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New snake owner, need assistance!

Agonistes

Agonistes

Coffin-Fodder
One day I just happen to spot this little guy at my local pet store and I thought that he was the cutest thing I had ever seen in a long while. So, I went home and that night I researched for hours about corn snakes and how "easy" they were to care for. Well, the next day I went out and bought my corn snake, an albino (pictures below). So, I thought I had everything figured out about these little guys, but I was sorely incorrect. After a life-long cat owner, I believed I could take care of any pet, but this snake has proven to be an interesting turn in my "pet" life. I have a few questions that I believe, might, be health related-or so I think they are.

1. My snake likes to crawl up in the small "ledge" besides the top of the cage, and the cage wall. He frequently falls down, and I'm worried about him getting hurt. Is it okay for him to do this? Pic : Ninja Snake//img710.imageshack.us/img710/8585/dscn0437n.jpg

2. This question everyone asks, my snake will not eat thawed pinkies. I separated him in a container all his own, I actually bought a small travel container just for this, and even tried cutting open the pinkie's stomach. He still just seemed interested in trying to play ninja and escape his surroundings.

3. I don't know how hardy snakes are, I mean, I don't know how firm or soft to hold him, because if I don't hold firm enough he sort of "falls" and if I'm holding him too firm I feel like I'm hurting the poor baby!

4. On his feeding chart that the pet store gave us it indicated that they have tried to feed him for a month, and in that month he hasn't ate at all. I don't know if this is a typo on their end, or the snake actually hasn't eaten in a month.

Thanks for all your assistance!
Pics :
Axel 1//img7.imageshack.us/img7/1152/snakeaxel.jpg
Axel 2//img37.imageshack.us/img37/8611/snakeaxel2.jpg
 
1. He'll be ok, most snakes do that. They'll grow out of it eventually.
2. Are you leaving him in the container with the mouse overnight? Mine wouldn't eat at first so I left him in there overnight with a towel over it. He's never missed a meal since. There are other methods but try that.
3. Corns are very hardy. Hold him firmly, let him slither through your fingers. At first you may want to hold him over the cage in case he falls just until you get a better feel for it.
4. Unfortunately, some hatchlings turn out to be non-eaters. Sometimes you can get them going and sometimes you can't. I'm sure someone will come along with some good advice on how to get it going.
 
Ok, forgot to ask the usual questions: What are your temps? What are you using for heat? How are you regulating it? Does your cage have enough hides?
 
Well, I'm going today to get a temperature gauge, because right now all I have is a heat lamp sitting on the cage-grill at the top. I turn it on when I wake up and turn it off when I go to sleep. And if you looked at the pictures all I have is that log, I'm considering going today to get him a small tree to climb in/on.
 
You are better off getting a UTH (under tank heater) and regulate it vs. a heat lamp. Snakes need belly heat to digest their meals.

With the thawed pinky - leaving him overnight with it would be the first thing I would try. If that doesn't work - try the "zombie mouse dance". Using a pair of tongs or hemostats - drag the pinky around in front of him or dangle it in front of him - causing it to move some. Sometimes that will get them thinking it is "alive" and they will attack and eat it.
 
Agonistes said:
Well, I'm going today to get a temperature gauge, because right now all I have is a heat lamp sitting on the cage-grill at the top. I turn it on when I wake up and turn it off when I go to sleep. And if you looked at the pictures all I have is that log, I'm considering going today to get him a small tree to climb in/on.
Click to expand...

He need more hides, at least one on the cold side and one on the warm side. But, the more the marrier. The more hides he has, the more secure he will feel. The more secure he feels in his environment, the more likely he will be to eat. If he is too stressed out over anything (incorrect temps, not enough places to hide) he will most likely not eat.

Also, your source of heat is not the ideal type. The ideal type would be an Under Tank Heater (UTH) regulated by a thermostat, and if not a thermostat then a dimmer switch of some type.

A heat lamp will supply some type of heat which aides in digestion but the ideal type of heat a corn snaked needs is belly heat (which is what a UTH supplies).

Also, with just the heat lamp, there is no way or regulating how hot/cold it gets in the tank (without literally sitting there turning it on and off throughout the day/night...). A thermostat could work with your heat lamp but, again, it would not be the ideal type of heat to supply to your corn.

Also, as suggested above, is this "small travel container" transparent? If so, the snake will most likely be more concerned with escaping than it will with eating while it is in this container. If you can cover it (small air holes in the top) with a dark t-shirt or pillow case so that he cannot see out and leave him with the slitted/brained pinky for about an hour, you might have more success.

Oh, and one more thing, I almost forgot..........How long are you waiting inbetween trying to feed him? If you are trying to feed him more frequently than every 5 days stop doing so. You might be doing more harm than good by stressing him out.

