Am I bad a (corn snake) parent?

[ikinicknick]

Hello everyone


Me and my girlfriend decided to buy a corn snake as few weeks ago. It is our first snake and I'm getting a little bit worried that I'm not taking care of him properly.

Before we bought it, we did days of research, and pre-visited the shop to ask for question, and 2-3 weeks ago we came home with a little red corn snake. The shop owner also showed us what props to buy, which we did. Here's the list:

- A small glass terrarium, 30 x 30 x 30 (cm, sorry USA)
- A nice little t-rex skull for it to hide in
- ground material, (some sort of hay)
- A small waterbin for it to drink (do they drink?) and/or bathe
- A 4 watt heat wave rainforest heater from exo terra

Because I read the little one's like to climb, I bought it a piece of wood a few days ago so it can slither around it.

Now, I was very worried the little snake would be way too cold, because the heater thing doesn't warm up at all. I just got my thermometer and the average temperature is around 22 degrees (71 fahr.) but never below. which is way too low from what I read online! So from time to time I heat up the room so it gets around 28. (what a waste of energy, but I don't want it to be sad).

We contacted the shop owner and she said it would be fine, but I really don't think it is. Should I upgrade to the desert one? Should I add a warming light bulb?

I really think he's getting too cold and it pisses him of. I fed him thursday, didn't disturb him for 2 days so he could digest the little mouse, and tried to take him out of his terrarium so I could clean it. It was one hell of a race to get a grab on him (I did it very gently, always touched before I picked him up, never from above, etc), and once I got him, he bit me! I immediately put him back into his cage, which I read was not the best idea, and I'm kind of lost now.

I feel like a bad caretaker, I know I have zero experience, but I want to learn.

What are your thoughts? How was your first experience? What should I do?

Nick

 

[Zincubus]

Wow .. so many things cross my mind ....

Maybe you could help us all by providing a lot more vital info ... If known

The Viv sounds like an Exo Terra 30cm /12" cube Viv or similar . These are just about OK for a very small / young hatchling for a limited time IMHO ..


So just for starters ...
Approx length of snake ... ?
Dimensions of the heat mat ... ?
Where are you taking the temp reading ?
What kind of thermometer did you use ?


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[Amanda47]

The heater should make a small hot spot of about 29c / 85f. The main reason for this hot spot is to help digest food if it wants the heat. A comfortable room temperature (what's good for you is good for them) is fine most (or even all) of the time. So you might look for something that will warm about one third of the terrarium to 29c / 85f.

Being too cold won't make them irritable, but they may slow down a bit. Being too warm will make them cranky.

When trying to pick it up, don't spend a lot of time preparing for it. The longer you're standing over their home, the more nervous they will get. Once you have it in your hands, it will calm down pretty fast, so just reach in and pick it up. It might help to have slightly damp fingertips, they can't slide out of your grip as easily. You can also try taking all the furniture out of the terrarium, so there's nothing for it to hide under or to grip onto when you take the snake out.

You're doing fine! Keep researching and watching videos. Just a warning, I worried about my first corn for more than a year

 

[Amanda47]

PS- I mean take the hides and plants out temporarily when taking out the snake. Not removing the stuff permanently

 

[BLKfly]

Aspen for bedding, I personally prefer news paper because it is antibacterial.
You want to have a heat mat, one that sticks to the bottom of the viv. This will help your little one digest his food. No heat rocks, they can burn their belly.
As far as handling goes, just go for it. I can't tell you how many times I've been bitten lol. Those damn cinders are crazy, but once you have them out they calm down. Btw they won't bite you forever, typically hatchlings bite more because they are scared. He just has to get use to you. You don't need to put him back right away.
Rule of thumb 85 hot side - 75 cool side.
Yes snakes do drink, and it freaking adorable lol. But they mostly get what they need from their mouse.
Some do bath, usually to help them get ready to shed. At least that's what I noticed with mine.
Good luck and enjoy the snake life.

