Looking for people with Corn Snake knowledge and Patience

[CeaserGirl938]

I'm 17, and recently getting into owning reptiles. They totally fascinate me and I love providing good housing and care with mutual happiness to me and my pets. I currently just own a Fat Tailed gecko in the way of reptiles. I have my cat and dog too which both love to check her out in her tank but have never tried to harm her. I even have pics of the gecko crawling on my dog while shes upside down sleeping.

My real reason for posting though is that I am interested in getting into raising a corn snake. I read that they were a good beginner snakes and since I do not have the space for a ball python, I thought a corn would be the way to go.

Yesterday, my dad and I spent about 6 hours building a cage for my future snake with materials around the yard/shed. It is 36"(L)x16"(W)x13"(H). From what I have read most places this is a plenty large sized habitat. I took the time to paint it and seal it, and I plan to cover the sides of the cage with backdrop and plants/other items.

My next step, before I go onto getting my snake, is to learn more about it and complete my cage for it. I want everything to be perfectly safe and healthy for my future pet. So I'm looking for people who can help with suggestions on what steps to take next on making my habitat suitable. I can chat on here or on Skype (xyst_sin). Skype I'm on all day long so that would be easier but I'm up for checking both often.

Thank you to everyone that reads/helps. Ill be posting pics soon of the box that was built.

 

[SteelJawEmily]

Hey there, I'm glad you are being responsible and doing your research before you get your new baby

Here is a link to a forum that helped me a lot when I first got into snakes.
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/

But if you want to stay on here then here is a check list that will probably help you a bit...I'll keep it simple though.

1. Under Tank Heater
2. Thermostat to control the UTH...because sometimes they can have heat spikes and get too hot and that can actually burn your snake, and we don't want that!
3. Thermometer/Hydrometers
4. Aspen Snake bedding
5. Hides...be careful when you choose these to make sure there are no hidden spots where your new baby can hide and get stuck. If you find a hide you want but it has little holes in it, you can fill these holes with Acrylic or Silicone.
6.Water dish
7. Feeding tongs...these are always good simply because they save your fingers, but not necessary.

You will definitely want to make sure you make a secure lid for you home-made viv. Baby corns tend to be VERY good at escaping.

I'll post a picture of my set up so you can see what a good one should look like. I have a one year old Corn named Donatello that lives in a 40gal breeder with a locking hood.

Congrats on your new addiction and feel free to ask any questions!

 

[CeaserGirl938]

Thanks so much for the reply!

My first concern is the under tank heating. My thing that I built is closer to a wooden box than a tank, with front and top ventilation and viewing. It's reinforced with screen and some metal mesh wiring. All the edges and staples that were used to secure everything are covered so my snake should not be harmed by it, but under heating may prove to be difficult through the wood I'm thinking. Is there a way that I could use a heating pad underneath bedding? Or maybe use a heat lamp/rock and monitor the temperature?

Also, I've never seen an actual in cage/tank thermostat. I'll have to look up the details on that. Having my wood box might prove to be annoying at first but I think it was a good project to work on. If anything I'll end up using it for my geckos and get an actual tank for my snake.

About hides, would a corn prefer a mossy, false bottom hide where it can go down under stuff or just a normal couple log like things to stay in?

Thanks again for all the help. I'll put pictures up in the morning of my cage. ^^

 

[SteelJawEmily]

Well I would have to see what your "box" looks like before I say go for a heat lamp option. The thing about corns is they like to burrow, so usually the UTH is best. But if you need to, the Heat lamp is always a good option too. You don't want to use a heat rock because those tend to get pretty hot and can burn your snake, those are mainly used for Beardies and the like.

As for hides, it's pretty much up to you. You can use everything from a used Kleenex box to something fancy like the hide you were talking about. You just want to make sure that there is no place where your snake can get stuck (because they will find it lol) and also that it isn't too rough.

