• Hello!

    Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.

    Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....

    Please be certain that the location field is correctly filled out when you register. All registrations that appear to be bogus will be rejected. Which means that if your location field does NOT match the actual location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected.

    Sorry about the strictness of this requirement, but it is necessary to block spammers and scammers at the door as much as possible.

New to Snakes, Need some Advise

J

Jase82

New member
Hey guys, I'm completely new to snakes. I have always been fascinated by them, and recently I’ve decided to get an Okeetee corn snake. I’ve got a few questions about having one of these guys as a pet. First is, do they change colors as they grow? I’ve seen a picture of an Okeetee (The First Pic) where it has very little orange, do you think that individual will gain more orange. If I want an Okeetee that will somewhat resemble (The Second Pic) what should I look for in a hatchling or juvenile?
Also, I’ve heard that a 30-40 gallon tank should be enough for an adult, is this true? I am aware of UTHs, but I’m wondering where to put the thermometer to accurately gauge the temperature of the UTH.
Where is your guys’ preferred place to get frozen mice, and is this all you feed your snake? I know with lizards I would have to dust insects in vitamins to balance it’s diet. Are corns able to live solely on mice? Also, is it best to feed once or twice a week?

Thanks for all the help =D
 

Attachments

  • Okeetee Baby JPEG.JPG
    Okeetee Baby JPEG.JPG
    58.3 KB · Views: 118
  • Okeetee Juv JPEG.JPG
    Okeetee Juv JPEG.JPG
    38.4 KB · Views: 118
Yes, most corns will change color throughout their life, but each snake is an individual, so the colors you've seen in pictures may or may not be what your actual snake will look like, but should be certainly darn close. That is especially the case if you buy from a reputable breeder--there are actually many of those here on this site! :}

A 30-40 gallon is a good size for an adult, but may be a little too big for a hatchling, since trying to find him/her would be a little difficult. Most people house their snakes in a 20 gallon long for the whole life of the snake.

A UTH probe is usually placed inside the tank, right on the surface of the glass, so it can get the most accurate reading from the UTH.

And many people buy frozen feeders online, because the price is better than in the pet stores. That said, you usually have to buy a large amount and it may not be convenient for you if you have one snake. And yes, they only need mice, but there are people that will occasionally feed chicks, rats, hamsters, etc. to mix it up.

Welcome to the wonderful world of snake ownership! You're sure to end up to 2, 3, 10 snakes in no time. xD
 
Yes, snakes will change as they grow from hatchling to adult. Hatchlings always have less orangey/yellows, and get more color as they grow. As for what colors it will have when it grows it is kind of a toss up. I've heard in okeetees some of the more duller juveniles becoming some of the best looking adults.

A 20 gallon long tank is generally the minimum size cage for an adult corn. A regular 30 gallon has roughly the same floor dimensions as a 20 long, so that is fine. And a 40 is bigger so that is fine as well. Most people start off hatchlings in 10 gallon tanks, because they seem to feel more secure in a smaller place with lots of places to hide.

As for the thermometer/thermostat... Get a probed thermometer that you can stick the probe in the tank, directly on the the glass, right above the UTH. A thermostat probe to control the UTH should also be stuck here.

As for mice, I get mine from several places. If you have any place near you that produces mice, they are usually a good choice because you can pick the amount you want, what you want, and avoid shipping costs. Otherwise online places like 'the mouse factory, and 'rodent pro', etc... are pretty good if you are looking to buy in bulk (because shipping is expensive). There is also petco/petsmart...but word of warning they are super expensive there! If you just have 1 snake it is not too bad, especially since you wouldn't want to purchase a pack of 50 frozen pinky mice online, because your snake would outgrow them before they are used up. If you have mom and pop type pet shops check those out too, you never know.
 
here a few pictures of Abbott's Okeetees that might help you.
It's better to see the parents to see what a hatchling might turn out to be, tho.
http://www.jonigarcia.com/morph_guide_abbotts_okeetee.html

A 20L is the min for and adult so a 30 or larger is ...better!!!
and you should place the thermometer (with a probe) in the tank and glue the probe to the bottom (floor) right above the UTH. This will be the hottest point that the snake would touch.