 

[Scrappyeddie77]

Ok here is my two cents worth

For a hatchling I like a ten gal Viv a heat pad under one side a water dish on the other a thermostat for the heat pad aspen about one to one and a half inches deep and a hide in the middle (I know most like a hide on both sides but this is what works for me and has for just about every snake I have had) and I like three thermometers one on each side hot and cold and one in the middle. If one goes out I can tell just by the others. I also like to having a humidity gauge.

And just so you know ever person who has a snake will get bit sooner or later don't be scared of it corns are little and their bark is worse than their bite. I have had some big snakes they hurt lol and remember when they do bite don't jerk away let them let go that way they will still have that cute little smile. And that you are never faster than they are I tried that it didn't work out to good for my hand. Hold your snake and let them know that they are safe support their body and let them figure out what to do.

Funny story that just happened to me. I was holding Ares my male and I was petting his head which took me awhile to get to that and he just was sitting there all relaxed and one of my girls said look at your snake as he just went poo on me and then the girls just laughed at me with snake and poo in my hand but he was just like don't stop I like this.

Have fun with your new snake and watch him/her and learn how they act. Snakes have their own personalities.
I hope this was helpful


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[Zincubus]

Just need the op to return and fill a few details in

 

[ikinicknick]

Hello everyone


Me and my girlfriend decided to buy a corn snake as few weeks ago. It is our first snake and I'm getting a little bit worried that I'm not taking care of him properly.

Before we bought it, we did days of research, and pre-visited the shop to ask for question, and 2-3 weeks ago we came home with a little red corn snake. The shop owner also showed us what props to buy, which we did. Here's the list:

- A small glass terrarium, 30 x 30 x 30 (cm, sorry USA)
- A nice little t-rex skull for it to hide in
- ground material, (some sort of hay)
- A small waterbin for it to drink (do they drink?) and/or bathe
- A 4 watt heat wave rainforest heater from exo terra

Because I read the little one's like to climb, I bought it a piece of wood a few days ago so it can slither around it.

Now, I was very worried the little snake would be way too cold, because the heater thing doesn't warm up at all. I just got my thermometer and the average temperature is around 22 degrees (71 fahr.) but never below. which is way too low from what I read online! So from time to time I heat up the room so it gets around 28. (what a waste of energy, but I don't want it to be sad).

We contacted the shop owner and she said it would be fine, but I really don't think it is. Should I upgrade to the desert one? Should I add a warming light bulb?

I really think he's getting too cold and it pisses him of. I fed him thursday, didn't disturb him for 2 days so he could digest the little mouse, and tried to take him out of his terrarium so I could clean it. It was one hell of a race to get a grab on him (I did it very gently, always touched before I picked him up, never from above, etc), and once I got him, he bit me! I immediately put him back into his cage, which I read was not the best idea, and I'm kind of lost now.

I feel like a bad caretaker, I know I have zero experience, but I want to learn.

What are your thoughts? How was your first experience? What should I do?

Nick

Wow, so much help!

Sorry about the lack of information and typos, I was troublr having sleep and I stayed up way too late to write this topic

My little snake is around 30-40cm tops (hard to measure), he's very young, and male. And so adorable!

I took the temprature reading from a exo terra analog thermometer, which at the moment lays on the ground. I tried to tape it to the glass wall, but when he goes on his nightly advantures, he manages to get it off from there lol.

The heat mat is a small one, just big enough to completely fit under my 30cm terrarium.

Glad to hear he's doing fine, I'll need to man up now and try to pick him up again tonight

And wow, you can pet him on the head? I heard they don't even like to get grabbed/looked at, they just get more tolerate about it, and you 'just'.. pet his head? :O

Btw, here are a few pics I took this morning before I left for work. He was climbing, but once I turned on the light, he immidiadly noped back into his hiding spot.

