I've Just Inherited Corn Snake

[Dean]

I have just been given a 1 year old corn snake from my brother, as he said he is unable to look after it any more. It is a normal black corn snake, about 2 1/2 feet long, and is beautifull.

I am after advice for what I need to have to look after her the best I can.

At the moment I have a clear plastic veverium, about 50cm x 30cm, a rock, a water bowl, a hide (a cut up plant pot) and a heat mat and cool mat and also an astro turf mat for inside the vivarium..

I will be going to the pet shop later this week to get a 3 to 4 foot vivarium, some new heat pads, a couple of thermometers, a humidity sensor a timer and anything else that is recommended.

At the moment she seems to be frightened of me and has struck at me a few times now, how lon will it take till she is used to me and will allow me to just pick her up?
How often should I be handling her? if at all at the moment?

She seems to be ok eating and took her food out of my hand and ate it almost immediately on thursday.

Should I wait untill she deficates before feeding her again, or is once a week OK.

Thats all I can think of at the moment, I will be looking through some older posts to see what I can find out as I imagine these questions have been asked before.

Regards.

Dean.

PS Good Forum.

 

[Katie]

Congrats...(long)

Dean,
Congrats on your new pet. Cornsnakes are great! Your setup sounds fine, just make sure heat pads aren't too hot. 84 degrees or so on the warm end and around 75 on the cool end should be fine. The nerves on a corn snakes belly aren't the greatest and they can get burns if the heat is too high. Also, you should have a hide at each end (cold and warm) so he can always hide where he wants to.

As far as food, feeding once every 5-7 days is about the norm I think. What are you feeding? Most people like to feed frozen/thawed mice. At 2 1/2 feet I would imagine it could easily handle a fuzzy or 2 every week.

For the first little while, until it gets good and used to it's new home, your snake will be a bit unsettled probably. Try leaving it alone for a few days and if the tank is in a high traffic area of the house try either moving it or draping a sheet over the front of the cage for a little privacy. Also, your snake being nippy may be a feeding response. If the snake has always been fed in it's cage, it will associate the opening of the tank with being fed and may strike at whatever is put inside (hands, snake hook, whatever). Once he figures out you're not food, they'll usually let go. Many people take their snakes out of the tank, handle them for a couple of minutes then place them in another, smaller, container to feed. When the food is gone, you put them back in the tank. This is the easiest way to avoid them being conditioned to bite when their tank is opened. Also, you should avoid handleing your snake for at least 48 hours after it has eaten. It needs this time to digest properly and they don't generally want to be handled at this time.

If you need any more advice, have questions, etc. don't hesitate to use the forum. Everyone here is pretty helpful. You can also contact me directly if you'd like at [email protected] or on MSN at [email protected] .

Hope you enjoy your new snake!

If anyone has anything to add or correct, feel free! I'm pretty new at this too.

 

[Dean]

Thanks for the reply Katie.

After measuringher she is actually about 1m (32") long and has a diameter of around 5cm (2").

She is feeding on small baby rats at the moment and they look to be about 1.5 times her maximum diameter. I am feeding her thawed frozen food at the moment.

I would say that she is scared of me at the moment as she is rattling her tail at times, I have put a well worn t-shirt (sweaty football shirt) on top of her house to get her used to my scent.

She is actually in my PC room, and is spending a lot of time in her hide and there is not much traffic through here.

There certainly seems to be more to looking after one of these babies than my brother mentioned.

Regards.

Dean.

 

[kenalotia]

It sounds like you're doing a good job! Don't worry, it will get easier. It's a big change for her to move from your brother's house to yours, and live in a new setup. As Katie said, I would recommend just leaving her alone for about a week or so, only going into her vivarium to bring fresh water and food. Feeding once a week is fine. The snake should defecate within 2-3 days after feeding if the temperatures are okay. I had a similar experience adopting a year and a half old snake, and after about a week he settled down and stopped rattling his tail at me. Now he is very calm and docile; he likes exploring people and their clothing. ;-)

One suggestion I have is about substrates. Astroturf should be okay, but aspen shavings or repti-bark are easier to clean (you can just scoop out the clumped part) and reduce poop odors pretty well. Aspen shavings are easy to find at most pet shops. They sell them in large bags as bedding for all sorts of small animals.

