I might be getting a new corn soon...

[Suzy]

And I have a few questions! First of all, i'm new to the snake thing, and I have never had a snake. I have been researching (mostly corns, but pretty much all different kinds) for over a year now, and feel like i'm ready to get a snake. I just found a posting on Yahoo! answers for a free corn snake in my area, so I sent her a message. I'm not 100% sure that i'll be getting it just yet, but I figured while i'm waiting anxiously, why not ask some questions that I need answered?
My first question for you guys is, what kind of precautions should I take for a baby corn? I'm planning on putting it in my bedroom, where there's almost always a cat in there. (I have my male cat sleep in my bedroom with me every night, because the others don't really get along with him.) I'm just wondering if that would cause too much stress to the baby corn?
I don't know what it's setup looks like or any of that. They said that he has lamps - would that work temporarily until I get my taxes in and can afford a UTH? (the money should be here mid-feb. at the latest.)
Also, i'm curious as to how long it usually takes for orders of mice to come in from Rodentpro or the mouse factory?
I can't think of any other questions, but if you have any tips, i'd appreciate it. I'm sorry it's so lengthy. I usually can't stop talking or typing, though.

 

[Snake Dave]

Hi Suzy, welcome to the forum!

I have three cats myself, and most of the time they don't seem remotely interested, even when I'm handling him directly in front of them. If you're planning on having a glass aquarium then as long as the screen top is secure and substantial you shouldn't have any problems with your cats. Corns are crepuscular (mostly active at dawn and dusk), so they sleep most of the day. The cats will only be stimulated by its movement, if at all, so you'll be at home when he'll be active, so there shouldn't be any problems.

About the set-up, the minimum size tank required for an adult Corn is a 20 gal long, but bigger is better (to an extent). To save money you could buy the adult size tank without a smaller one first, but make sure you provide plenty of cover and hiding spaces so your little guy/girl will feel secure. Here's essentially what you need to get started:

- Water dish
- A minimum of two hides (one on cool side, one on the warm side)
- Aspen or paper towels as a substrate
- UTH (preferable) or lamp
- Thermostat
- Digital thermometer and hygrometer to accurately measure temps and humidity

You can also add artificial plants to give the tank a nice look, and provide cover and things to do for your Corn, they're not very expensive. About the substrate, aspen is a good choice because it's cheap, it acts as one big hide (Corns love to burrow into it), it looks nice and it absorbs waste really well. However, to prevent the ingestion of substrate I'd recommend feeding outside the tank in a plain box or deli cup. This gives you a chance to clean out the tank, change water etc.

Lamps are fine to use, but can suck the humidity out of a tank really quickly. You can help to keep humidity in by occasionally misting with a spray bottle, or covering the screen top with a piece of plastic. Make sure you regulate the lamp with a thermostat and you'll be fine. Warm side temps should be 80 - 85 and cool side temps should be 70 -75, and the relative humidity should be roughly 40% - 60%.

Oh and The Mouse Factory ship next day air standard, but you can make your order priority by adding $8.

If you any future questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Oh and here's a picture of my Corn's tank to give you an idea of what they look like. On the left side of the picture he has a UTH (maintained at 83F) and on the right he has a red heat bulb (maintained at 72F), I have the bulb because it can get pretty cold where I live. Oh and I've added another branch to his tank since this picture was taken

I hope that helps

David

 

[Suzy]

Hi Suzy, welcome to the forum!

I have three cats myself, and most of the time they don't seem remotely interested, even when I'm handling him directly in front of them. If you're planning on having a glass aquarium then as long as the screen top is secure and substantial you shouldn't have any problems with your cats. Corns are crepuscular (mostly active at dawn and dusk), so they sleep most of the day. The cats will only be stimulated by its movement, if at all, so you'll be at home when he'll be active, so there shouldn't be any problems.

