hello snake owener

[rprimeau95]

Hello we are new owners to 2 corn snakes female Butter Motley named Kora and male Albino Reverse okeetee named Boomer... i was told they were about 3 months old however in the 3 wks I have owned them the butter motley has grown more and is much heavier than the other.

I have been reading all about cohabiting and see all the down sides based on what can happen and that you can't ell which snake is doing the shed and or their waste...

I have to wait to get another set up till we move next month I just have no where in this house to put another 20 gal tank we have boxes everywhere lol...

The breeder from BHB Reptiles Brian said that snakes were cohabitant and that I could keep them in same cage he made no mentions of concerns...

how early can they start mating?

is there a way to know how old they really are?

there have been no signs in the 3wks of them not getting along, I feed them in their own separate travel cages and wait 30 mins or more to put them back in and so far so good. I will for sure be getting another 20 gal cause the motley is mine lol the two boys want their own so i was going to get them a second snake however I don't know about having two 20 gal tanks in their room they will be sharing I had hoped they could share?

ahhh great this was not the plan they fight over who gets to hold who how long and I just wanted them to have their own. I planned on getting a blizzard next. I am waiting to hear back from the breeder I have not been able to connect with him I left msg at his shop the next day and on FB no replies then I found he left for Japan he just got back like 2 days ago and now left today for Dayton FL for reptile show. I also have a picture of what the Boomer left on my sons blanket looked like runs... is that what their wast is like?

The Albino Reverse Okeetee from the beginning shows he is calm while being held I mean he is more wiggly than the other however he will suddenly spin his head moving rapidly in circles for a few spins then stop what does this mean?

Whatever it means the kids are leaning more towards the butter motley cause she is such a mellow snake. I don't want them leary of the other snake I tell the maybe we should ask about exchanging for a different snake one they will like, like the other. Not sure yet if breeders will do that I tried to ask a few days after we left. Then my kids say no you can't give him back i'm thinking hey these snakes live a long time and I need them to be handled so they are social and every time we take the snakes out everyone wants to hold Kora and fights over her not Boomer they will hold him however it is short lived then they are trying to pass him off and take Kora then the other kids get upset and say no I want to hold Kora. I personally am very bonded with Kora and not the other one not sure why that is hmmm

anyway nice to be here hope to learn more... if I wanted to keep both snakes in the boys rooms is there a better set up that is more of a space saver? can you get something stack-able that has glass in front so you can see in?

Well

 

[bitsy]

Welcome to a very addictive hobby! Here are a few ideas on your questions:

how early can they start mating?

I knew a member of another forum who had a 10 month old male successfully sire a clutch of fertile eggs. Luckily the female was older.

If the female is not properly matured internally, then she can become eggbound and this usually needs a vet and can be life-threatening. I don't know how young they are when they become fertile but I guess it's different times for different individuals. They can basically mate at any age. Three years old is generally regarded as the safe point in the absence of an ability to tell otherwise, but certainly some two year olds can and do lay eggs. It's not recommended though.

is there a way to know how old they really are?

Not unless the seller has told you. Their rate of growth when young is heavily influenced by how much - or little - they're fed. A powerfed six month old can be two feet long or more, where a six month old on a minimal maintenance diet can be little bigger than a new hatchling.

Once they're adult sized around three years old, they essentially look pretty much the same their whole lives. My twenty-four year old doesn't look any different to my eight year olds.

I had hoped they could share?

As you've found from your research here, that's strongly advised against on this board. As you've seen there are many good arguments against.

is that what their wast is like?

Corn poop looks a little like bird droppings. When they're tiny there's a black or brown dot of more solid stuff in some clearish fluid. When it dries, the fluid goes white and powdery. It gets bigger as they grow, as you'd expect.

however he will suddenly spin his head moving rapidly in circles for a few spins then stop what does this mean?

I've never seen this - hopefully someone else can advise. It may just be his way of trying to get you to put him down. If so, don't give in - keep holding him gently until he calms down, or he'll realise it's a useful trick and keep doing it.

Whatever it means the kids are leaning more towards the butter motley cause she is such a mellow snake. I don't want them leary of the other snake I tell the maybe we should ask about exchanging for a different snake one they will like, like the other.

Corn Snakes are very individual and have individual characters. They can also change a lot as they grow up, so if you have hatchlings then you could still find that the Reverse Okeetee gets used to you and calms down. However if you feel that any snake is beyond you, it's usually best for the snake to consider rehoming. It's not much fun having a pet that you don't feel comfortable with.

can you get something stack-able that has glass in front so you can see in?

Stackable melamine vivs with sliding glass doors at the front are the norm over here in Europe, but less common on your side of the pond. They can be stacked as high as you can reach! Hopefully someone else can advise on what's available to you in that line. There are rack systems, but you can't see in so I'm guessing that's not a way you'd like to go.

Hope that helps!

 

[rprimeau95]

yes thank you for your response, as for the one doing the spinning he seems to be fine with me but the whole point of having him was for the kids lol so we shall see how it goes, is there a site somewhere that tells you what their weight should be based on inches or something?