• 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.

Getting a snake! Everything I need?

C

CanucksStar#17

New member
My Mum finally gave in and said I could get a snake!!! But the thing is she said that I can't spend that much money one one!

I want a corn snake. What do I need? What size? How big to Corn snakes get? How do I care for them? How much will it cost to keep one??? Is it hard to keep a snake? Just tell me anything I need to know about snakes!
 
It's going to be a lot cheaper if you go to a reptile expo and buy your snake and supplies there as opposed to getting everything at a pet store. Snakes that come from breeders at expos also tend to be a little healthier than pet store snakes anyhow.

-The cheapest snakes I saw at the expo I went to were 15.00 USD, and the most expensive were 40.00. They were hatchlings--yearlings and adult snakes are going to cost you more.
-The tank I bought was a 20 gallon long, which should last a hatchling quite a long time. It was about 50.00 (get one with a locking lid to prevent escapes)
-You will need two hides for your snake; one on the warm side, one on the cool side
-You will need a water dish big enough for the snake to curl up in if it wants to
-You need an under-the-tank heater
-You need a thermostat to control the heater
-You need a probe thermometer to monitor the cage (don't get a stick-on-the-cage thermometer, they're junk)
-You need a hydrometer to monitor humidity
-Paper towels will be your cheapest option for substrate

The initial cost for a set-up in a glass vivarium is a big pricey. I can't speak for sterilite tubs because I've never used one, but they're probably cheaper.

Most pet stores have care sheets for free that can tell you a lot about corn snakes. They don't have all the information you'll need, but it should get you started.

The average length for a full-grown adult is approx 3-5 feet.

Corn snakes are very hardy and not that difficult to keep at all. Hatchlings eat one pinkie mouse every five days and food size goes up as they grow. They're docile on the whole and great to have around.

I pretty much just wrote down a lot of stuff here, I'm sure more people will add more things!
 
Another good thing to get would be Kathy and Bill Love's book
Corn Snakes : The Comprehensive Owner's Guide
Also, Don Soderberg's book
Corn Snakes In Captivity
You can get them both from Kathy Love's website
 
I have had the pleasure of "being owned" by several snake species over the years but the Cornsnakes are some of my favorites.
The only suggestions I have is read read and read some more and study this forum, Proper husbandry is paramount to good health.
Also get your vivarium, heat mat, thermostat, hides etc, set up BEfORE obtaining your snake.
I think it's also best for a beginner to start with a little older snake as opposed to a hatchling.

Best of luck to you and enjoy!
 
The approximate setup price will start at about $200 if you buy everything new, you can look on eBay or Craigslist for some cheaper items (I paid $15 for a 20L aquarium from someone on Craigslist and then cleaned the hell out of it) and $15 for the lid on Amazon with my Prime membership. Hides, substrate, UTH, thermometers, thermostat, food, decor, etc. come at a price that you need to shell out up front.

Make sure you have everything ready to go before your purchase, and get every book (the ones listed above are great books for beginners) you can and read them BEFORE the purchase, I have a Kindle and downloaded all the info I could on corns.

I agree with Rrowdy, you should consider a yearling as opposed to a hatchling, they are easier to handle and already have a routine and are more settled.

Best of luck!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top