Yes, my gf made a banner for him...[emoji55]

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[Scrappyeddie77]

I am a firm believer that every snake is different my little female will not let me pet her head yet she is still a little flighty

Corns are one of the easiest snakes to keep that is why they make such great beginner snakes



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[ikinicknick]

I am a firm believer that every snake is different my little female will not let me pet her head yet she is still a little flighty

Corns are one of the easiest snakes to keep that is why they make such great beginner snakes



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And if you do, she bites? Is that how you know it doesn't like it? :grin01:

 

[Scrappyeddie77]

No she pulls her head back before I even get close

I hold them for awhile and they start to chill that is when I start to move

I have small kids and I don't like getting bit so I do things that I have done for years with all kinds of animals to help tame them down but I always remember that they are animals and if you learn to read their body language you can prevent most bites.


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[ikinicknick]

No she pulls her head back before I even get close

I hold them for awhile and they start to chill that is when I start to move

I have small kids and I don't like getting bit so I do things that I have done for years with all kinds of animals to help tame them down but I always remember that they are animals and if you learn to read their body language you can prevent most bites.


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Thats amazing, thanks for sharing

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[Scrappyeddie77]

Just a FYI there is an app called ( Time2Feed ) that might help with a feeding schedule and a snake history.
I just started using it and so far it is a straight forward app
It has a feeding section and a shedding portion and a size it seems like it might help a lot


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[Zincubus]

Wow, so much help!

Sorry about the lack of information and typos, I was troublr having sleep and I stayed up way too late to write this topic

My little snake is around 30-40cm tops (hard to measure), he's very young, and male. And so adorable!

I took the temprature reading from a exo terra analog thermometer, which at the moment lays on the ground. I tried to tape it to the glass wall, but when he goes on his nightly advantures, he manages to get it off from there lol.

The heat mat is a small one, just big enough to completely fit under my 30cm terrarium.

Glad to hear he's doing fine, I'll need to man up now and try to pick him up again tonight

And wow, you can pet him on the head? I heard they don't even like to get grabbed/looked at, they just get more tolerate about it, and you 'just'.. pet his head? :O

Btw, here are a few pics I took this morning before I left for work. He was climbing, but once I turned on the light, he immidiadly noped back into his hiding spot.

Yes, my gf made a banner for him...[emoji55]

Verstuurd vanaf mijn Nexus 5 met Tapatalk

Well you sound like a real caring person , clearly wanting the best for your snake ....


At this point there are at least 3 concerns to my mind ....

1 ) as I understand things , a heat mat should cover between 33% and 40% of the floor area so there's a cooler area /side : may be wrong here but it sounds as though your heat mat covers the whole floor area !?!! If so I'd pull half of it out and have less than half of it slid under the viv ...

2 ) it sounds like you're using one of those stand alone thermometers which are useless for this purpose as I think they just get the ambient or temp - you want to know the floor temps of the warm side . There are some cheap ones that have a probe on a length of wire which are far better and only cost a about 3 dollars off eBay . Better still get a digital temp gun for around 14 dollars again off eBay ...- they're point and click devices that give very accurate temps wherever they're pointed .

3 ) you mentioned using tape inside the viv ( for the thermometer ) but that's a BIG no-no ....

NEVER use tape inside a vivarium . Google " sticky tape related snake injuries !!


4 ) going off the viv size and the snake size then as I mentioned earlier , it won't be long at all before he needs more floor space and as such a bigger viv ..
Anyways , we all want what's best for you and your snake

 

[ikinicknick]

Well you sound like a real caring person , clearly wanting the best for your snake ....


At this point there are at least 3 concerns to my mind ....

1 ) as I understand things , a heat mat should cover between 33% and 40% of the floor area so there's a cooler area /side : may be wrong here but it sounds as though your heat mat covers the whole floor area !?!! If so I'd pull half of it out and have less than half of it slid under the viv ...

2 ) it sounds like you're using one of those stand alone thermometers which are useless for this purpose as I think they just get the ambient or temp - you want to know the floor temps of the warm side . There are some cheap ones that have a probe on a length of wire which are far better and only cost a about 3 dollars off eBay . Better still get a digital temp gun for around 14 dollars again off eBay ...- they're point and click devices that give very accurate temps wherever they're pointed .

