Girlfriend got me a snake, now I have a problem....

[Jazzik]

After reading a lot of whats been put here, I dont think ive put the Heatmat in correctly.. i put a thin piece of ply over the top of it should I have put it outside UNDER the bottom of the wood?

It actually feels quite hot to the touch for me, is that too hot for my snake to make use of that area?

Its a wooden bottom, its about half inch thick, then it has a piece of plywood over it... which is currently pinned down.

 

[tom e]

The cage is made of wood? I don't know if it will work if that's the case.. You may need something inside the cage..
I guess you'll know for sure though, when you can get an accurate measure of the temp inside. The usable temp that the snake is laying on...

 

[Jazzik]

The cage is made of wood? I don't know if it will work if that's the case.. You may need something inside the cage..
I guess you'll know for sure though, when you can get an accurate measure of the temp inside. The usable temp that the snake is laying on...

Its a wooden box with 2 sliding glass doors. Ive put the heat mat inside it at the moment under basically a false floor, but it does feel quite hot.

 

[Jazzik]

*sorry no edit button....

I guess I really need to get a decent thermometer.

 

[sandybunny]

Names, hmm, he just looks creamy and sweet and frothy. I like: sugar, cappuccino, mocha, latte, marshmallow, vanilla bean, coffee bean, caramel. He looks like he needs a name that represents comfort or decadence.

 

[TandJ]

Personally, I would toss the red bulb.. Corns do better with belly heat, heck 80f is just fine for digestion.. Give it a nice hide, I would put money on it he will certainly thermoregulate himself decently.. Of course, your dealing with a wooden bottom cage from the sounds of it..

I suggest you getting a couple books to read..

http://www.corn-utopia.com/Corn%20Utopia%20on%20the%20Web/-%20BOOKS%20POSTERS%20herp%20for%20sale%20Cornutopia%20corn%20snakes%20cornsnakes.htm

http://www.cornsnake.net/cornsnakesincaptivity.php3

Regards.. Tim of T and J

 

[Jazzik]

Personally, I would toss the red bulb.. Corns do better with belly heat, heck 80f is just fine for digestion.. Give it a nice hide, I would put money on it he will certainly thermoregulate himself decently.. Of course, your dealing with a wooden bottom cage from the sounds of it..

I suggest you getting a couple books to read..

http://www.corn-utopia.com/Corn%20Utopia%20on%20the%20Web/-%20BOOKS%20POSTERS%20herp%20for%20sale%20Cornutopia%20corn%20snakes%20cornsnakes.htm

http://www.cornsnake.net/cornsnakesincaptivity.php3

Regards.. Tim of T and J

Thanks for the input, but if I toss the red bulb, I dont think my thermostat picks up the temp from the heat mat.. I think my priority is to get a decent thermostat designed for the job, and a thermometer with a probe.

Thanks everyone for your input. I already feel a bit more knowledgable than I did

 

[tyflier]

Thanks for the input, but if I toss the red bulb, I dont think my thermostat picks up the temp from the heat mat.. I think my priority is to get a decent thermostat designed for the job, and a thermometer with a probe.

Thanks everyone for your input. I already feel a bit more knowledgable than I did

83-88*F is perfect temperature. Try using a piece of ceramic tile instead of plywood over the heat mat inside. This will help to dissipate the heat better, and allow a better thermal transferance. If your thermostat is regulating ambient temperature...you're going to need a better one. You want it to regulate the temperature of the mat, not the air. With your UTH(under tank heater, or heat mat) regulated to approximately 85*F, you will be providing a proper thermal gradient. With a "room thermostat" that is regulating ambient temperatures...you are creating a "hot box" for your snake.

In other words...the thermostat you are using is shutting off your heat units at an average ambient temperature of 80*F...or whatever it is set at. This means the hot side is probably too hot, and the heat mat is almost definitely WAY too hot...which explains why your snakes seems to prefer the "cool" side...it is at a more moderate ambient temperature.

So yes...get a thermostat or rheostat that is designed to regulate the heat source with a probe, and a good digital thermometer so you can accurately read the temperatures of both the hot and cold sides of the viv. And do away with the bulb. It is drying out the viv, and creating too much heat.

Oh yea, and...Welcome to the Addiction, and Congrats on the Pickup!! :cheers:

 

[Jazzik]

83-88*F is perfect temperature. Try using a piece of ceramic tile instead of plywood over the heat mat inside. This will help to dissipate the heat better, and allow a better thermal transferance. If your thermostat is regulating ambient temperature...you're going to need a better one. You want it to regulate the temperature of the mat, not the air. With your UTH(under tank heater, or heat mat) regulated to approximately 85*F, you will be providing a proper thermal gradient. With a "room thermostat" that is regulating ambient temperatures...you are creating a "hot box" for your snake.

In other words...the thermostat you are using is shutting off your heat units at an average ambient temperature of 80*F...or whatever it is set at. This means the hot side is probably too hot, and the heat mat is almost definitely WAY too hot...which explains why your snakes seems to prefer the "cool" side...it is at a more moderate ambient temperature.

