• Hello!

    Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.

    Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....

    Please be certain that the location field is correctly filled out when you register. All registrations that appear to be bogus will be rejected. Which means that if your location field does NOT match the actual location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected.

    Sorry about the strictness of this requirement, but it is necessary to block spammers and scammers at the door as much as possible.

Baby Corn Snake from Petsmart died.

C

CaptainHowdy

New member
I'm writing this to get advice for getting a new corn snake. When Petsmart sold me this one they told me he was a good eater(which was true). He had 1 regurge due to eating the wrong size mouse. He ate the right size 1 just fine but then all of a sudden decided not to eat. I gave him about 7 days of solitude and was actually planning on feeding him today. I noticed he wasn't in his hide and not moving whatsoever so I checked on him and sure enough he had died. He was my first snake and I had the temps at 71 on the cool side and 87 on the hot side using an UTH. I would like to get a new snake but I was wondering if it would be better to get an older 1 as appossed to a baby.
 
87 is a bit warm on the hot side.
My advice is not only to get an older one if you can find one but steer clear of most petshops, especially chain petshops like Petsmart.

If I were you I would check out some of the breeders here. Many of them have older snakes for sale. Sure, you might have to pay shipping, but you would get a healthy well started animal that could be with you for 15 years! And don't forget to check the BOI!
 
First I'd contact petsmart and see what they'll do to remedy the situation. They don't always take the greatest care of their stock unfortunately but they should either reimburse you at least partially or give you a new snake. Was there anything strange in his behavior or anything that would make you think he wasn't doing okay? Without knowing what the cause is though I don't know if you should even bother with another snake from them or not. Most people won't recommend chain stores for snakes because of their to common neglect and misinformation. How soon did you try refeeding after the regurge and how large was the mouse that he ate? It usually needs to be a week before trying to feed again after a regurge due to the damage that accurs from the action. Just wanting some details because while adults or yearlings are healthier typically and can be easier to take care of, it's not necessarily because of the corn's age so necessarily getting an older corn won't take care of it. Also if it's an infection it may still be in his tank so you need to clean it up really well before getting another one.
 
I would definately clean the tank. But he was acting just fine. I waiting 8 days before feeding again and he ate no problem but about a week after he was refusing to even strike at the food. He started becoming less and less active and seemed a bit disoriented about 4 days ago and this morning I found him dead.
 
Agree with Beth above. Sorry for your loss but there are many reputable breeders on here who have nice animals where you would know the history and that they are established feeders before sending them to you. When you are ready a subadult or adult would probably be best. Most of the chain petshop animals are wholesaled ones and are cohabbed so it could have died from a multitude of factors.
 
Sorry for your loss!

You need to clean your tank and everything in it you may use again with ammonia and water, lots of scrubbing,, lots of rinsing.

87 is on the high end for the hot side, but shouldn't have been an issue. I am concerned you said he seemed disoriented. That makes me think neurological, which can be caused by temps higher than 90 for extended periods. Could you tell us what kind of thermometer you are measuring temps with? Also do you have a thermostat controlling your uth?
 
Acting disoriented can mean dehydration.

Same questions as Alicia, how are you measuring the temps and what is controlling the UTH?
 
CaptainHowdy said:
http://www.thatpetplace.com/digital-terrarium-thermometer
is the thermometer I used.

I monitored the temps myself. What I would do is plug in the UTH when I was at work or I was going to sleep. When I was in my room using electronics etc. there was no need for the UTH so I would unplug it and it would still sit at 84-87 on the hot side.
Click to expand...
Before you get another snake you would ideally get a proportional thermostat to control the temperatures. That way it takes any worries away as both too hot and too cold can cause regurges and even without any other issues regurges can kill hatchlings.
 
Yea I was planning on getting one. Money is just a tid bit tight at the moment. Also I'm not going to jump into getting another 1. I'll make sure I have a Thermostat before my next snake purchase. I'm worried that the temps are what killed him and it's making me feel like crap.
 
CaptainHowdy said:
Yea I was planning on getting one. Money is just a tid bit tight at the moment. Also I'm not going to jump into getting another 1. I'll make sure I have a Thermostat before my next snake purchase. I'm worried that the temps are what killed him and it's making me feel like crap.
Click to expand...
I'll be as honest as I can, it could have been. But if you didn't know any better then you are one of thousands of new pet owners who aren't given good information when you started out. Now you do know and can make better choices next time.
On the other hand, even with the best equipment and care available, some baby corns just don't make it. I'd bet every experienced breeder here has mystery deaths or babies that just don't thrive. So don't beat yourself up too much.
 
You know you need to measure the temp on the glass right in the middle of the UTH, right? With no thermostat, your UTH was likely getting up in the 110F or higher range.
 
My 9 year old daughter and I are looking into getting a baby corn snake. I have read countless articles on the Internet and even bought a book at Petco. Both of us are looking forward to bringing this new member of the family home. But, at the same time I'm wondering if this is a good idea. Can anyone tell me if I'm making the right choice.
 
CaptainHowdy said:
http://www.thatpetplace.com/digital-terrarium-thermometer
is the thermometer I used.

I monitored the temps myself. What I would do is plug in the UTH when I was at work or I was going to sleep. When I was in my room using electronics etc. there was no need for the UTH so I would unplug it and it would still sit at 84-87 on the hot side.
Click to expand...

Where was the probe placed?

The probe has got to be right on the glass. Not on top of the aspen, but inside the tank, on the glass right at the heat mat.

This is a really good starter thermostat for a single tank:
Hydrofarm MTPRTC Digital Thermostat For Heat Mats Get one of those and test it out for a week or so to get the temps stable, then maybe look around for another baby.

I'm sorry to say that it was probably heat/dehydration that got your baby. BUT you are MILES AHEAD of many other people by coming here to ask for help and advice on what may have gone wrong. People here will always be willing to help you.
 
bigC0_8 said:
My 9 year old daughter and I are looking into getting a baby corn snake. I have read countless articles on the Internet and even bought a book at Petco. Both of us are looking forward to bringing this new member of the family home. But, at the same time I'm wondering if this is a good idea. Can anyone tell me if I'm making the right choice.
Click to expand...

Yes. Cornsnakes are the number one pet snake for a reason. However, you are much better off searching out a breeder to buy the snake from, whether on-line or at a local show.
 
bigC0_8 said:
My 9 year old daughter and I are looking into getting a baby corn snake. I have read countless articles on the Internet and even bought a book at Petco. Both of us are looking forward to bringing this new member of the family home. But, at the same time I'm wondering if this is a good idea. Can anyone tell me if I'm making the right choice.
Click to expand...
Honestly if you are a new snake/reptile keeper I would go for a yearling. They are established feeders and have survived all of the "mystery" reasons hatchlings don't make it, some just fail to thrive even in optimal conditions. They are still small enough that you will still see growth though. Get your viv setup ahead of time and start a thread with pictures of it and we can tell you how it looks and if it needs more or less of anything :)
 
Thank you for the advice. Right now I'm online looking at backwater.com. Does anyone know anything about them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top