About the set-up, the minimum size tank required for an adult Corn is a 20 gal long, but bigger is better (to an extent). To save money you could buy the adult size tank without a smaller one first, but make sure you provide plenty of cover and hiding spaces so your little guy/girl will feel secure. Here's essentially what you need to get started:

- Water dish
- A minimum of two hides (one on cool side, one on the warm side)
- Aspen or paper towels as a substrate
- UTH (preferable) or lamp
- Thermostat
- Digital thermometer and hygrometer to accurately measure temps and humidity

You can also add artificial plants to give the tank a nice look, and provide cover and things to do for your Corn, they're not very expensive. About the substrate, aspen is a good choice because it's cheap, it acts as one big hide (Corns love to burrow into it), it looks nice and it absorbs waste really well. However, to prevent the ingestion of substrate I'd recommend feeding outside the tank in a plain box or deli cup. This gives you a chance to clean out the tank, change water etc.

Lamps are fine to use, but can suck the humidity out of a tank really quickly. You can help to keep humidity in by occasionally misting with a spray bottle, or covering the screen top with a piece of plastic. Make sure you regulate the lamp with a thermostat and you'll be fine. Warm side temps should be 80 - 85 and cool side temps should be 70 -75, and the relative humidity should be roughly 40% - 60%.

Oh and The Mouse Factory ship next day air standard, but you can make your order priority by adding $8.

If you any future questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Oh and here's a picture of my Corn's tank to give you an idea of what they look like. On the left side of the picture he has a UTH (maintained at 83F) and on the right he has a red heat bulb (maintained at 72F), I have the bulb because it can get pretty cold where I live. Oh and I've added another branch to his tank since this picture was taken

I hope that helps

David

Wow, that was very informative. Thank you!
I do have a 29 gallon (I think the dimensions are 30"x16"x12" or something like that.) that's sitting around not being used, which I was planning on using for an adult. It needs to be cleaned out first, as there used to be fish in there, and it has been fish-free for a while. Would you recommend a bleach/water solution to disinfect that? I would also need to get a screen top and a UTH before I even think of using that.
As for the corn that I might be getting, in the posting the person said that they were going to give up the whole enclosure,and said the following, "
My son has a baby corn snake it comes with tank, lights,bowl, and hide and tank decorations, he is in college and doesnt have time to take proper care of this little guy, he is very sweet and is free to a good home, please email us with any questions or interests" So I imagine most everything I need is in there with the exception of food.
Ok, that's good to know about the cats. (i'm all backwards here, i apologize. i'm responding as I think.) I really don't know how my cats will react. I used to have hamsters (don't anymore) and they never really bothered them. That was a few years ago, though.
I was thinking that probably temporarily i'll just use paper towels until I get some more money & a car, then i'll go get the necessary items such as aspen and the UTH.
OK, that's good to know about the mice. So chances are I wouldn't be waiting too long.
I do have an extra spray bottle, so i'll make sure to put that to use if necessary. i'll have to make sure to keep an eye out.
It usually stays in the mid-60s to mid-70s in my house year round. do you think that would be an issue, or would I need to get something to heat the cold side as well? I don't imagine it would be a problem, but I figure I should ask the people who have snakes instead. Thank you very much for your help.

 

[Snake Dave]

That's okay.

To clean it, yeah just use a bleach solution. 1 part bleach to 5 parts water.

I'd imagine the hamsters would bother the cats far more than a snake would, you're fine lol.

About the temps. Temps below 70 can cause issues such as digestion problems which lead to regurgitation, and respiritory infections. However, the occasional drop below 70 shouldn't pose too many problems provided that you have an adequately heated warm side. It's your call.

All the best

David

 

[clipclopclip]

just make sure you have GREAT lid locks! cats can get into a lot of things and my cats love to watch the snakes and would certainly harass them/kill them if they had a chance (an open tank or one not well sealed). My 2 cents!

 

[Maize411]

Welcome to the forum! Can't wait to see pics of your new snake :0) Your so lucky your getting one for free

 

[Suzy]

That's okay.

To clean it, yeah just use a bleach solution. 1 part bleach to 5 parts water.

I'd imagine the hamsters would bother the cats far more than a snake would, you're fine lol.

