Vitamines

Hey,

I have a Elaphe Obsoleta Obsoleta, from August 2001. I feed him pinkies, 4 in a week or so, and sometimes a bigger mouse. He eats whatever i give him, and he looks healthy in my eyes. The feed is frozen, and they told me in the shop I have to use special vitamins and minerals too while feeding mouses to my Cornie. Is that true? The vitamins are pretty expensive, I bought a bottle, I hope that my snake will become stronger and older with the vitamins, or Im I just fooled like a 14 year old boy?

Well, first of all, if the store sold you an Elaphe obsoleta, then you don't really have a corn snake. Obsoletas are a different species of rat snake, and obsoleta obsoletas are a subspecies usually called Black Rat Snakes. They're closely related to corns (Elaphe guttata guttata), but usually get a good bit larger and are capable of reaching up to eight feet long (corns usually don't top five feet). I'm hardly an expert, but I'm going to guess that they have the same needs as corns. That being the case, you probably don't need to worry about vitamin supplements unless a veterinarian tells you to. Mice and rats are a pretty balanced diet for all snakes in the Elaphe genus, and they can live long, healthy lives without ever tasting anything else.

It does say that it can help in the cornsnake manual. However, I've never given my snakes any and they look quite healthy in my eyes. I know of a lot of keepers that don't. I always though of it as an optional kind of thing.

Thanx

Thanks for helpin guys, I guess vitamins shoulnd hurt my snake as well so I keep using it, I can do a full year with one bottle (if I must believe the shopowner ) and after that ll decide then to if I buy a new one or not. And I allways thought my Obsoleta was a Cornsnake, and that Red Cornsnakes and Black Cornsnakes just subspecies were... Well, gotta go, speak to 2 later!

Joost

um are you aware that

hello,
you said you owned a black rat snake correct? I don't know if it's true where you live but here in ontario it's illegal to own black rat snakes. Or so I've heard.

Re: Thanx

I live in Netherlands, Holland, and I thought he isnt illegal here...

ok

ya,
ok I just thought you should know just in case. I read that black rats were illagel here but that could be wrong. Any ontarions know?

I have herp vitamins for my gecko....Any thoughts on using these on a corn? It's a multivitamin powder and I also use a phosphorus free calcium supplement. I usually dust the pinkies for my gecko with it. It helps my gecko see them better and plus it gives vitamins. Think i should use this on my corn?

Bryan

vitamin supplements...

from a human standpoint vitamin surpluses in the body can do just as much harm as good. most vitamins that humans need are fat soluble compounds (excluding vitamin c and the b vitamins) and if you ingest more than your body needs then they are stored in your body's fat reserves. (excess b and c vitamins are excreted by your kidneys) an overabundance of vitamin a for example can cause liver damage and excess iron can lead to blindness or death. these are of course extreme examples and not likely to happen in most instances but i just use them to illustrate the point that there can be too much of a good thing. (did you know that cinnamon and nutmeg in large quantities are known animal carcinogens?) i uess all of this is just my roundabout way of saying if the extra vitamins are not needed why use them. good luck and enjoy!!! jim

Bozoskeleton....

I use the vitamin powder from my ghekos with my snake too. It does no harm especially if you are feeding frozen mice. Frozen mice loose quite alot of their natural vitamins and if the mice are pinkies, calcium supps would be quite good for your snake!
Hope that helps,
Rachel

Vitamins and Corns ~~~~~:~

We give vitamins to our corns. We mixed the powdered vitamins with bottled water and with an eye dropper squirt the vitamins into the mouth of the pinkie or fuzzie. We were concerned that the loss of vitamins from freezing and time could be enough that they would need a supplement. We also rub the snakes with flax seed oil and vitamine E. Both organic of course. Sam ~~~~~:~

that black rat will get a lot bigger than a regular corn. There is one living in my inlaws storage room (has been therefor years) and it is HUSKY- Over seven feet and thick. Brave as hell- comes and goes as it pleases and makes little attempt to get away when I mess with it (I can't resist). I don't know if its male or female- though I have caught babys in thier yard for the past few years. Luckily my inlaws tolerate its inhabiting the room and put up the the snake poo and discarded sheds.

If he's big enough to eat 4 pinkies, you should be feeding him something larger. Until you get them on hoppers, it is a good idea to feed "older" (that is, less young) food items because the nutritional value of pinkies and fuzzies is less than that of hoppers and adult mice.