• 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.

Basic Questions. Need answers :)

kevindeeley12

kevindeeley12

New member
Hi, a few things :

what is the best substrate?

what should the temp's be in the cage, basking spot temp, etc.

Do Corn's need UV light?

Do they prefer infared light over bright lights?

How often do you feed a corn a mouse?

Can they eat anything else besides mice and/or rats?

What is the perfect sized enclosure for a full-grown adult cornsnake?
 
Do please check out Lori's link above - sounds like you;re starting from scratch and that's a good place to start.

In the meantime, quick answers:

what should the temp's be in the cage, basking spot temp, etc.
Click to expand...
Around 21 degrees C at the cool end and 31 degrees C at the warm end (70-88 degrees F). Corns are not a basking species and do not need a basking spot.

Do Corn's need UV light?
Click to expand...
No. In the wild they are mainly active at times of low/no sunlight (dawn/dusk/night) and have never evolved the dependency on UV light that some other reptiles have.

Do they prefer infared light over bright lights?
Click to expand...
I've never used any sort of lights, so can't answer this one. Hopefully someone else will be along soon who has experience of this aspect.

How often do you feed a corn a mouse?
Click to expand...
Depends how old the snake is. Hatchlings eat one pinky (baby mouse) every 4-5 days, while and adult Corn will eat one adult mouse every 10-14 days. Use this board's Search facility for "Munson Plan", which is an excellent set of guidelines on feeding and when to move up to the next size mouse.

Can they eat anything else besides mice and/or rats?
Click to expand...
The fat content of rats is higher than mice, so most folks stick to mice. Corns can eat chicks, although these act like Snake Drano and produce the smelliest poop ever. They can also eat things like hamsters and anoles, although these are very expensive habits to get into. Corns don't get "bored", so there's no need to feed anything other than mice.

What is the perfect sized enclosure for a full-grown adult cornsnake?
Click to expand...
As big as you can get! The minimum size I use is about three feet long x one and a half feet deep x one and a half feet tall. But I have others that are three feet tall and three or four feet long, with climbing shelves and different levels.
 
In my opion the best substrate for a corn snake is the aspen bedding. However, I would feed the snake in a sperate area to avoid ingestion.

The heating should be about 80-85 on the warm side, with a basking area reaching 90 and the cool side about 72-75. The night temp. should be about 70-72.

No UV lights are neccesary for a corn snake as they can metabolize Vitamin D

as far as the night light, I use the red light for better cage viewing but whether it's black light or red light dosen't matter.

You should read up on feeding because it does depend on the size. I can tell yoiu this: It is better to give smaller meal twice a week than one big meal once a week.

I would stick to a steady diet of mice for the corn snake. It has all the nutrional value they will ever need

20 gallon long is acceptable/30 gallon long is ideal.

Good Luck with your pet!
 
Mice should be the mainstay but an occasional hammie or rattie or gerbil or whatever is fun. Just keep in mind the fun is for YOU not really the corn. Some prefer ASFs over regular mice or rats though so it depends. I'm having fun breeding all kinds of stuff for my corn, only have the one but I have a shop that buys extras off me. I currently have ASFs and fancy mice but am looking to get Dwarf Hamsters next week and as soon as I get a source I am adding pygmy mice, zebra mice, and spiny mice. Maybe gerbils and degus. Again note that I have an outlet for excess feeders.
 
Thanks for replying back guys, learned some good stuff. I do not have a snake yet, but for any smart owner you should do research before investing in any animal, obviously. a few more things :

Do the snakes like to eat the aspen?

Do you need to put vitamins and/or calcium on the feeders?

How long do cornsnakes live?

They get to 60" right, 5 feet?

Do you find them to be fussy animals?
 
Snakes don't eat the bedding, but while eating the mouse, bedding can get caught up in there so it's best to have a seprate feeder.

They do not need any added vitamins or minerals. Mice provide all the nutrion they need

They have a lifespan of 10-20 years. (20 being the most optimum of conditions)

The get about 5 feet long

I have bnever had a picky cornsnake. My python was as pythons tend to be, but my corns always ate hearty.
 
Those are really big questions. I think you would do better to pick up a good good and learn the basics and then come back here with more specific questions.

Here is a link to Kathy Love's site. Buy her book it is the Bible.


Kathy Love
 
wade said:
Those are really big questions. I think you would do better to pick up a good good and learn the basics and then come back here with more specific questions.

Here is a link to Kathy Love's site. Buy her book it is the Bible.


Kathy Love
Click to expand...

I agree! I have a copy and will need a new one as mine is starting to fall apart. I have had it since . . . .gee about a year now.
 
if theres a book then whats the point of having a forum :), and these questions are really basic ones, someone shouldn't need to spend money to learn these answers, in my opinion.
 
kevindeeley12 said:
if theres a book then whats the point of having a forum :), and these questions are really basic ones, someone shouldn't need to spend money to learn these answers, in my opinion.
Click to expand...

true, those are basic questions. And your gonna get basic answers. But do you really just want to give your snake "basic" care? Kathy Loves book is the best out there and covers a great deal of info. She is also on site here, and responds to her emails faster than anyone I know, be it your a customer of hers or not. Besides some might feel they shouldn't have to spend their time to give the answers, then what? :) by recommending Kathy's book, people here are only trying to steer you to the best possible answers, that is,....in my opinion.;)
 
K, well, I went on her site and couldn't find her book. + I'm in extreme debt so I cannot afford a book, but I guess I should just not come on this forum until I have money to buy the book?
 
If you can't afford the book, how do you plan on affording a snake and its proper care? You can stick around and ask questions, but until you buy the book (which I still reference all the time, and I've been doing this for 5 years) you shouldn't own a snake.
 
That's the thing. A true owner doesn't go buy a snake, THEN go do research. He does it before-hand. Which is what I am trying to do, and once I can afford the book, I will probably buy it
 
The problem is that on a forum of this nature, you are not going to get the in-depth kind of information that you really need in order to raise the snake properly. You will not get the details needed to do it right. A good book is part of the basic equipment. You buy a vivarium. You buy an undertank heater and a water bowl. You buy some hides and some substrate. And you buy a book. When you have all of that, you start thinking about getting a snake.
 
Ok, Wade you should get a raise for being the best promoter for the book :p

I've already learned a lot of things the book would have told me anyways, and the thing about forums, they're free. judging by the frequency this god-given book is talked about, the info I'm getting is probably derived from the book. I'm not at all trying to be mean or anything, I will buy the book when the time comes, and I'm just trying to learn the basics. When I am ready to get the rundown on every chemical make-up of a snake I will buy the book :p.
 
I'm sorry to hear that Kevin. People who know as much as you do not usually have good experiences with thier snakes. The snakes usually do not enjoy their lack of understanding either.
 
I don't get it. I simply can't afford the book and in-turn, I'm trying to do the research without it, and I'm the bad guy. And yeah of course the snake doesn't like it when their owner knows nothing about the snake, but that's what I'm trying to get from this site....
 
We shouldn't be the ones doing all your research for you. All of your questions can be answered by using the search function on this site or the link that Lori provided to you. More in depth questions that aren't clear elsewhere, we are more than happy to answer.

BTW I paid $5 for my book brand new, I'm sure you can find some way to afford that.
 
Go back up to the top of this thread. Read the very first answer you received. It gives you a link to frequently asked questions. There you will find the answers to all your questions and will not cost a penny. It will require you make the effort to read it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top