The thermostat (some people call them Rheostats) that I'm talking about is actually something that just plugs into your UTH and you can control the dial to what ever heat you want it at. Like this: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752611&lmdn=Reptile+Heating
That's the one I have, I keep it at Medium all the time. And you can get ones that will hold up to 5 or 6 different things as well, and can control different temperatures and times too...but I found that to be too complicated so I went with the simple one

 

[CeaserGirl938]

My "box" cage. >.<

This is an inside shot looking down into it.

This is a shot of the inside/outside with the top fully opened.

This is a top view with the top closed and latched.

And this is just a general outside view looking at the front.

 

[CeaserGirl938]

For some reason, I can't find the edit button on my other post. Anyway, all the edges inside the box will be sealed off as soon as I make another trip to home depot. The front has screen on it as well as wire on the inside, in-case I ever put things such as crickets in it. I see them jump around a lot but I've never seen them jump up so I didn't feel the need for the screen on top also.

 

[CeaserGirl938]

Alright, few new questions.

Should I start off with a baby snake and raise it?

What size water dish should I get?

I have some bamboo that grows in my yard on its own. Can I use thicker parts of it and hollow them out for a hide?

What, if any, types of vitamins should I feed my snake?

 

[[email protected]]

sometimes, baby snakes bite more often than older snakes. Not out of aggression, just kind of exploring, the y don't have hands, so their mouth works just fine.

And the water dish should be big enough for the snake to sit in and be completely submerged. My corns don't do this very often, but i've seen them both sit in their water dish for a whole day before.

Any wood that you put in an enclosure should be put in the oven first(~200 degrees, for a half hour or so), to kill any bacteria/micro-organisms living in the wood. You can buy bamboo hides at a petshop, so from the yard is probably fine.

And the only thing I've ever seen or heard about snakes and vitamins was that for baby snakes, just to make sure they are super healty, you can toss pinkies in calcium powder. But snakes eat and digest their food(rodents) whole, which means they are digesting all the bones as well, so they get plenty of calcium, and vitamins A and D from the bones. As long as their prey is healthy, a snake should be getting all it needs from a mousey.

 

[FosterHerpetological]

I am glad you are asking questions, many people do not, but just saying, if you have the space for a corn snake, then you have the spce for a ball python, they do not require much more space at all, so if you really wanted a ball you could probably get one

 

[WebSlave]

If you put a baby corn snake in that cage, your next message here will be to ask about where to look for your escaped pet.

And PLEASE don't put crickets in there if you have a corn snake inside. BTW, crickets don't have to jump up to the lid, they will CLIMB up there.

 

[CeaserGirl938]

Haha. Yeah, I have a 10 gallon tank for a baby if I get one. That cage is more for when it's grown enough. And the only way I was guna put crickets in it was if I put my gecko in it for a while. I was thinking about breeding her. But yeah the climbin is a good point. I don't see them climb up the tank walls so I forgot they could do that. Haha.

I wasn't sure about getting a ball python because I heard they get quite a bit bigger than corns an even though I love these animals, I still understand that there is always a chance of being bitten. I have a feeling it might be worse from a ball python than a cornsnake and l don't Wana take a chance of not having use of one of my hands for a while. Haha.

I understand how the babies might be more bitey but if I was the one to raise it I'd assume that a captive bred baby would grow into a more docile and be less temperamental than one caught in the wild.

I also have my money situation to work at. I currently don't have a job and I live in south Florida where jobs are impossible to get. In 1 week I'm moving to Arlington Texas where I've heard there are many jobs available so hopefully I'll be able to put more money into the happiness of me and my pet. This is also why I was co sidering breeding my fat tail gecko. Being able to sell the babies to good homes possibly over this site would help fund my snake project.

 

[Southern Wolf]

I'm 17, and recently getting into owning reptiles. They totally fascinate me and I love providing good housing and care with mutual happiness to me and my pets. I currently just own a Fat Tailed gecko in the way of reptiles. I have my cat and dog too which both love to check her out in her tank but have never tried to harm her. I even have pics of the gecko crawling on my dog while shes upside down sleeping.

