also very confused as to how the thermostats would work for the pad because pet store employees have told me that the pads only heat 5-10 degrees warmer than the room temperature.
All the heat pads I have met run really, really hot without a thermostat or lamp dimmer. Like 110F or worse. So just get a thermostat or a lamp dimmer from the beginning and don't believe the store employees.
I also need some adive about traveling with a snake. I am a college student and will have to take the snake with me for the 18 hour drive. My family and I drive to the campus over 2 days, 9 hours a day. Any hints at all will help as far as heating it and cutting down on vibrations that will possibly agitate the snake.
I don't know a lot about this but I would pack mine in a suitable sized tupperware with papertowels to cushion the vibrations. If the car is really really cold & the heat doesn't work well, a hot pack like is used for shipping would help. But if the car temp is not too hot or too cold for you it would be OK for a snake as long as they haven't eaten in 2-3 days (wrong temps can cause regurgitation which is very bad for snakes).
I hope this helps! Welcome to your new addiction, and I hope you realize this will be your FIRST cornsnake but not your LAST! LOL.
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