About the temps. Temps below 70 can cause issues such as digestion problems which lead to regurgitation, and respiritory infections. However, the occasional drop below 70 shouldn't pose too many problems provided that you have an adequately heated warm side. It's your call.

All the best

David

ok, great! I'll be sure to do that soon.
Yeah, that's what I figured, too.
Ok, that makes sense. As a temporary thing, though, (2 weeks tops) would it be a serious thing? After that i'll be able to get adequate heating and won't really ahve to worry about anything. I really don't think it would dip below 70 since we have the heat on all day and night here.

 

[Suzy]

just make sure you have GREAT lid locks! cats can get into a lot of things and my cats love to watch the snakes and would certainly harass them/kill them if they had a chance (an open tank or one not well sealed). My 2 cents!

That's one thing i've been thinking about. They're fairly cheap at pet stores, right? I remember looking at Petco or something like that, and they were less than $3, so if that's the case i'm sure I can afford to get them. Better safe than sorry, definitely.
Thank you!

 

[Suzy]

Welcome to the forum! Can't wait to see pics of your new snake :0) Your so lucky your getting one for free

Thank you! I'll make sure to post pics (if I get it. It already feels like i've got it!) as soon as it gets settled in and isn't overly stressed. I'm probably going to wait at least a week to feed it, and possibly another week before handling it. That's what i've read is best to do - is that assumption correct?
If I don't get this one, i'll probably get one when I go to the reptile show in March.

 

[Snake Dave]

Thank you! I'll make sure to post pics (if I get it. It already feels like i've got it!) as soon as it gets settled in and isn't overly stressed. I'm probably going to wait at least a week to feed it, and possibly another week before handling it. That's what i've read is best to do - is that assumption correct?
If I don't get this one, i'll probably get one when I go to the reptile show in March.

Sounds good

About the feeding, usually about 3 days is sufficient time to leave before attempting to feed. During transit the snake's digestive juices get sloshed (sorry, lack of a better term lol) around a lot, this often makes them really hungry. If I may I'd like to refer you to a feeding chart called the Munson Plan. It's a prey item weight to snake weight feeding chart, devised by one of the forum's moderators

If you search 'The Munson Plan (Sample Feeding Chart)', you'll find a sticky that has the feeding chart, which recommends that hatchlings should be fed once every 4-5 days, when they're on pinkies.

The handling is spot on, you should only handle when necessary at that age, and when he/she arrives give it sufficient time to settle in before changing water or anything else. After two weeks short periods of 5-10 minutes of handling 3 times a week (which allows 48 hours of digestion after each meal) should be fine. As both you and your snake grow in confidence and become more accustomed to one another, you can gradually increase the handling time, but as I said before, try and keep it to a minimum when they're young to minimise stress.

All the best

David

 

[Suzy]

Sounds good

About the feeding, usually about 3 days is sufficient time to leave before attempting to feed. During transit the snake's digestive juices get sloshed (sorry, lack of a better term lol) around a lot, this often makes them really hungry. If I may I'd like to refer you to a feeding chart called the Munson Plan. It's a prey item weight to snake weight feeding chart, devised by one of the forum's moderators

If you search 'The Munson Plan (Sample Feeding Chart)', you'll find a sticky that has the feeding chart, which recommends that hatchlings should be fed once every 4-5 days, when they're on pinkies.

The handling is spot on, you should only handle when necessary at that age, and when he/she arrives give it sufficient time to settle in before changing water or anything else. After two weeks short periods of 5-10 minutes of handling 3 times a week (which allows 48 hours of digestion after each meal) should be fine. As both you and your snake grow in confidence and become more accustomed to one another, you can gradually increase the handling time, but as I said before, try and keep it to a minimum when they're young to minimise stress.

All the best

David

ok, I can do that, too. I'm not exactly sure how old the snake is - I'll find out more info when she replies to me.
I've already got the Munson Plan bookmarked. I've read it over before, and thankfully i've got a digital scale already, so I can work with that.
Ok, so after the day I get it, should I wait until feeding day to change the water so I don't stress it out? I'll be sure to do that. I'm sure after a few months when it's fully settled in, things will be a lot easier to do. I'm already nervous! lol - but I think it's more of the fact that i'm getting one instead of being afraid to handle it.

