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Corn Snake Questions!

L

lacy

tor
Hi guys, I'm new here. My name is Tor and i live in Cheshire.

I have a Corn snake called Lacy. I've had her for a year in November - she was 6 weeks old when i bought her.

Just wondering if you would be able to answer a few questions for me!

* On 2 seperate occasions, she has vomited up her dinner a few days after being fed. Is this normal? Is there anything to worry about? What should i do if she does this again? Can corn snakes be over-fed?

* In her tank (4' X 1.5'), there is a large shallow dish of water. It is always topped up, but she doesnt seem to be aware that it's there - she'll always drink when i show it to her. Any ideas why this might be?

* I am currently feeding her 2 fuzzies / fluffies every 7-10 days. Is this ok? She's about 2ft long now and looks in good condition, shedding regularly (how often SHOULD they shed at this age?)

* When i bought her, the man that sold her to me (the owner of a large reptile shop) said that a heat mat is enough for a corn snake. Several months later, i asked another reptile man and he said they aren't enough, so i bought a day bulb and a night bulb. What are your opinions on this?

* I use hemp as the substrate in her tank. Is this ok? There are plenty of places for her to hide and climb.

* Is her current tank (4' X 1.5') large enough for her forever?

* Are corn snakes social, or is she ok on her own?

That's all i can think of for now! Thank you in advance for any advice. Please be constructive - i'm a novice!!

Tor. :crazy02:

DSC00197.jpg
 
Buy a thermostat so you can monitor the exact temps in the viv. It sounds very large, so you will need to carefully monitor the temp as it can cool off quickly with that much open space. An undertank heater is recommended, so she can have belly heat for digesting. Throwing up is not good, and means that something in her habitat isn't right, probably the heat. Although you don't see her drinking, she must be for her to be as healthy as she seems. Its rare to catch them drinking. If she can take two fuzzies at a time, you might want to consider taking her up to hoppers, but again, make sure the temps are right so she doesn't regurge again. She can definitely stay in a tank that size all her life and no, she doesn't need friends. LOL Snakes are solitary creatures and there are many pitfalls to having more than one snake in a viv. I don't know about hemp as a substrate, aspen works well, so does shredded newspaper. I bought a paper shredder and got a subscription to the local newspaper just for that. Make sure hemp doesn't have any oils that are dangerous to snakes, like pine or cedar. Otherwise, it sounds ok.
 
Hi Welcome, Very pretty snake. Regurges are usually from stress, improper temps, handling too soon at his point it might be hard to say why she did. Corn snakes are not social creatures , they do not want someone else living with them, and pretty much in general would probably rather we didn't hold them either. No bulbs should be required day and/or night. but you should no the temps on the warm side and the cool side. My one year olds are eating small feeders, so maybe you could start bumping her up. hope this helps some, susan
 
I'm new to this also, but it looks like she is eating on her hemp substrate? I think this is generally discouraged because they could ingest some of it and become impacted. I feed my babies in a separate container with a paper towel on the bottom. :)
 
Kjay said:
I'm new to this also, but it looks like she is eating on her hemp substrate? I think this is generally discouraged because they could ingest some of it and become impacted. I feed my babies in a separate container with a paper towel on the bottom. :)
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Good catch, I looked right at that and didn't even notice mouse in mouth. :cheers: I don't even use paper towel anymore just make sure the tub is clean.
 
i do usually give her her fluffies on the slate on the pic but she has moved it of, i will move her and feed her somewere else next time. thank you. I have got a thermostat, it is registering 95oF or 35oC, is this ok?
 
lacy said:
i do usually give her her fluffies on the slate on the pic but she has moved it of, i will move her and feed her somewere else next time. thank you. I have got a thermostat, it is registering 95oF or 35oC, is this ok?
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No! that's way too hot. Turn it down to 85F. temps of 95 are likely what's causing it to throw up. A nice gradient of 85 on one end of the tank and around 75 on the other is best. It's important to give them a warm and a cool spot so they can regulate their temperature but 95 is just too hot.


be sure to read this FAQ, it covers most questions you might have about corn snake care.
http://cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28341

A snake trowing up is never a good thing. It's not usually a life or death thing but it's often a sign that something is wrong, often with it's habitat but something they just throw up. when they do, give them 10 days before feeding them again to replenish their stomach juices. Feeding them too soon may cause them to throw up again as their stomachs take some time to get back to normal.

I won't worry about the water, they will go looking for it if they get thirsty enough.

I don't think you're over feeding but see the FAQ for more details on feeding.

The heat is probably enough, maybe even too much. Use a thermostat to see what the temperature on the floor of the tank is (under the substrate). it should be about 85 degrees.

the substrate sounds just fine.

that tank size is good for an adult.

She's better off on her own. Corns can be house together successfully but most people feel the cons of cohabitation out weight the pros.
 
Most of your other questions have been answered, but I will tell you, that's far too hot. The warm side of the tank should be roughly 85 degrees and the cold about 75. Just lower those temperatures with your thermostat, this could be a reason as to why your snake is regurgitating.

All the best

David
 
Also it was touched on briefly but to reiterate it you need to insure your temperature probe is located under your substrate on the glass above your heat pad. This way you can ensure that the temperature is right there as if its to high your snake could burrow down to the glass and get burnt.
 
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