SpiritChaser
New member
Hello! I’m brand new to the reptile world, but really interested in snakes. I was inspired by my friend’s red tailed boa (though he’s quite beautiful, he’s also quite large haha) and am seriously considering getting a snake. After poking around the internet people seem to think Corn snakes make good beginner snakes and most of the morphs I’ve seen are just gorgeous. I’d really like to get some advice from people with experience before picking out my new baby. I’ll list my questions below, and thank you in advance! 
1. My biggest concern is definitely the fact that I currently have two pet dumbo-eared rats. Though my potential new snake would be housed on a different floor of the house, I’m worried that the smell of the rats on my clothes might confuse it or stress it out. I ALWAYS wash my hands before/after handling my rats, but they do climb all over me and not just on my hands. Does anyone have experience with a situation like this? Aside from being here first, the rats are very dear to me so getting rid of them would be out of question. If need be, I’d be willing to wait a few years for them to pass away (their life spans are tragically short) before getting a new pet.
2. Honestly, how difficult is it to keep a corn snake on a frozen/thawed diet? If necessary, I’d be willing to feed live, but would much prefer not to. Also, where does one usually acquire live feeders? Especially small ones like pinkies? I am NOT interested in starting a mice colony, as this would be a solitary pet snake, but would feel more comfortable with a reliable source of live feeders just in case I have trouble.
3. Is a 20gal long generally suitable for an adult-sized snake, and should a baby be kept in a smaller enclosure? I have an old 10gal fish tank I could potentially get a screen top for and convert to a terrarium if need be, and then size up when the snake is ready.
4. Any recommendations for hides and/or foliage to get? I’ve read you need at least two (one warm, one cool) and enough aspen bedding for burrowing, but do they generally prefer more open hides like a half-log or ones with only one small entrance?
5. Do you use combination basking light/UTH or just one? I’ve read that if you use both (UTH all the time and low-wattage basking light for daytime hours) they tend to come out to bask more so you can watch them.
6. Do you feed in a separate container? I plan to give the little guy/gal aspen for the enclosure to burrow and feel secure in, but have read that if it sticks to the feeders it can cause impaction.
7. I’ve read up on large scale breeders who ship their snakes overnight, is that safe? There’s a small reptile expo not far from my house every few months so ideally I’d like to get my snake there if it means I’ll be able to talk to the breeder. Is this usually the case or are snakes at expos usually sold by a third party like at a pet store?
8. Finally, I’d really like to order a few books about keeping corn snakes so any recommendations/links would be extremely helpful! Bonus points if I can get it on Kindle!
Thank you so much for reading my extremely long post, and any other tips you think a newbie might be interested in would be much appreciated!
1. My biggest concern is definitely the fact that I currently have two pet dumbo-eared rats. Though my potential new snake would be housed on a different floor of the house, I’m worried that the smell of the rats on my clothes might confuse it or stress it out. I ALWAYS wash my hands before/after handling my rats, but they do climb all over me and not just on my hands. Does anyone have experience with a situation like this? Aside from being here first, the rats are very dear to me so getting rid of them would be out of question. If need be, I’d be willing to wait a few years for them to pass away (their life spans are tragically short) before getting a new pet.
2. Honestly, how difficult is it to keep a corn snake on a frozen/thawed diet? If necessary, I’d be willing to feed live, but would much prefer not to. Also, where does one usually acquire live feeders? Especially small ones like pinkies? I am NOT interested in starting a mice colony, as this would be a solitary pet snake, but would feel more comfortable with a reliable source of live feeders just in case I have trouble.
3. Is a 20gal long generally suitable for an adult-sized snake, and should a baby be kept in a smaller enclosure? I have an old 10gal fish tank I could potentially get a screen top for and convert to a terrarium if need be, and then size up when the snake is ready.
4. Any recommendations for hides and/or foliage to get? I’ve read you need at least two (one warm, one cool) and enough aspen bedding for burrowing, but do they generally prefer more open hides like a half-log or ones with only one small entrance?
5. Do you use combination basking light/UTH or just one? I’ve read that if you use both (UTH all the time and low-wattage basking light for daytime hours) they tend to come out to bask more so you can watch them.
6. Do you feed in a separate container? I plan to give the little guy/gal aspen for the enclosure to burrow and feel secure in, but have read that if it sticks to the feeders it can cause impaction.
7. I’ve read up on large scale breeders who ship their snakes overnight, is that safe? There’s a small reptile expo not far from my house every few months so ideally I’d like to get my snake there if it means I’ll be able to talk to the breeder. Is this usually the case or are snakes at expos usually sold by a third party like at a pet store?
8. Finally, I’d really like to order a few books about keeping corn snakes so any recommendations/links would be extremely helpful! Bonus points if I can get it on Kindle!
Thank you so much for reading my extremely long post, and any other tips you think a newbie might be interested in would be much appreciated!