Attempt a feed and if it doesn't work, leave him completely alone for 5 days then try again. Snakes are survivors and unless your snake is losing weight (do you have a digital scale yet?), you should be fine with doing this.

Good luck and keep us posted!
 
Thanks for all the assistance! I didn't purchase a UTH because the employee at the pet store advised me not too because of burning. I might go out later and buy a small UTH to place under the hot side of his tank. A question about UTH's though, I have about an inch, more-or-less, of aspen bedding, will the UTH heat enough for the snake to still get the temperature he needs through the aspen?
 
sorry, wasnt done...lol

you plug the dimmer into the wall, and the UTH into the dimmer. Then, you make sure you have a thermometer probe place directly over the center of the heat mat. This thermometer is 7$ at my local walmart. http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51jORJEeFqL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

You can use silicone, or just make sure the probe doesnt move (put a hide or a rock over it to hold it still) so that you will know how hot the hottest part of the tank will be. The hottest part of the tank is the bare glass right above the center of the UTH, so thats where the probe goes. Dont use tape, the heat makes it constantly sticky, and the snake WILL get stuck, i dont know how but they always do.

Make sure you've waited a week before trying to feed your new snake. It takes DAYS for them to calm down from a move like that one. If this one is a non feeder, I think personally you should take it back and get a different one...a non feeder is a hard snake for your first one. If you wish to try to get it to feed, heat up the pink in hot tap water and offer it to your snake once its been heated. If that doenst work, cut open the HEAD and make several slits along the back, and leave it in the feeding containor (in the tank for safty) overnight with the pink...keep the noise around the tank down, and make sure its dark...this is how small ones feel safe.

Get a few more hides...pieces of cardboard box, margerine containors with holes in them, toilet paper tubes are a BIG favorite for small snakes...this should help him feel safer too.

These things should help make your experiance a little easier...tis all about getting the set up right. Once that happens, it is easy to care for snakes. I promise.
 
about the aspen question: Yes, he will get the heat he needs. many snakes burrow under aspen anyway...but dont worry. He will get the heat he needs, and the aspen will not prevent that...the whole tank doesn't need to be warm, just the hot side. the rest of the tank should be fine at room temp as long as its not really cold. Corns come from an environment that fluctuates pretty greatly on its own, so make sure they have access to water, heat and cold...they will do the rest. :)
 
one last thing...i'd nix the light. its a fire hazard, can dry out the tank(could cause bad sheds later on), and the snake doesnt need that kind of light/heat. maybe keep it for if you get a bearded dragon? :p
 
I'm going to go purchase a small UTH. Although my corn snake right now is in a small 5.5 gallon tank, because he's a just a baby I thought it was more appropriate. I'm going to make the right side the "hot" side, but in the middle of that side is a log that he likes to hide in, should I place the probe/thermometer inside the log to get the ideal temperature?
 
Agonistes said:
I'm going to go purchase a small UTH. Although my corn snake right now is in a small 5.5 gallon tank, because he's a just a baby I thought it was more appropriate. I'm going to make the right side the "hot" side, but in the middle of that side is a log that he likes to hide in, should I place the probe/thermometer inside the log to get the ideal temperature?
Click to expand...

You need to put the probe at the spot where the snake can get closest to the UTH. Since the UTH goes on the bottom on the outside, the probe should go inside the tank, on the glass directly above the UTH, preferably in the center of the area covered by the UTH. Secure it into place with some silicone or hot glue. 85F is about the ideal temp.
 
I'm not sure if you guys are wanting me to permanently secure a thermostat to the bottom of the tank or just use a thermometer probe to find the hottest temperature. I just ran to Wal-mart and grabbed one of those fish thermostats you stick to the side of your tank. I stuck it near the top of the aspen. I couldn't find anything else to gauge temperature and when I asks them about thermostats they seemed to have no clue what I was talking about.
 
Agonistes said:
I'm not sure if you guys are wanting me to permanently secure a thermostat to the bottom of the tank or just use a thermometer probe to find the hottest temperature. I just ran to Wal-mart and grabbed one of those fish thermostats you stick to the side of your tank. I stuck it near the top of the aspen. I couldn't find anything else to gauge temperature and when I asks them about thermostats they seemed to have no clue what I was talking about.
Click to expand...

Those stick on thermometers are useless. They aren't accurate. The thermometers we're talking about have a separate probe, like these:
digitalgiftstore_2105_130081573

They can usually be found near the hardware or gardening section in Walmart. Lowes or Home Depot carry them too. As far as thermostats, they can get expensive and you need one made for UTH's. You'll find those online. A cheaper alternative to control your UTH is a lamp dimmer like this:
e6020453-0cf4-4ead-b4ba-477e4a9fbac4_400.jpg

You can find those at Home Depot or Lowe's for about $10. You need either a thermostat or a dimmer to control the UTH or else it will burn your snake.
 
