Im So Confused!

Hail prospective helper dude!

In the past few months I've been doing some serious research on Corn's and some of it is appealing, and some of it isn't. Every time I'm getting different instructions on how the snakes home should be. After consulting a herps pet store owner, they suggested, seeing that this will be my first herp, a sub-adult Corn Snake, sort of orange-yellowish colour, ver magnificent snake! He said that if I wanted him to stay alive for quite some time, then to use a 10-gallon tank, a cheap hide out spot around $4.00, a non-thermal, 60W light bulb for heating purposes, a non-cedar mulch specifically formulated for snakes, and a water bowl todrink from and bath in, al at the cost of $33.33! not that much considering how large the snake might be. So if uhave any advice, please give it to me. Also he suggestes i feed him/her dead pinkies for the risk of the snake hurting itself but thought that was with older mice HELP ME thank yuo so much

I don't usually post but here it goes. I am sure there are many others here who can give you better advice then i but i just had to add my 0.02 I find i have better sucess with using a UTH(under tank heater) snakes need belly heat to digest their food better. I use an apporiate sized uth, 2 hides on the hot and cool end of the tank snakes need to thermoregulate their body temp. For the uth just a word of warning if directly plugged in they can reach temps in excess of 120f. Which can cause severe burns i attach a light dimmer to the uth and using a digital themomter i can adjust the temps easily to 88f (hot end). Using cheap hides works great some of our snakes have permenant ones that i clean while others i just use kd boxes, cereal boxes, ect just for convience and ease. Also most corns readily take F/t my 03 juvies are on decent sized fuzzies and hoppers my 4 ft male adult corn is on juvie rats i like to see a good bump in his middle after i feed him, that goes with all my other snakes as well. Hope i have been of some help i know when i got back into herps it could get quite confusing as there is so much conflicting advice i'm just saying what has worked like a charm for my kids and i as well a my herp friends. If you have any ??'s just drop me a line you can never go wrong with a corn

Laura-Lee Laberge

I wouldn't pay for a hide box either. I just use any old kitchen boxes, cereal or whatever. close it up and cut a small hole in it. For baby snakes I use the inside of toilet paper and paper towel roles. The advice about staying away from cedar shavings is correct. Stay away from anything that is aromatic like that. A 10 gal tank should work for a couple years. But you might eventually want something a little bigger as the snake grows just so it can stretch out. just my .015

The most common message I get back from first time corn snake owners has to be, by far: "My snake escaped! Where do you think it could be?" Bear this in mind. If the cage is not 110 percent escape proof and you do not make absolutely certain it is closed properly after every time you open it up, the snake WILL escape.

Take Rich's words to heart. Aquariums are made for fish and they generally suck as snake cages. I'd expect an escape eventually if using them.
Glass tanks do make nice cages for display though, especially if one just has a couple of pet snakes, so I do see their appeal. There is a type of aquarium manufactured for non aquatic cage use. They are called Critter Cages I believe, and they have a built in sliding screen top with pins to secure it. These cages are secure, I have a couple in use now, with venomous snakes actually, so I do trust their security.
They are a little pricy as compared to a 10 gallon, but when you consider your pet corn can be with you for 15+ years, it's not bad. A 40 gallon runs around $50.
Ten gallon aquariums however require a lid that is really made as an after thought, and not at all secure. I have had several escapes from these tanks in years past when I have used them.

As for substrate, stay away from anything "formulated specifically for reptiles", that's really just a sales pitch for overpriced bedding the pet store would love to supply you with.
I really like cypress mulch for a good looking simple setup. It can be had for less than $3 for 2 or 3 cubic foot bag. Enough for many changes in a corn cage, and it can be spot cleaned too.

I agree with the under cage heating. Bulbs work, but are ineffecient power wise, and run a higher risk of burns if used incorrectly.
On the feeding issue, if it's a sub adult, it definately needs something larger than pinkies. As was said earlier you want to see a small lump after a meal, so use the girth of the snake as a guide.

Originally posted by Clay Davenport
Take Rich's words to heart. Aquariums are made for fish and they generally suck as snake cages. I'd expect an escape eventually if using them.
Glass tanks do make nice cages for display though, especially if one just has a couple of pet snakes, so I do see their appeal. There is a type of aquarium manufactured for non aquatic cage use. They are called Critter Cages I believe, and they have a built in sliding screen top with pins to secure it. These cages are secure, I have a couple in use now, with venomous snakes actually, so I do trust their security.
They are a little pricy as compared to a 10 gallon, but when you consider your pet corn can be with you for 15+ years, it's not bad. A 40 gallon runs around $50.
Ten gallon aquariums however require a lid that is really made as an after thought, and not at all secure. I have had several escapes from these tanks in years past when I have used them.

As for substrate, stay away from anything "formulated specifically for reptiles", that's really just a sales pitch for overpriced bedding the pet store would love to supply you with.
I really like cypress mulch for a good looking simple setup. It can be had for less than $3 for 2 or 3 cubic foot bag. Enough for many changes in a corn cage, and it can be spot cleaned too.

I agree with the under cage heating. Bulbs work, but are ineffecient power wise, and run a higher risk of burns if used incorrectly.
On the feeding issue, if it's a sub adult, it definately needs something larger than pinkies. As was said earlier you want to see a small lump after a meal, so use the girth of the snake as a guide.

I was told that using a under cage heater was risky because it could overheat and burn the snakes under belly. this also applie to hot rocks. they are a no-no. but the substrat isnt realy formulated, i just used that as for the lack of correct grammar. and isnt cypress hazardous tto a snakes respritory system. ive heard they are no only masters of escape, but are seriously prone to respritory disease. or is that another substrate. and would u rather feed it dead pinkies/fuzzies or living ones? i heard that living fuzzies maight ACTUALLY cause harm to the poor herp. ive seen some disgusting pics of feedin-gone-wrong.

I was told that using a under cage heater was risky because it could overheat and burn the snakes under belly. this also applie to hot rocks.

Hence why you use a thermostat. I suppose a light bulb is incapable of burning a snake's back?
Any heat source can be dangerous if not used properly, use common sense.

and isnt cypress hazardous tto a snakes respritory system.

If it were, I would not have suggested it, nor would I have used it myself on 95% of my collection for the last 5 or 6 years.

ive heard they are no only masters of escape, but are seriously prone to respritory disease.

Tis is just seriously overstated. Yes, respiratory infection is an ailment that sometimes affects snakes, bu tit is most often temperature related, and nothing they are "seriously prone" to.

For a substrate, I would definately reccomend Carefresh brand. It's very non-toxic and good for snakes (and any other small critter you may have).. I would reccomend that above all else, see if you can find it. If you get really lazy after a while there's no harm in using paper towels or paper.

For a heat source, I use a bottom tank heater. It seems most convienient and comfortable for the snake because the heat rises up and has less of a change to become unstable, in my opinion. Using a $10 indoor/outdoor thermometer from Home depot will help you know what heat is good or bad. if the bottom of the tank gets too hot try using more substrate or tape cloth to the bottom to help dull some of the heat. I don't see any problems in using an aquarium as it gives the snake enough room to roam and it can house the snake well. Just make sure (as was already said) that it is escape proof, even if you have to put books or rocks or something on the corners of the cage to prevent an escape.

I got a lot of this info from my own many questions and searches, and have found them all to be very reliable. Good luck with everything, in any case and see what you can work with.