A Couple Questions... about Corn Snake Care/Feeding

hey.. i have a Red Corn Snake... and i'm rather new to snakes, other then the Garter snakes i cought when i was little, who would eat Feeder Fish... So having a Bigger snake that Eats Mice, is a little different.. this Snake is Full Grown, or nearly full grown, if indeed its not and i had a couple questions.. if anyone wanted to offer their advice or Suggestions.


1. The Snake was a bright Reddish Color when we got it.. about a month ago... now it seems to be a darker Brownish Red.. is that normal.. or?

2. some of his Scales seem to be Peeling, or Flaking off.. i noticed this a few days ago.. his eyes are'nt cloudy.. so i don't think he's gettin' ready to shed, even though he may be. ... Could be from the mice as well though.

3. The Snakes Bedding i'm using is Apen. it came Recommended from muti-Pet Stores. I hear that most Pet Stores are in fact wrong.. from looking stuff up, on the net. So i wanted to ask if this Aspen is in fact okay. because i hear Pine, is Toxic for Lizards/snakes. Esp. if they eat it. i Previously had the little pellet looking Recycled news paper.. in there... and that was okay i guess.. but with this aspen, it allows them to Dig tunnels through it.

4. i was Holding him today... i try to hold him alot so he can get used to me. and he kept trying to get away from me. but then he looked at my face, for a bit.. and Stuck his tongue out, as they often do.. and he did that a few times, so i did it back.. a Moment later, as if in a Split second he Stroke at my face. he did'nt get it. cuz i was holding him luckily he was'nt able to reach, i possibly could have lost an eye.. or.. more likely, gotten bitten on the Tongue, or nose. ... I'm curious if thats normal. or... does he just hate me?

5. This one i saved till last.. because.. i noticed it had been asked a few times before. and Seriously i did'nt want to Annoy anyone.. and its kinda related to The Previous Question (#4). You see my Snake won't eat. i can tell ya, he's in a 29 Gallon tank. the Temp. is 70-80 Degrees. I don't currently have an under Tank heater, though i plan on getting one.. i had recently lost my job. and Rent has to come First. But I do plan on getting one.. i have a Lamp on the top of it. shining down. And that has an Infra-red Bulb in it. (75 Watts/Heat-Glo).. i was told this would be Sufficent for the Size of tank. and that the snakes cannot see this light, so it would'nt bother them to have it on, 24 hours a day. I also bought the Night-Glo light (Moonlight Lamp). but its barely visable at all. so i rarely use it. The Snake has 2 Boxes i have in there, for the 'hides' they are cracker boxes.. we got. one on each side. the snake goes in there sometimes, Also i have Volcano the snake likes to go into as well.

Now.. I also have a Texas Rat Snake in there.. its about the same size.. and this snake also has not eaten in about a month. but he has eaten once since i got it. and this was before i got the Corn Snake. but has'nt since.

Also.. After i got the Corn Snake, I put two 'common' mice in the tank. and left them in there for about 2 weeks. then i went to the pet store i got the Corn Snake from to look around, and asked them. and they said.. no don't keep the Mice in the tank. as they can bite the Snake, and the Snake can get afraid of the mice. and never eat them again... So i'm kinda worried this may be the case...

i Did try to Dip the one mouse in Chicken Broth.. a site i read, said as a tip you can try to dip the mouse in broth. but it did'nt say what kind. and i tried putting it in a container. (1 Gallon ice Cream Bucket) with a hole in the top. so either snake could go in there. but after 2 days, neither did. not even with the Mouse dipped in Chicken Broth.. Another Thing I read, was to Cut open the Mouses head. and that sometimes works.. But the probblems with that is, 1. I don't know how i would kill the mouse. Drown it/Smack it upside the head with something hard... and the other of the questions... Even then, i don't want to kill the Mouse, if the Snake(s) still are not going to eat it.

So I just kinda don't know what to do. should I try out Pinky Mice. even though both these snakes are pretty much Full Grown. and it would take i don't know.. 10-20 Pinky Mice. Per Snake. or. is it Reasonable to think that since the Snakes won't eat the 2 mice i have now.. they won't eat any mice.

oh yeah... the mice, one is brown, and one is white. i hear sometimes the snakes can be Picky.

But is there any advice, or Suggestions, you guys could give me. .. if they indeed won't eat mice again, is there anything else, they would Eat?. cuz i really don't want them to Starve. ... Thnx

Any Help is Appriciated.