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Pretty new to owning a corn

T

thrullz

New member
Hello!

I have a couple of quick questions. I'm a pretty new corn snake owner. I bought mine fairly young about 3 months ago. So far he's shed once.

My first question relates to temperature. Everything I've read so far suggests an approx range of about 73-88 degrees, with one side cooler than the other. However, I just can't seem to maintain that good of a range. Is a smaller range of about 74/75 to about 81/82 acceptable?

Second, as I mentioned, (s)he's only shed once since I've had it. At one point it started looking dull and I expected its eyes to film over any day, but then it "cleared up" and went back to normal. Is that normal? Or maybe was he just a bit dry so looked dingier?

Third is probably my biggest question. He seems really...lazy. In fact, I've never seen more than his head poke out of a hide at night. Granted, I don't spend all day monitoring his cage, so I don't know how much he gets out. I've read they're pretty secretive, so I added some silk plants to give some more hiding space when he's out and about. Am I just not there/looking when he's out? How can I tell if he's just being too lethargic?

When I take him out of his cage after work, he's pretty lively, so I'm not that worried. I just thought I should ask a few questions and try and make things better if possible :D

Thanks for the help!
 
Gotta get that temp up to about 85, thats probably the reason your snake seems sluggish. What are you using to heat the tank? Are you using a thermometer with a probe? Where are you measuring temps from?
When corns go into blue, aka shed, the eyes clouding over, the snake takes on a lighter hue, etc. A day or two before it sheds it "clears up" the eyes return to normal and the color almost seems to return.
 
I have a coconut shell hid on the 'cool' end, and another one on the warm end, next to a (very small) heater and under a 50 watt (i believe) heating lamp. I can bring the warm end up without a problem by just adjusting the lamp, but that will probably bring the cool end up too. Is that acceptable? Also, do I want to maintain this temp (by leaving the lamp on over night)?
 
Hmm. I hate double posting, but I can't find an 'edit' button.

Anyway, I forgot to mention that 99% of the time, when I open his cage, he's hanging out on the cool side of the tank, which led me to believe that the temperature wasn't too cool.
 
are you measuring the temp on the warm side right up against the glass where the uth is? at least I am assuming by heater you mean a uth?
 
Yes, but the UTH is stuck on the side/back of the tank. My thermometer is currently on top of the coconut that he hides in on the warm side, and I have a probe on the cool side under the coconut where he actually lays. (I need to get a 2nd probe).
 
Yes, but the UTH is stuck on the side/back of the tank
Click to expand...

It should most certainly be on the bottom of the tank under the hide house on the warm side. Once its there you might not even need the heat lamp. If you have one control it with a thermostat just in case it gets to hot.

Also, do I want to maintain this temp (by leaving the lamp on over night)?
Click to expand...

If you are dead set on using a heat lamp then yes it needs to be on all the time. However if you are not using a red night lamp or a ceramic heat emitter then you dont have much choice but to shut it off because you will effectively be screwing up with the snakes day/night cycles.
 
Ok. I'll replace the UTH and keep an eye on the temp. So the hot side should stay at 85 degrees 24/7.

I appreciate the help.
 
I've always thought the warm range was 80-85 as well. My warm side stays at about 82. I'm content with that.

My corn snake rarely comes out during the day. Sometimes he will randomly slither around, but then burrows back under the aspen right away. Today he's been chilling on his branch since 7:30 in the morning. I can't help but love those rare days he feels like being out in the open.

Sometimes when I can't sleep, I noticed he's incredibly active. When he thinks no one is watching him and it's all dark except for his red light, he slithers all around his tank. It's fun to watch, but I end up feeling like a weirdo for standing perfectly still in a dark room watching my snake. If my boyfriend ever caught me doing this, he would tease me relentlessly.

What's his name?
 
I keep my corns at 85 and consider it to be the optimum temp, 82 is fine also :) I just personally keep my corns at 85 and never let it go lower than 83 or above 87.
 
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