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PeterD

New member
Hey everyone,

I'm new to the whole snake thing! my mums got one, i bought it this week for her...done the set up and everything... only problem is....

I'm PETRIFIED of Snakes

Yes i got a fear of them but i thought this would be a step for me... so far i've managed to carry the lil guy home from the petshop in my bike jacket and put him in his viv... only problem is i did scream when he put his head on my arm... geez i sound like a lil girl! but i can't help it!!

Had him for 5 days now and tried feeding him last night but he completly refused so i left him!

He's a yearling and my mum wants to call him nagini for some reason but anywho!

all advice is welcome! what should i do to get him to eat??

thanks in advance guys and gals!

Peter
 
Hi Peter :wavey: welcome to the forum!

There are several people on here with corn snakes named "Nagini", seems fairly popular. :D

One trick to use to help with feeding is to get a separate feeding container. It needs to be secure. Here in the states many people use "Sterlite" containers. I am not sure what is available there. There are several people on here from your neck of the woods so they can tell you. Put Nagini in the container with your thawed food and leave him over night. You CANNOT do this with live food.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.
 
hey i got a plastic faunarium (plastic box for reptiles) which is the same one they used to feed him in the shop.

Problem is i'm scared to touch him... now he's in his cage lol.

I tried leaving the fuzzy in his viv over night ina deli cup but he didn't even come out... temps are between 80 and 85 f with a heat mat on the wall. (didn't know about UTH and shop didn't sell me one)

is it best to do it outside the viv, if so i will try getting him out i'm just scared of them badly lol but mums on holiday =/

some tips on how to piuck them up cause i'm cacking myself lol.... hes very pretty though :D
 
i would recommend you put the heat mat on the bottom outside the viv, and make sure that you have a thermostat on it and that it is running the right temps. Is your lid secure? don't want any escapes..

Oh and some people dunk the pinky in chicken broth, rub it on chicken, rub it on fish, or brain it. braining is you cut a slit in the head after you have warmed it up. All of those help because the smell makes them hungry. BTW, you might get startled, but they can't hurt you. and zoology said it all. Its not venomous, and your to bug to swallow ;)
 
Good of you to buy the corn being so scared of it!! With a little luck in time you will feel more at ease and overcome your fear.
 
Welcome to the forum, PeterD.

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (1894), by Rudyard Kipling (your fellow countryman), was a story about a mongoose, and had two cobras (nag = cobra in Hindi), Nag and Nagaini.

Rudyard Kipling was once required reading in american elementary schools.
 
vetusvates said:
Welcome to the forum, PeterD.

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (1894), by Rudyard Kipling (your fellow countryman), was a story about a mongoose, and had two cobras (nag = cobra in Hindi), Nag and Nagaini.

Rudyard Kipling was once required reading in american elementary schools.
Click to expand...

Wow, i learn something new everytime i log on !!!

Welcome Peter

side note:
Rikki tikki Tavi wasnt a half bad read for mandatory school reading
 
Use lightweight gloves until you get over your fear. If you are able to feel confident, rather than hesitant, the snake is less likely to strike and bite, and will probably get over his fear of you more quickly.

If you look at his size compared to your size, it will be easy to see who should be afraid of whom, lol!
 
lol i know he smaller then me but i'm still a woos!!!! (Sp?)

The viv is a sliding glass front door and a wooden one i did try the heatmat under the tank but no heat was getting through it so i asked in the shop and they said to put it on the side. followed instructions like good soldier! *salutes*

everything is secure and i will try uploading some pics i got in a minute.

Just looked in on him today and he's moved out of his hide for the first time since i got him! hes now curled up behind his climbing branch on the cool side.

I've also managed to pick him up before when i had to put him in the cage, i'm pretty confident with actually touching them its only when there heads come near me i begin to turn into a lil girl :p

Being honest i'm happy i can handle it being in the house... there used to be a time where i wouldn't walk in a room if i knew a snake was around!

Thanks for all the replys and helpful comments though
 
If the cage is all wooden, how will the heat get through the side better than through the floor? It is important to have one hide that gets to about 85F (you will have to convert to C) INSIDE the hide. Put the thermometer INSIDE THE HIDE, at least for a little while, until you are sure the temp is correct. Then check a couple of times per month to be sure it stays the correct temp, as your house will probably change temps in different seasons. Just do whatever you have to do (heat mat, light, whatever) to get the temp correct inside the hide. The rest of the cage should be cooler. A thermometer with a probe is a great way to check temps.

If you don't get the warm hide box temp fairly close to 85F or so, then it is likely that a new baby will not eat, or won't be able to digest properly if it does eat. Once the snake is well established and is an adult, it may be able to adjust to less than optimum temps.

I think you said the snake is a baby. If so, check that sliding door REALLY CAREFULLY! The gaps are often made for adult snakes, and babies can sometimes slip right out. They are REAL ESCAPE ARTISTS!
 
Its a wooden vivarium :)

It's about 12 inches square... Not to sure but it just fits on the side of the viv... Not 100% sure on size as I'm not at home at the moment :)

the shop j got it from reccommended I put it on the side to save burning the snake... Makes sense.

The wood really holds the heat well so the tank is at it's norm temp :) I will probe for sure when I get my digital one... Te miniatat turns the mat off if it exceeds 90 farenheit and the back on once it drops below 80.
 
it's A yearling an about a metre in length to the best of my knowledge and all gaps are a lot smaller then it's snout :)
 
"...turns the mat off if it exceeds 90 farenheit and the back on once it drops below 80. "

That is great, if the thermostat is checking the temp inside the hide box. But if it is checking the temp of the heat mat itself, it won't have much (or at least, not enough) bearing on the temp the snake is actually experiencing. Once you get a thermometer that can check temps wherever you want them checked, you might be very surprised at the difference in temps from one part of the cage to another.
 
Peter listen to what Kathy Love has to say. She has a ton of knowlegde.

As a matter of fact, she did right the book on corn snakes

CornSnakes-TheComprehensiveOwnersMa.jpg
 
The Rudyard Kipling reference was cool. But I'm wondering if maybe your Mum is a Harry Potter fan? Voldemort's snake is named Nagini! I guess the author was a Kipling fan.

Listen to Kathy. She helped my poor little corn, Cobra (I wanted him to feel big and strong) 3 years ago when he wouldn't eat. Cobra is now a great big 3 year old. I learned that I would never again buy a reptile from a big chain (PetSmart).
 
That is great, if the thermostat is checking the temp inside the hide box. But if it is checking the temp of the heat mat itself, it won't have much (or at least, not enough) bearing on the temp the snake is actually experiencing. Once you get a thermometer that can check temps wherever you want them checked, you might be very surprised at the difference in temps from one part of the cage to another.
Click to expand...

its checking the ambient temperature above the hide... will check fully once i have my digital so i know if i need to change it or not.


I promise i'm taking all the advice on board as the last thing i want is to have a dead or dangerous snake on my hands.

Where can i buy that book from btw?
 
"...I promise i'm taking all the advice on board as the last thing i want is to have a dead or dangerous snake on my hands..."

That is GREAT to hear! You would be AMAZED at how many new keepers come here, ask for advice, and then ignore it if it wasn't what they wanted / hoped to hear. Seems strange, but just human nature, I guess.

We sell autographed copies of the book for $16.95 plus (unfortunately) $12.95 postage for Europe. However, you can add in a couple of more books or small items for no extra postage (www.cornutopia.com) to make the high postage more worthwhile.
 
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