 

[Snake Dave]

ok, I can do that, too. I'm not exactly sure how old the snake is - I'll find out more info when she replies to me.
I've already got the Munson Plan bookmarked. I've read it over before, and thankfully i've got a digital scale already, so I can work with that.
Ok, so after the day I get it, should I wait until feeding day to change the water so I don't stress it out? I'll be sure to do that. I'm sure after a few months when it's fully settled in, things will be a lot easier to do. I'm already nervous! lol - but I think it's more of the fact that i'm getting one instead of being afraid to handle it.

Yeah I understand, I felt the same after I successfully broke down my Mother after 13 years of trying, lol

I change my water every other day, so two days after you get him there shouldn't be any problems with changing the water then. As long as that's all you do Then as you say, once he's settled in things get a lot easier.

I wish you all the best and good luck for when you get him/her!

David

 

[Suzy]

Yeah I understand, I felt the same after I successfully broke down my Mother after 13 years of trying, lol

I change my water every other day, so two days after you get him there shouldn't be any problems with changing the water then. As long as that's all you do Then as you say, once he's settled in things get a lot easier.

I wish you all the best and good luck for when you get him/her!

David

lol - I guess it's possible with everybody, then. My brother is a scaredy-cat, and he told me that if I get a snake, he's not talking to me anymore. I told him he'll never have to see it if he chooses not to - and that i'll never force him to look at it or touch it. It took about a year before my mom broke of her fear of snakes, and now when I show her a picture, she'll actually tell me it's cute!
Ok, that will work for me. I'm really hoping she'll respond now. It feels like it's taking forever!
Thank you!

 

[Corny Noob]

Looks like you guys got everything pretty well covered already.
However I just wanted to impart something with the locks,not only are they to keep your cats out but your snake in. An unsecure tank equals an empty one.

 

[tbroaddus]

I just want to say "Go Jayhawks". Rock Chalk.

From a fellow Jayhawker.

 

[diego]

Hey Suzy ! I just ordered pinkies from TMF on Monday and they arrived on Wednesday. They arrived frozen and almost too good lookin' not to eat myself , well almost. Sounds like you are going about things in an intelligent way, you should do well. This site is an excellent resource for you ( and me ). Good luck and send pics.

 

[Suzy]

Looks like you guys got everything pretty well covered already.
However I just wanted to impart something with the locks,not only are they to keep your cats out but your snake in. An unsecure tank equals an empty one.

Well, I was looking at Petco.com earlier today, and saw some that were fairly cheap, but I don't know how good they work. Do you think these would work ok? Click Here They're just under $2, so I don't know if they may be too cheap or what. Or do you have a certain brand that you'd recommend? it'll probably be either a 10 gal or a 29 gal tank. Thank you!

 

[Suzy]

I just want to say "Go Jayhawks". Rock Chalk.

From a fellow Jayhawker.

Gotta love how we're doing this year. First an Orange Bowl championship, and now we're 19-0 and ranked at #2. I love it! Rock Chalk!

 

[Suzy]

Hey Suzy ! I just ordered pinkies from TMF on Monday and they arrived on Wednesday. They arrived frozen and almost too good lookin' not to eat myself , well almost. Sounds like you are going about things in an intelligent way, you should do well. This site is an excellent resource for you ( and me ). Good luck and send pics.

Ok, cool! It's good to know about that. The only issue I have is if I go ahead and buy 100 pinkies (Which I think is the minimum - but i'm not sure, i'd have to check), I know that the snake will probably outgrow them. Should I still go ahead and buy them anyway and maybe give them to someone else in the area that needs them, or can I continue to feed them to the snake but double or triple up if I need to?

 

[diego]

They will let you get 50 small pinkies and 50 large pinkies. Check out the site for a picture of the different sizes .