Starting a Cornsnake Newbie FAQ

I've been thinking... somebody (or a group of somebodies) ought to put together a list of newbie questions and their answers, and make a Cornsnake FAQ...

By newbie questions, I mean the ones which people ask over and over and/or panic about which are baseless...

Stuff like:

My snake ate his mouse backwards! Help!
(Ok, I admit that when I first started out, I asked a varient of this one...)

-or-

My snake is hiding and won't come out! Is he sick?



I also might throw in questions which get asked over and over again so much that they're almost annoying to have to answer...

Stuff like:

My snake won't eat! What do I do?

-or-

How do I tell if my snake is a boy or a girl?


I don't intend to replace the CSM, but rather give people an idea of what they should and shouldn't do, whether they need to worry or if they just need to be patient, and what to do if there IS a problem (and when to go to the vet).


Anyway, if you guys can all post newbie questions that you've heard asked (just the questions, not the answers) in this thread, then I'll see about possibly writing up the FAQ (or maybe I'll see how big of a mess I'm getting into, and run screaming into the night... ;)

And since SilverTongue nominated me to work on this project, I nominate her to help. ;)

LoL ok, I am great at moral support

2! 4! 6! 8! Who do we appreaciate!!! GOOOOOO KAT!!!!!

hehe Ok ok I will help

Ok, here are some questions I've been asked:

How do snakes poop?
There is a piece of shed skin stuck to it, what do I do? (ok, I'm guilty of asking that one! lol)
Do snakes need a stick to climb on?
I never see my snake, he's always hiding, is he ok?
What size mouse should my snake eat?
Do they eat crickets? (I swear someone asked me that)

Anyone else have any good ones?

I'll help too, but only if I don't have to answer either of the following:

Should I feed my snake live or prekilled mice?

--OR--

Can I house my two snakes together?

I am literally sick to death of both of those! Other than those, I'll try to answer any of them once and for all so we can put the questions to bed. I know Rich was thinking of creating a "Newbie Page" (probably would be called aomething else though) once he is out of the baby wrestling phase of his business. If so, then maybe this FAQ sheet could be the permenantly posted first topic?

Let me know if I can be of service -- Darin

I'd love to have help, and sure, I'll tackle those two questions...

Lesse... a few more questions I can think of...

What does het mean?

What does 2.0.1 mean? (and varients thereof)

Where can I buy cornsnakes?

What cage do I need?

What substrates can I use?

How do I breed my snakes?

How big does my snake have to be to breed?

Help! I have eggs!

Help! My snake bit me!

My snake escaped, now what?

Eww, he barfed.. what do I do?

His poo looks funny... is he sick?

How do I get rid of mites?

Can I keep my cornsnake in with my <species> snake?

One I'm debating on whether or not the FAQ should answer is 'what do I get if I cross X and Y?'... as that would be a bit more of a chore... perhaps just a link to the progeny predictor.




IMO the live/dead mice issue and the housing 2 snakes together issue are probably going to be the most controversial.

My take on it is that while you CAN do them, there are risks. If you're willing to take the risks, that's your choice, but it's not recommended you do. If someone still goes ahead and does it, not much anyone can do to stop them. Things could work out alright, or they could end in disaster, but the risk is (unfortunately) theirs to take. The best we can do is provide them with information.

What kind of heat should I use?

What do I need to build a rack?

How often can I play with my new snake?

How often do they shed?

How often should I feed him?

Also maybe a suggestion that people with "what kind of corn snake do I have?" questions take a look at all the photos on Rich's pricelist

good luck, you are a brave soul!

Hehe... here's another one I just ran across...


My snake is X inches long... how old is he?

LoL That is actually one I am trying to figure out myself.

Here's a new one I heard recently....


Does a cornsnake eat its shed skin?

LoL I actually went into a petshop recently and saw all sorts of crickets in the snake cages (corns, rats, and kings) and had to ask what the heck are you doing here?! LoL It want the manager or the assistant but the girl who works the cashregester who I guess was told to feed the animals fed all the snakes crickets because she thought that is what they ate! I guess as far as service you get what you pay for!!