So folks feed in the viv, on a paper plate or something and some folks feed in a separate container. That up to you. I prefer a feeding container.
And as for amount to feed..well if it's a hatchling you should feed it a pinky every five to seven days and move up the size of mouse as the snake grows older. An adult corn will then be eating ????? about and large adult mouse every ten to fourteen days.
 
What they said! How often you feed depends on the age of the corn snake. Adults are fed every 7-14 days, depending on circumstances. A female adult who is going to be bred soon needs to eat more often than a male who isn't, for example. Hatchlings are usually fed every 5 days. If you search for "munson plan" on this website it will outline a feeding scheme that will work well for most snakes. Mice, if healthy & well nourished, are a complete diet for a corn snake, but as Jessica said, some people offer other things, such as other suitably sized rodents or even chicks for large adult corn snakes.

If you want a great looking Okeetee, buy from someone who has bred great looking ones! Kathy Love & Lee Abbott are the 2 big names I know of, but I am sure that more knowledgeable people can point you at other breeders whose Okeetees are great too.

Jessica is right, you are likely to wind up with 2 or more snakes!
 
I'll answer as many questions as I can (I'm still new to corns myself but have learned a lot here).

1.First is, do they change colors as they grow? Yes ...most do change as they grow, sometime drastically.

2.If I want an Okeetee that will somewhat resemble (The Second Pic) what should I look for in a hatchling or juvenile? I'm sorry, I can't answer that one as I simply don't know.

3.I’ve heard that a 30-40 gallon tank should be enough for an adult, is this true? Yes, very true...in fact you could buy a 20 gallon and that would suffice as well.

4. am aware of UTHs, but I’m wondering where to put the thermometer to accurately gauge the temperature of the UTH. YOu want the UTH on one side of the tank and the themometer directly on the glass as corns like to burrow. You want the hot side to be between 84F-89F. I suggest you adjust the UTH with a thermostat or reostat as the UTH is usually too hot for a corn.

5.Where is your guys’ preferred place to get frozen mice, and is this all you feed your snake? I buy mine from a local reptile shop here but you can purchase them from a pet store(can get pricey) or you can order online.

6.Are corns able to live solely on mice? Yes.

7. Also, is it best to feed once or twice a week? Depends on the weight/age of your corn. Most here follow the Munson plan or variations of it. You can do a search on this site for it. I do know it won't be more than once a week...5-7 days for hatchlings.
 
excellent, thanks for all the help. So, do you guys think that the first snake's red will stay the same color or even deepen? Also, is humidity important?
Thanks again ^.^
 
One thing I can add is make sure you secure the thermostat probe down on the glass above the UTH. Placing it there will not keep it in place and cause inaccurate temps. Silicone works well:)
 
Humidity can be a factor when the corn is in shed. If you live in a dry area you might need to include a moist hide during shed (as I do).
 
Jase82 said:
excellent, thanks for all the help. So, do you guys think that the first snake's red will stay the same color or even deepen? Also, is humidity important?
Thanks again ^.^
Click to expand...

It all depends on the snake. Dark reds usually brighten, from what I've seen. And yes humidity is important for proper shedding and preventing upper respiratory infections. However, unless you live in a very arid environment, humidity is generally easy to control. It should be about 40-50%. You can even include a "humid hide" at the time of shedding to help facilitate the process. When my snakes go into blue (start to shed), I just spritz them lightly once or twice a day.
 
I live in Wisconsin, we have varying humidity in the summer, but super dry winters (less than 20% humidity in the house). I rarely worry about humidty too much, unless someone has troubles with shedding. In winters this seems to be more of a problem, so with the habitually bad shedder when I see them go into blue I give them a little tupperware dish with moist spaghnum moss (a humid hide) for them to hang out in and this seems to work well.
 
Alright, Im going to be picking up a baby corn tomorrow from petco. =D
What is your guys' take on UV Lights? Iv'e read that they arent needed, but id like to be sure.
 
ooo, also, when should i first feed him, and what do you guys think about feeding inside or outside the enclosure?
 
UV lights aren't really need if the temps are right with UTH. I still use one for about an hour a day just because the room doesn't get much light and I think they need it (that is a completely uneducated thought btw.)

I wouldn't handle your corn for about 7 days after you get it, then feed it ( I use a separate container but not everyone does..if you feed in the viv maybe put it on paper towel or something so it doesn't any substrate on it..if your snake swallows it it could cause a blockage) , leave it another 48hrs then try to handle it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top