3 ) you mentioned using tape inside the viv ( for the thermometer ) but that's a BIG no-no ....

NEVER use tape inside a vivarium . Google " sticky tape related snake injuries !!


4 ) going off the viv size and the snake size then as I mentioned earlier , it won't be long at all before he needs more floor space and as such a bigger viv ..
Anyways , we all want what's best for you and your snake

Its the tape that came along with it, its not any house hold tape I don't want to put anything not sterile in there, or something that's not been approved by someone with experience.

I'll take a look on the internet for a digital thermometer, thanks for the tip! So is it safe to keep him a few more days with 'uncontrolled' temprature?

Thanks guys, you're helping me so much

Well you sound like a real caring person , clearly wanting the best for your snake ....


At this point there are at least 3 concerns to my mind ....

1 ) as I understand things , a heat mat should cover between 33% and 40% of the floor area so there's a cooler area /side : may be wrong here but it sounds as though your heat mat covers the whole floor area !?!! If so I'd pull half of it out and have less than half of it slid under the viv ...

2 ) it sounds like you're using one of those stand alone thermometers which are useless for this purpose as I think they just get the ambient or temp - you want to know the floor temps of the warm side . There are some cheap ones that have a probe on a length of wire which are far better and only cost a about 3 dollars off eBay . Better still get a digital temp gun for around 14 dollars again off eBay ...- they're point and click devices that give very accurate temps wherever they're pointed .

3 ) you mentioned using tape inside the viv ( for the thermometer ) but that's a BIG no-no ....

NEVER use tape inside a vivarium . Google " sticky tape related snake injuries !!


4 ) going off the viv size and the snake size then as I mentioned earlier , it won't be long at all before he needs more floor space and as such a bigger viv ..
Anyways , we all want what's best for you and your snake

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[Zincubus]

Its the tape that came along with it, its not any house hold tape I don't want to put anything not sterile in there, or something that's not been approved by someone with experience.

I'll take a look on the internet for a digital thermometer, thanks for the tip! So is it safe to keep him a few more days with 'uncontrolled' temprature?

Thanks guys, you're helping me so much



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I'd avoid using ANY kind if tape , remember that thermometer may not be / probably isn't meant to go in a viv in the first place .

Just clarify ....Does the heat mat completely cover the whole base of the viv ??

If so , move it until no more than 40% of the floor space is heated ...IMHO .

 

[ikinicknick]

I'd avoid using ANY kind if tape , remember that thermometer may not be / probably isn't meant to go in a viv in the first place .

Just clarify ....Does the heat mat completely cover the whole base of the viv ??

If so , move it until no more than 40% of the floor space is heated ...IMHO .

Yes, but not anymore now

I just got the courage to pick him up again, cleaned out his viv, and put the warm mat at 40%. Hes now chilling on the cold side. As I read, too warm pisses it off, he might be super happy now! Thanks a lot again

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[Zincubus]

Sounds like progress .. you really need to pick up a reptile thermostat - cheap if necessary - even second hand will suffice as they're practically bombproof .

Then a digital temp gun ( built in laser as a bonus ) off eBay for around 14 dollars - don't bother paying a lot as they're rumoured to be the same quality in different packaging ( scams ) .

 

[ikinicknick]

Sounds like progress .. you really need to pick up a reptile thermostat - cheap if necessary - even second hand will suffice as they're practically bombproof .

Then a digital temp gun ( built in laser as a bonus ) off eBay for around 14 dollars - don't bother paying a lot as they're rumoured to be the same quality in different packaging ( scams ) .

Noted!

Weird that they told me a normal analog one was sufficient...

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[Zincubus]

Noted!

Weird that they told me a normal analog one was sufficient...

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Funnily enough my first snake was a hatchling Cornsnake plus set up - a 30cm cube Exo Terra just like yours . It came with a small stick on heat mat plus a stick on the side thermometer ( useless for vivs but ok for fridge temps maybe ) ... they didn't even mention me getting a thermostat !!!!

I learnt about that weeks later ..


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