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Wild baby corn snake question

R

rmnypt

New member
Tonight we were at an event at a church and someone came in the room carrying a baby corn snake. They were walking down the hall when they spotted what they thought was a toy snake and went to kick it out of the way when it moved. Needless to say my son and daughter being the reptile lovers that they are, are wanting to keep it. It is very, very tiny and looks like its just hatched normal. It's smaller than the diameter of a pencil and about about 10" long. What's the recommendation when it comes to wild snakes. We have 3 snakes (2 captive bred corns and a captive ball python) already so it's not like we need another. I'll let them keep it but only if it's something that can be done without issue. If we keep him, what at that point do we feed? 1/2 to 1 fuzzy? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks so much.
 
Can you post a picture?

If it's a small baby, you can feed it pinkie mice. Because it's wild caught, don't let it come in contact with your other snakes. I would recommend washing your hands in between handling this snake and your others and don't offer your other snakes any uneaten food items from this snake.
 
Snapped a picture if it helps. Will keep him separate for sure. Don't want the others to catch anything so we will be keeping him separate for sure. How long do we need to keep him quarantined for. He will probably start in a 10 gallon and bump up to a 20 long like the others when he is a bit bigger. That is if we keep him.
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That's not a corn, it's actually an Eastern Milksnake, at least I think that's the name. It's a type of milksnake anyway. Very pretty little one!
 
I also agree that it's not a corn snake. Very pretty little guy, but it might be tougher to get him to eat for you.
 
Thanks for the clarification. Learn something new everyday. So I guess the question is, do we keep the little guy? Any pros or cons to keeping one caught in the wild when they are this young? Also since I'm new to knowing too much, or anything for that matter :) about milksnakes, what is their temperment like? Obviously don't want to go hold the thing someday and bring back a nub. He was trying to bite tonight but of course he was stressed after having almost been kicked across the hall.
 
If you can get that baby to eat you can probably provide it a better quality life than anything it would experience in the wild (consistent temperatures, shelter, lack of competition, readily available food, etc.). Even if you're only providing for it until it's big enough to have a decent chance out there, you'd probably be doing the species a service. On the other hand it's got instincts that --if you put it back near the church-- are going to tell it what it needs better than you ever could. Someone else would know better than me, but I just know I'd be making excuses to keep something that gorgeous.

Why not just set him up comfortably for now?
 
I would say if you can get it too eat in the first two weeks keep it. A bite from one of those will most defiantly remove a finger though. Just kidding they stay small and have teeth like a corn so a bite is lucky to brake skin. I have coughs full grown ones and they nip then go oh so your not going to eat me let's hang out.
 
I think those care sheets may be a little off those are for subtropical milks like Scarlett and black milks I would keep him just like a corn temp wise. Quarantine should be 90 days.
 
It's definitely a eastern milk snake native to Tennessee.

Also from the Tennessee Herp Society ;

''In Tennessee, it is illegal to harm, kill, remove from the wild, or possess native snakes taken from the wild without the proper permits.

Please help the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) to protect our native snakes. Do not remove snakes from the wild or release snakes that have been captive into the wild.

Once-captive snakes often don't survive in the wild and can introduce harmful diseases and parasites into the wild. "

Please find a safe place to release it. Any conservation land close by possibly?
 
Wow that fooled me. I thought it was a corn snake too. It's SO pretty though! I've never seen one of those before. Nice find :)
 
That looks more like a mix to me. I swear it looks half corn and half milk snake. It looks amazing. I have no snake sense though. I thought it was a keys corn with a pretty pattern.
 
The Eastern Milksnakes always throw me, because they don't have "milksnake" faces. But their markings are very distinctive.
 
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