Yeah the stick-on thermometer isn't reading anything. I'm going to go out in a bit and get a probe one from Home Depot. Thanks for all the assistance! I will keep everyone updated. :)
 
I bought one of those thermometers that was pictured above, the plastic-looking probe. His favorite hiding spot read 85 degrees on a the dot. Is this too hot for him?
 
85* is fine. Go back up a few posts. Don't you think Rosie is cute? I just love her to death.
 
Agonistes said:
1. My snake likes to crawl up in the small "ledge" besides the top of the cage, and the cage wall. He frequently falls down, and I'm worried about him getting hurt. Is it okay for him to do this? Pic : Ninja Snake//img710.imageshack.us/img710/8585/dscn0437n.jpg

2. This question everyone asks, my snake will not eat thawed pinkies. I separated him in a container all his own, I actually bought a small travel container just for this, and even tried cutting open the pinkie's stomach. He still just seemed interested in trying to play ninja and escape his surroundings.

3. I don't know how hardy snakes are, I mean, I don't know how firm or soft to hold him, because if I don't hold firm enough he sort of "falls" and if I'm holding him too firm I feel like I'm hurting the poor baby!

4. On his feeding chart that the pet store gave us it indicated that they have tried to feed him for a month, and in that month he hasn't ate at all. I don't know if this is a typo on their end, or the snake actually hasn't eaten in a month.

Thanks for all your assistance!
Pics :
Axel 1//img7.imageshack.us/img7/1152/snakeaxel.jpg
Axel 2//img37.imageshack.us/img37/8611/snakeaxel2.jpg
Click to expand...

1. My normal does it ALL the time. They eventually grow out of it (literally), but I put mine in a plastic tub because she did it all night and kept me awake. If it's a real bother, you can put something (silicone?) in the crevice to keep him out of it.
Also, try buying something (wooden stick or not) that your corn can climb on and put it in the viv.


2. Try making it HOT. Thaw it in water that is almost hot enough to boil, put the pink in a bag, and let it sit in the water for half an hour. My okeetee loves eating his hoppers with deep slits, and when it is hot.
Also, if that doesn't work, put the corn in with the pink over night. If that doesn't work, try scenting the pink with used bedding from a mouse, rat, anole, or frog/toad enclosure. Pet stores will give some to you if you ask, even if they do give you a weird look. Some people also scent with tuna juice. You can try just about anything: raw chicken, red meat, pork, anything that's meat based.
Remember to not offer food too often; 3 or 4 days at most. Some people also go by the rule of "the corn either eats on it's scheduled feeding day or not". I would offer every 3 days though. Some people also recommend to not handle the corn until it eats a few meals consistantly, but I have found that it makes no difference between my two corns.

3. Meh, sit on a bed or couch. Then just let him cruise around you and on your body. He'll slow down after a bit, and as he gets older.

4. I will say that was a big mistake on your part. I haven't, and don't plan to buy any type of snake that hasn't eaten for the store that has had it. Also, some young corns will just never eat. It's described as nature intending some corns for food for other animals.

Agonistes said:
I'm going to go purchase a small UTH. Although my corn snake right now is in a small 5.5 gallon tank, because he's a just a baby I thought it was more appropriate. I'm going to make the right side the "hot" side, but in the middle of that side is a log that he likes to hide in, should I place the probe/thermometer inside the log to get the ideal temperature?
Click to expand...

Too small unless it is a pip, a corn that has just hatched. A 20 gallon long tank will last him his whole life. I would recommend buying one and moving him into it. You would have to put lots of aspen in the bottom, get many hides (perferably ones that the corn can feel secure in, ones that are small, but big enough to hold the snake in it completely), and perhaps some plastic plants.
Also, even if your corn adjusts well to the viv, keep multiple hides in there. You can gradually take out the fake plants if you feel your corn does not need them, but multiple hides make it interesting to search for your corn to get him out of the viv. I also find that my corns cruise their vivs more at their active time (usually night; my okeetee is active moreso in the evening and morning when the sun is bright).


Also, I read that your corn has a favorite hide. My normal had a piece of cork bark she loved. However, no matter where I put it (cool side, hot side, middle), she would not leave it. If your corn does that, with a full belly and without, I recommend taking it out (as long as he has other hides).


Also, while 'albino' is an okay term, your corn is an amel, short for amelistic. And he is a very pretty one at that. :D






/giant post of dooooom
 
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