CornSnakes.com Forums  
  Tired of those Google and InfoLinks ads? Register and log in!

Go Back   CornSnakes.com Forums > The CornSnake Forums > Husbandry and Basic Care
Register FAQ Members List Calendar Mark Forums Read

Notices

Husbandry and Basic Care General stuff about keeping and maintaining cornsnakes in captivity.

newbie with some specific questions
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 10-20-2014, 07:10 PM   #1
cosmiclandscaping
Question newbie with some specific questions

Hello eveybody . Since I received my new corn snake last week I have spent every free moment lurking around reading as much as I possibly could. I have had two iguanas in the past but this is my first corn snake and I don't need to tell you guys and girls how different the two are. I have some specific questions for any long time owners or really anyone who thinks they can help me.

First question. I have a 10 gallon viv with a UTH. Now I don't have a thermostat but I have suspended the tank about three inches from the pad after having tried different combinations of distance until I got a stable temperature of 84 on the warm end of the cage ( the probe o my digital thermometer is under the aspen under the warm hide ) which I also check with a spot thermometer that I trust. Now is this OK? The surrounding room is 74-75 at all times and I'm wondering if I should get a thermostat anyway. Some people seem to think its absolutely necessary.. my little one stays at the very opposite end in his cool side and I've never seen him once in the warm side, not even after the first time I fed him yesterday. Normal or concerning?

Second question. I fed him today for the first time and was anxious that he wouldn't eat but he did it was great. Sigh of relief. I left him In thea carboard box I fed him in for 30 minutes and when I came back the lump was already a little over halfway through him...is this normal?

Third question. How should I feed him/ handle him if he shows signs that he is preparing for a shed?

Thank you!
 
Old 10-21-2014, 09:12 AM   #2
smigon
Hi and welcome! Great questions.

I would get a thermostat or rheostat (a light dimmer with an electrical plug) to keep the temps in check. Make sure the probe is directly over the middle of the UTH on the glass inside the tank. However, your temps are pretty good I like to keep my glass at 87°, maybe wait for winter to set in and see if it does get a little colder in the ambient temps.

Staying at the cool end? Not horrible, but I would double and triple check the temps on the warm end. Your idea of lifting the viv is good, so see what happens.

Lumps are GOOD! It means he ate and it is in his belly now.

If you know he is in blue, don't feed him or handle him. It doesn't hurt them to miss a meal, and sometimes, when I didn't know they were in blue, I have tried to feed them. Some don't care and eat everything no matter what, while others sniff the mouse and ignore it. This is a sign he is probably going to shed. I have a girl who I fed early Sunday morning and she looked fine and ate her mouse like nothing was different, but today there was a shed in her viv! Sometimes they surprise you.

I wouldn't handle him in blue, just make sure that when he does shed the entire shed came off, especially the eye caps and the tip of the tail. These are two important things, and if he has a bad shed there are plenty of topics already asked here about bad sheds, you will find them with the "Search" feature at the top of the screen.

Once he sheds try feeding him, they usually eat right away, but if he does eat don't handle him for 2-3 days, let him digest and poop. Otherwise I guarantee YOU will be his toilet! It has happened to the best of us!
 
Old 10-21-2014, 10:23 AM   #3
cosmiclandscaping
Hey thank your so much for your response! I see your posts a lot I have been reading up non stop.
My issue isn't the lump itself rather how quickly it moved through him, it was more than halfway through him in just 25 minutes...

I have seen many posts about Incomplete sheds so I feel prepared to deal with that problem should it arise
 
Old 10-22-2014, 10:04 AM   #4
smigon
Aw, I am glad you took the time to read my posts! Thanks for the smile, I am always glad to help others who are where I was 2 years ago. I had a million questions and everyone here was SO kind and helpful and made me the addict I am today.

Here is a basic diagram of a snake's anatomy, you can see that the stomach is about 1/3 of the front of the snake and his intestines are most of the rest of him until the rectum. I have noticed that the meal does move quickly down into the belly, and it is usually less than a day before the lump is gone, they digest quickly and then it is a matter of heading through the intestines.

If you are worried, watch for regurgitation, that can happen if the temps are off or the snake is stressed. If that does happen, there is a very detailed protocol to deal with this, again, search and you will find it!

 
Old 10-22-2014, 11:17 AM   #5
cosmiclandscaping
A diagram!! Awesome. I couldn't have asked for more. Now I know the anatomy of my snake which to me is super interesting (I am a biology major).
 

Join now to reply to this thread or open new ones for your questions & comments! Cornsnakes.com is the largest online community dedicated to cornsnakes . Registration is open to everyone and FREE. Click Here to Register!

Google
 
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:35 AM.





Fauna Top Sites
 

Powered by vBulletin® Version
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Page generated in 0.04092598 seconds with 11 queries
Copyright Rich Zuchowski/SerpenCo