Since it used to belong to your brother it should be easy to find out what sort of routines he had with the snake (for example, how often he handled her, how he fed her, etc.).

 

[pdrau]

I didn't see anyone mention this, so sorry if I overlooked it. It is NOT a good idea to feed her out of your hand. She will associate your hand with food and will mistake your hand for food. Wash your hands thoroughly before you attempt to handle her, so that she doesn't smell any mouse/rat scent on you.

After you've given her some time to settle in, it may help if you pick her up quickly in one deliberate motion then allow her to cascade over your hands from one to the other. If she doesn't feel restricted, she'll probably get more comfortable faster. This is how I taught my 8 year old daughter to get her two corns to be comfortable with her. The more relaxed you are with your snake, the sooner she'll settle down.

Don't handle her for 48 hours after she has eaten, so that she can digest properly. A 20 gallon long aquarium makes a nice enclosure. If you have the room, a 40 or 55 gallon aquarium is really nice.

I'm currently using repti-bark, but most people here will suggest aspen. I intend to switch as soon as I run out of repti-bark.

Keep track of when she/he eats and when he/she defecates and try to get on a weekly feeding schedule.

Hope this helps. I'm just a novice, but this is some of what helped me.

Peter

 

[lynn]

I agree with Peter, too risky using your hand's for the food, I use tong's for mine and have alway's fed them in their tank's. As I change their water everyday they are used to my hand's going in and so don't associate the lid opening with food. Be patient and the snake will get used to you. Good luck.

 

[Dean]

I have been and bought a 24" x 12" x 12" vivarian, i have put in my 2 heat pads, with a humidy indicator and 2 temp sensors. There are also 2 hides in there as well as a mimic rock and a water bowl. The Substrate in the vivarium is beach chip, it is very difficult and rare to aspen in the UK, so this is the best I can do at the moment.

My temps are set just above the substrate and are indicating 78 and 75, humidity is 55%.

I am planning on feeding the snake in her old vivarium, and was wondering what I do about putting her back in her proper vivarium after she has eaten, as ppl are saying that the snakes should not be handled after feeding for at least 48 hours.
I do have a pair of tongs and could use those, but i would rather feed her outside of he normal vivarium. I am open to sugestions.

Thats about it for now.

Regards.

Dean.

 

[Katie]

Well I think....

I'm sure it's find to handle him enough to put him back in his enclosure. You just shouldn't handle him for any longer than that takes. I'd say it's fine to put him back though. People do it all the time right?

 

[pdrau]

Just put him in a tub to feed him and then place him back in his regular home after. Don't use tongs to handle him. He'll be ok with you picking him up. It's just not good to handle him after the digestion process has started. Immediately after eating is fine.

Good luck...hope we've been helpful.

Peter

PS Post some pics of him/her when you can. Would like to see him/her.

 

[sue frederick]

78 for a hot side is a bit too cool, from what I have heard and read. You need to get it higher, closer to 85. The cool side is okay, but that 78 degree hot side MIGHT cause problems with regurging after she eats. If the food doesn't move through the digestive tract fast enough, it will start to rot and they will regurg it. What kind of heat are you using? Also, a 20 long tank is 30 inches long, not 24. A 24 inch long tank is a regular 20 gallon tank. The MINIMUM size for an adult corn snake is a 20 long tank. Make sure the top is totally secure, as these guys are incredible escape artists.
sue frederick

 

[Dean]

I said the temp at the hotside is about 78. This is actually about 80 during the day, and the substrate temp is actually around 88 at the hot end and is 75 at the cool end, I presume these temps are OK.

