My New Baby Corn Snake!

[Skrypto]

 

SHE'S PINK! :dance:

 

Im so excited, the past few days I've been a bit nervous because I've never owned a snake, and after researching for 2 weeks straight, I became really paranoid in regards to a proper tank setup. Snakes are very fragile creatures when they are young, and I have done everything I can to do things the right way, I just hope she likes what I created for her.

 

 

Feel free to rate my tank setup, offer me advice, and just let me know what you guys think!

 

*Edit - New Video of her eating!!!*

 

Edited February 3, 2012 by Skrypto

[Deleted472477User]

I don't have experience with snakes, and I never expected to squee over one, but she's very cute! How big will she get? What does she eat?

[Werne]

A snake? AWESOME!!! :woot:

 

I always wanted a snake but my parents didn't allow me to get one :(. Then my girlfried told me if I ever get a snake she'll strangle me with it. I had a psycho rabbit though :biggrin:.

 

It looks cute, I'm used to see big camouflaged killer snakes but not pink cute ones. Now I want one even more.

 

But I wouldn't get a snake like that one, although she's pink and cute. I'd get a Horned Viper cause them I could get for free, there's a whole nest of those in my neighbour's backyard and they are very common here where I live. But they are poisonous, deadly and very aggressive so that's a bit of a problem.

[Vindekarr]

Corn Snake eh? lovely animal that. I feel a little bit jealous of the way you can keep creatures like that as a pet in the US. In Australia, where I'm from you're only allowed to keep native species, and only with a permit, and only a tiny few native species. We have one or two suitable snakes, but they aren't pretty like the ones you have in the US, all brown and dull, and while there are three types of native tarantula, they are all woefully unsuitable to being kept as pets. A brachypelma(a common American tarantula) for example, is a dopy, relaxed and virtualy nonvenomous burrow-dweller, ours are twitchy, borderline psychotic killers with some serious venom and all the cuddlability of a convicted mass murderer.

[Skrypto]

Right now she is only 2 months old, and the average corn snake lives around 10 years, with the oldest living somewhere around 31 years I think. A full grown adult will stop growing at around 5 feet more or less. For food, they can eat either live or frozen mice with varying sizes in relation to the size of your snake. Frozen mice you need to thaw out in warm water before you feed them.

 

At first they start on "Pinkies" which are baby mice, pretty small, about the size of the tip of my pinky finger. Next, once they are larger, you can start feeding them either 2 pinkies a week, or upgrade the size of the mouse to "fuzzies", a slightly larger mouse, that has started to grow its fur, hence the name :). Once your snake has grown larger, you can start feeding it "Hoppers", which are matures mice. If your snake continues to grow you can feed it adult, large, or jumbo mice, or even switch to rats, which can grow much larger.

 

It is always much safer to feed snakes frozen mice, as live mice can and will defend themselves. I don't have the extra cash to take my snake to a vet either so frozen mice will be just fine for now. It does seem more natural for snakes to eat live prey, however I also have 2 dogs, and if I drop that mouse even by accident..... or if one of them sees me handling it lol its all over XD

[Fonger]

It is always much safer to feed snakes frozen mice

doesn't a frozen meal mess with the snake's metabolism

[TheCalliton]

Im kind of a snake expert, so ill give you some tips ive learned.

line the cage with newspaper, they can hide under it, it wont get stuck to their food, and its extremely easy to change.

Frozen food is reccomended, but needs to thaw before feeding, live food can harm the snake if not eaten, or in the struggle. some people cant stand to watch snakes eat. (it is pretty cool to see though)

it is a good idea to give them a large cage, a good foot or two longer than they will be when they are fully grown (snakes need to stretch too)

get an old tupperwear bowl witha lid, cut a hole in the top an inch or two bigger around than a fully grown cornsnake, fill the bowl with storebought moss and make sure the moss is wet (snakes love this! my python spends most of his time in there, my cornsnake cant get in though, arthuritus)

FEED THE SNAKE IN THE CAGE (or else they may not eat in it ever should the snake come to a new owner)

If the snake bites you, dont be afraid, continue to handle it and it will see you as a friend. Snake bites dont hurt much, their teeth are very thin.

give them stuff to climb on, cornsnakes may not be arboreal, but climbing is still fun for them.

if you tap on the glass, i will find you and kill you, understand?

get a heat lamp and put it at one side of the cage, over a stone cave.

