I had a corn snake as a teenager, and I think my negligence killed it.

I had a corn snake that was housed with my sister's snake. We had to separate them when hers was growing and mine wasn't because we were worried the bigger one was going to eat mine. So I put mine in another tank and tried to coax him into eating pinkies. I thought around 72 degrees was good enough so I didn't look into heating lamps much. I did have a little heating pad I put under the tank but looking back it wouldn't have been powerful enough to penetrate the plastic. Besides, as I said, I thought 72 degrees was fine so I didn't concern myself with it. I later learned they really need to have access to temperatures in the 80s. I think something was wrong with him to start with because my sister's snake thrived in the same environment he started to fail in, and we hadn't even had them that long, but I can't believe I didn't care enough to do something as simple as look up temperatures. Who knows, it might have saved him. I'm also ashamed I didn't quite understand how grave his condition was. He was moving around, even slithered to the top of the tank so I thought we just needed to be patient.

The guilt from this has actually kept me awake at night even though it happened over 10 years ago. To try to make amends, I want to ask what are some food snake rescues or charities I could donate to once I round up some money? I ask because so many rescues and charities seem to be good but behind the scenes no money actually goes to the cause. Since you guys are snake people, I thought you might know.

My negligence killed one probably, so I think I ought to help save a few if I can. Thanks.

It's always best to research beforehand whatever endeavor you're getting yourself into. So many people think about getting a pet snake simply because "They're Cool or Different" instead of the typical dog or cat or goldfish. And they never look into what is required in keeping a pet snake, and then end up with a story such as your's. I've heard your story a dozen times over from other people.

There's a reason you tend to see snakes in the summertime when it's 90 degrees outside and you'll almost never see a snake once the temp drops below 70. They're still out there somewhere. But they get very sluggish and dormant. They need the warmth to properly digest their food. That is why the corn snakes in Florida tend to be bigger than the ones in Kentucky or Ohio. They will spend half of the year hiding and sleeping in Ohio, whereas they may be active and eating all year long in Florida.

If you prefer to keep your Corn snake in a realistic situation, a lot of people allow them to cool off and hibernate during the colder months. (Folks around here call it "Brumating" although you won't find that word in a dictionary.) But it has to be done right.

I never have understood why anyone would want to do that though with a "Pet." A pet is meant to be interacted with and treated like a part of the family. So if you want a pet snake, you'll have to keep it in temps that are best for that snake. Even different snakes require different temps. Some Boas and Pythons for example need temps as high as 95 to be healthy. There are some snakes that actually prefer the cooler temps. Some of the Asian Rat snakes and Asian Boas actually like temps around 68 to 75.

Again, it's always best to do the research before you ever get the snake. Have the cage properly set up, the temps right, everything in place before you even buy the snake.

I'll bet if you take the time to do a little research right here on this forum, you can find at least 10 posts from other people that describe exactly what you have described.

As far as who can you donate money to for the care of snakes, my suggestion would be to contact some snake breeders and pet shops in your local area, ask questions and go from there. I don't know of any in my area, but I'm in the Nashville Tennessee area.

If you want to look into it a little more you might be able to find a good one here


And my hat is off to you the first step is always admitting the problem.


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Crap wrong pic





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This is the second question I've seen this week about Ohio rescues. Thanks for the links, Scrappy!

Hi Sandy,
I just want to say that your story touched me. As one of the replies said, you are not alone. I had a parakeet when I was 8 that died due to our family's negligence and I have always felt bad about it. Being so young, I've always known that I wasn't the main person responsible, but it still hurts.

I admire your desire to make amends by donating to a rescue organization. I think that is an excellent idea and seems to have some sort of karmic balance to it (which I say with only the most basic understanding of karma). I am sure you will identify a worthy organization to support.

I would also like to offer the thought that, even with more research on your part before bringing a snake into your life, you (we!) can still make mistakes that accidentally harm the creatures in our care.

I thought that my children and I had done good research before we brought a snake into our home. We did not go into this blindly, or on a whim. We prepared a vivarium, didn't skimp on the supplies... We did research and were sincerely trying to provide a good home for our snake. Unfortunately, I misunderstood some significant things about feeding. We also had family issues and medical/life stresses that contributed to our baby snake growing very slowly, and being seriously underfed. I accept full responsibility for my mistakes, and I am grateful that I'm have the opportunity to help him heal, and Cornelius seems very happy now (as far as my undereducated assessment can tell!). At the very least, he is gaining weight and on a better feeding schedule. I've learned that it's important to weigh him, to measure his growth. I still feel anxious about how his vivarium is heated - and I've read and been told conflicting things, which makes it all even harder. I'm still learning, and that's a very good thing. The most experienced, expert herp enthusiast will always have things to learn. (If they think they don't, they are being willfully ignorant, which I think is a serious character flaw)

So, please, take heart from the fact that you will not repeat the mistakes of your past. In fact, the very sad lesson you learned is motivating you to help other animals who can still be helped, and that is a worthwhile and admirable thing to do.

Peace,
Demeter