Also Sue, I never said this wil be the snakes final home, it will get another next year, as you will know I have just inheried the snake and already it has cost me over £100 ($145), which is money I could have done without spending. But I think the snake should be looked after to the best of my ability and this is why I am trying.

Regards.

Dean.

 

[sue frederick]

I was not trying to attack you, and am sorry if you got that impression. Some people do not realize that a 20 gallon long is different than a 20 gallon regular. I was also mistaken, I thought you had posted that the hot side was 78. I didn't realize that your hot side substrate is actually 88. That is good. Sorry if you got the wrong impression.
sue

 

[Dean]

I am sorry for taking the comments the wrong way, I am just getting fustrated (probaly more with my brother), at the things I am now finding out. I am just hoping I can get the conditions right for the snake, and hopefully give her a long life.

Please accept my appologies.

Regards.

Dean.

 

[B-J@y]

Don't be angry at your brother.... just be glad that you now have a beutifull corn in your possesion! You now have a great new pet and hobby! you'll probably will get more! This is the truth! other people on this forem often tell this to newbe owners (including me!) and i've got three at this moment!
I don't want any more snakes at this time Manly becouse i don't have the room!

Now a piece of advice.... (this is the same advice i got when i first posted some messages on this great forum! and KAZ has told other people just today on this forum to do the same!
buy a book called " The corn snake manual " by Bill and Kathy Love! This is a real good guide on how to keep corns!!
good luck! and have fun!!!!

 

[Dean]

I have "The Corn Snake Manual", up untill about saturday I knew nothing about these little beauties, I am happy to have her (she has not been named yet), but it is fustrating having a new pet and not really knowing what to do.

When I got my dog 2 years ago, I viewed him at 3 weeks, then learned everything I needed to know in the next five weeks before getting him, I would Ideally liked to have done this for the corn, but as things happened this has not been possible, I feel as if I am learning to run just as I am learning to walk.

The advice from the pet shop where my brother bought the corn is given different advice to what I am getting else where, which is also fustrating.

When I do things I want it to be the best, and at the moment it is not, and as you can appreciate the last thing I want for the corn is for it to suffer at any time or even die.

I can't thank and appreciate the help and info that is on this site enough.

Regards.

Dean.

 

[kenalotia]

Relax. It sounds like you're doing ok, and corn snakes are pretty tolerant. Their natural range stretches from southern New Jersey down to southern Florida. Those two extremes have quite different climates, and a corn snake can adapt to either one or anything in between. If it's a little cool or a little hot for a few days, they won't get sick. Corn snakes are one of the easiest reptiles to keep.

I don't know what pet shops are like in the UK, but if they tend to be like most of the ones in the US DON'T LISTEN TO THEM! There are some that are good, but most of the people who work in them don't know a thing about reptiles in general, or corn snakes in particular. That's not to say that there aren't some exceptions where you'll find knowledgeable help and good advice... but don't count on it. :-/ A lot of people here have kept corn snakes for a long time, have bred them, and know lots about them. And we don't try to make you buy lots of stuff from us. The fact that not everyone here has exactly the same advice just shows that there's more than one "right" way to do things with corn snakes.

 

[gekko1]

I have just been given a 1 year old corn snake from my brother, as he said he is unable to look after it any more. It is a normal black corn snake, about 2 1/2 feet long, and is beautifull.

I am after advice for what I need to have to look after her the best I can.


PS Good Forum.

a black corn?

 

[jim]

dean,
sounds to me that the snake inherited a very good new owner. good luck with the new pet and avoid advice from pet stores. have fun, jim

 

[Iris]

I think he means anerytheristic..

 

[Dean]

I think he means anerytheristic

My brother told the corn was a black cornsnake.

As you will know I know nothing about the types of corn, but I did see a 3 year old corn that looks very simillar to mine in a pet shop with a sign saying black corn snake.

I have no Idea about markings and other stuff yet, I'll do a photo tonight and someone can tell me what she is.

Yes she is anerytheristic.

Thanks.

Regards.

Dean.