When shedding, snakes can have some trouble, fill the bathtub with a couple inches of warm water NOT HOT! NOT COLD! just a little bit warmer than lukewarm. Set the snake in the water, and help remove shedding skin that is LOOSE! IF YOU HAVE TO PUT SOME EFFORT INTO GETTING IT OFF, LEAVE IT! THIS CAN HARM THE SNAKE IF DONE WRONG!

Give them a very large water dish, you might not see it often, but snakes do drink.

Remember, cornsnakes hybernate, dont freak out if they suddenly slow down and sleep.

Handle your snake often.

Give them a large cage, they need the room to move around, and you can always get a custom metal top made (we have two)

DO NOT GIVE THE SNAKE ANY FOOD THAT IS a lot BIGGER THAN THEIR BODY! snakes can only stretch so far.

I have a nocturnal light for my cornsnake, he tends to be up more at night, but I never see him asleep. Its like the old fart doesnt sleep o_O.

Love your snake.

 

 

cornsnakes are hardy animals, unless you have some super finicky tropical animal, you will be fine. Yoru cage setup looks nice, but looks arent everything. Newspaper is cheap, and effective (only one cage we have isnt lined with it). You will need a bigger cage, no question about it. instead of getting many cages in progressing order, just go out and get a 6 ft tank and get a top made for it. int he end in is cheaper than progressivly gettingt bigger cages. Do you have a name for your snake yet? Pick a cool one, my snakes are tarot and meethos. My lizard is panhead (big head when we got him) another lizard is ella, her deceased husband was Dr. John, and then we have our 16 year old beardie name topher.

 

If you have any more questions, pm me, ive grown up taking care of reptiles.

 

 

p.s. what a beauty youve got there

Edited January 30, 2012 by TheCalliton

[RitualBlack]

Very nice pet. It could be a lot of fun to play with when it is older and you can pick it up :happy:.

[Skrypto]

@ TheCalliton Thanks for the tips and advice, I really needed to hear the words directly from someone.

 

So far, the things I am confident I have done right, are providing comfortable substrate, I use reptile bark as well as chopped up paper towel/newspaper, I have hiding sections on both sides of the tank, one for the heated side, and one for the cool side.I have purchased a few frozen "pinkies" and will be feeding her one either tomorrow or the next day depending on her behaviour, as well as if she voids waste. I am going to find a better water dish in the next few days, it just looks too flashy and brightly colored for my tank, plus I dont think she likes the texture when she slides over the edge.

 

I am also going to buy far better greenery for the tank, that aquarium junk is only to provide extra protection and fill up empty space untill I buy proper decor.

 

I will also be buying a ceramic heat lamp for night time use as last night it got quite cold here, and she curled up into the heated side for most of the day and night.

 

The other smaller stuff, like background landscape, extra tank decor, quality water/moss dishes will all be purchased in the next week or so.

 

Oh and as for my next size tank, once she has grown to reach both ends of the tank, I will be trading my brother this tank and upgrading to a far larger tank, at least 6 feet, most likely larger. I do not like to cheap out when it comes to my pets, after all, living up here in Canada, it is far from it's natural habitat, and I have a great resepct for animals, so I will do everything I can to provide for it.

 

She seems a lot more comfortable today, she was roaming around and climbing on the tree and over the rock, she even took a short bath haha. I also placed my hand into the tank and she approached me and slid over my hand ^^ I hope she really enjoys it once I have everything just right.

[ub3rman123]

It is always much safer to feed snakes frozen mice

doesn't a frozen meal mess with the snake's metabolism

 

I think that's only if they're completely frozen when you try to feed it to them. Thaw 'em out a bit first. Live mice tend to not get eaten well and can hurt the snake.