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How much time in hides?

Parrothead

Parrothead

First Time Snake Owner
OK, I'm completely new to all of this as I just brought my new corn snake Ziva home from the pet store tonight. I made sure to watch her eat as I've seen recommended and she did great with that. I know our snakes need heat for digestion and sure enough she took a lap around her new digs, then went straight into the hide on the warm (about 85 degree) side of the enclosure.

I also know she's in a new place and a bit stressed out. All of that said, how much time should I expect her to spend in her hides?

Thanks in advance :)

PS - I have a couple of pictures of her over on another thread:

http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80982
 
For the moment, she'll be out of sight most of the time. Corns are most active around dawn and dusk or overnight, so look out for her then. But in the wild, they'll mostly stay hidden during the day. They're especially secretive for a few days after eating, as digestion takes a lot of physical resources.

She should become bolder as she grows up, gets used to you and gradually starts to understand that it's safe to be out and about when you're around. But for the first few weeks/months, expect her to shoot under the nearest hide if she sees movement outside her tank.

By the way, watching them eat can be an issue as it stresses some of them, so don't feel you have to do that. It doesn't help the snake, so I'm not sure why it should have been recommended.
 
Is she a baby or an adult? Are you feeding live? That is about the only reason I can think of why it would be recommended. Most on here frown about feeding live (unless really needed)

My babies and adults hide most of the time. Just depends on the snake really :)
 
Thanks, guys :)

Just to clarify, most of what I read around the internet said to make sure to see a new snake being fed to make sure it would eat before taking it home. The owner of the store just put the pinky in the deli cup with her and we checked back a few minutes later to make sure that the mouse was now just a lump in the snake - we didn't watch her the whole time.

From what you guys say I won't worry - she's a baby, in a new cage, and has just eaten so I'll expect her to stay in the hide most of the time :)
 
Definitely nothing to worry about. Young snakes hide a lot, and snakes introduced to a new environment hide a lot so the combination means a lot of hiding. Also, if your little snake isn't in a hide it's probably burrowed (At least for the first few months) as that seems to make them feel safe... Nothing to worry about, and they start coming out a lot more eventually. Congrats on the new corn!
 
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