So yes...get a thermostat or rheostat that is designed to regulate the heat source with a probe, and a good digital thermometer so you can accurately read the temperatures of both the hot and cold sides of the viv. And do away with the bulb. It is drying out the viv, and creating too much heat.

Oh yea, and...Welcome to the Addiction, and Congrats on the Pickup!! :cheers:

Brilliant!! Thank you very much.. so for now im best to disconnect the heatmat, regulate the heat with the red bulb until I get a rheostat that I can use to properly control the UTH? (woohoo my first abbreviation)

 

[tyflier]

Brilliant!! Thank you very much.. so for now im best to disconnect the heatmat, regulate the heat with the red bulb until I get a rheostat that I can use to properly control the UTH? (woohoo my first abbreviation)

That depends...

I would actually be inclined to unplug both the UTH and the infrared bulb, and just use ambient temps for the next couple days. As long as your ambient house temperatures are around 70*F...your snake will be fine for a couple days without anything else...just don't feed him until you get the proper regulators.

 

[RavenSpirit360]

NIce snake hes very thick lol

 

[CALIVIK]

I like him, he reminds me of my Little Dani who is nice & thick. I take my snakes outside, if you can its really grt quick exercise. A fellow poster here told me that putting them in the grass would help move their bowels & well I have to agree, the grass gets mine going..lol Its worth a try & if he is 9 he should not run off anywhere, my guys stay right w/ me & they are under a yr old.

Pretty corn
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[Jessicat]

They are "medium" full size though not the biggest I could have got as they looked a bit too big, he seems quite content eating these ones though, and they look about the right size in comparison with his head.

Don't go by head size when choosing an appropriate food size. Look at his body. A decent sized meal can be as large as 1 and 1/2 size of the snakes body.

He definitely looks well fed though! You could probably get away with feeding him the same food item once every week and a half or two weeks. Also, you don't need to stick to a feeding schedule like clockwork. It's good to keep track of when you're feeding obviously, but switching the time around a bit is a more natural feeding simulation to a wild snake's than one mouse every Tuesday.

 

[Jazzik]

Heatmat Thermostat..

From what ive been reading a heat mat is more than sufficient to control the temps for my snake, especially as my house is quite warm most of the time anyway, even without heating on.

Would something like THIS be a viable solution to my heating problems. It comes with a probe, and controls the temperature of my heat mat, which I plan to have as the only heating source if its the correct way to do things. Should I spend the extra (money is tight) and get a fancy dimmer switch, or is that largely unnessecary.

Also, other than digital thermometres, is there anything else I should really consider adding to my order. is a humidity sensor something I have to have? I have read that Heat Rocks arent a good idea, though I would have thought they were practical as well as aesthetically pleasing. Waterbowls are apparently supposed to be big enough for the whole snake to submerge in, thats a pretty big bowl, as my snake as youve seen is quite large ... eh hmm

Im also going to order a transport case, so that I have something I can keep him in when cleaning him out. As at the moment I dont actually have anything, and if I was to have him lose theres lots of stuff he can get underneath never to be seen again.

I can see from reading a lot of whats on here, that the way I have been given this Viv, is setup mostly wrong.. would he be used to it? or is it better to adjust it to be right and then let him readjust to eventually be more comfortable in a proper setup?

 

[Jazzik]

Don't go by head size when choosing an appropriate food size. Look at his body. A decent sized meal can be as large as 1 and 1/2 size of the snakes body.

He definitely looks well fed though! You could probably get away with feeding him the same food item once every week and a half or two weeks. Also, you don't need to stick to a feeding schedule like clockwork. It's good to keep track of when you're feeding obviously, but switching the time around a bit is a more natural feeding simulation to a wild snake's than one mouse every Tuesday.

Learnt something else, its great here thanks... I'll keep that in mind

 

[mike17l]

P.S how on earth is it still alive without any heat ???????

This may have been addressed, but I have not taken the time to read the whole thread. Snakes do not need "heat". They need a thermal gradient. Or at least a good room temp. All of my animals are housed using ambient temperatures. They are all thriving and doing great. They eat, poop, and breed with no problems. Just a technical observation.

 

[diamondlil]

A mat-stat like that would do the job brilliantly, but the little dial you set the temperature with isn't brilliant, IMO. If you get a digital thermometer/hygrometer with probe like this
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx...ters/hygrometers&FromMenu=y&worldid=&doy=4m11
you'll know what temps you're getting, and can fine-tune the themostat.
You won't need a dimmer (rheostat) as well, some people use them instead of thermostats, I've got one for my gecko's viv to control her heating through a bulb, instead of the themostats I use for the snakes

 

[diamondlil]

Just get a tub, like this, for cleaning days. Burn air-holes in it for ventilation
http://www.plasticboxshop.co.uk/large-underbed-box--lid-crystal-range-59-p.asp
I feed in these and have the biggest version as tubs on the snake-rack