My real reason for posting though is that I am interested in getting into raising a corn snake. I read that they were a good beginner snakes and since I do not have the space for a ball python, I thought a corn would be the way to go.

Yesterday, my dad and I spent about 6 hours building a cage for my future snake with materials around the yard/shed. It is 36"(L)x16"(W)x13"(H). From what I have read most places this is a plenty large sized habitat. I took the time to paint it and seal it, and I plan to cover the sides of the cage with backdrop and plants/other items.

My next step, before I go onto getting my snake, is to learn more about it and complete my cage for it. I want everything to be perfectly safe and healthy for my future pet. So I'm looking for people who can help with suggestions on what steps to take next on making my habitat suitable. I can chat on here or on Skype (xyst_sin). Skype I'm on all day long so that would be easier but I'm up for checking both often.

Thank you to everyone that reads/helps. Ill be posting pics soon of the box that was built.

If you have any questions feel free to drop me a line via PM here or shoot me an email at kevin [at] ridgetopreptiles.com I breed them and I would be more than willing to answer your questions.

 

[Southern Wolf]

Alright, few new questions.

Should I start off with a baby snake and raise it?

What size water dish should I get?

I have some bamboo that grows in my yard on its own. Can I use thicker parts of it and hollow them out for a hide?

What, if any, types of vitamins should I feed my snake?

From looking at your cage... a baby would go right thru your wire mesh. You may want to cover that with window screen.

As for starting off with a baby snake, that is personal preference. Some babies will be a bit nippy but only because they are small and they think the world is out to eat them. However starting out with a baby can be a joy because you get to watch it grow up and you get to watch it grow into its colors. Babies are normally less expensive than adults as well.

For baby corns I use end caps for 4 inch PVC pipe. These have a flat bottom and cant be tipped and are large enough for them to soak in. For adult snakes I use the cheap plastic dog bowls from walmart that have hand holes cut out of the sides. These pull double duty as a water bowl and a hide.

I have never thought of using bamboo for a hide but I dont see why you couldnt... but just keep in mind... your snake may get in there and you cant get it out.

You dont have to worry about any vitamins like you do with lizards.

 

[Southern Wolf]

Haha. Yeah, I have a 10 gallon tank for a baby if I get one. That cage is more for when it's grown enough. And the only way I was guna put crickets in it was if I put my gecko in it for a while. I was thinking about breeding her. But yeah the climbin is a good point. I don't see them climb up the tank walls so I forgot they could do that. Haha.

I wasn't sure about getting a ball python because I heard they get quite a bit bigger than corns an even though I love these animals, I still understand that there is always a chance of being bitten. I have a feeling it might be worse from a ball python than a cornsnake and l don't Wana take a chance of not having use of one of my hands for a while. Haha.

I understand how the babies might be more bitey but if I was the one to raise it I'd assume that a captive bred baby would grow into a more docile and be less temperamental than one caught in the wild.

I also have my money situation to work at. I currently don't have a job and I live in south Florida where jobs are impossible to get. In 1 week I'm moving to Arlington Texas where I've heard there are many jobs available so hopefully I'll be able to put more money into the happiness of me and my pet. This is also why I was co sidering breeding my fat tail gecko. Being able to sell the babies to good homes possibly over this site would help fund my snake project.

Ball Pythons top out around 4 foot and get a little bigger than a soda can. Im not sure of the dimensions of your enclosure but it looks like it was big enough for an adult if you wanted to go the Ball route.

 

[CeaserGirl938]

So is there a way to still use under heating in my cage or should I go with the heal lamp?

If I do the heat lamp, I'm going to get a rock to place in the cage under it. Not a heated one, just a smooth surface rock that the lamp can shine on.

 

[WebSlave]

You dont have to worry about any vitamins like you do with lizards.

Kevin, I'm going to have to disagree with you on this point.

Although snakes do eat whole feed items (mice, rats, etc.), lab or homegrown mice are NOT the same as wild mice, which are the NATURAL feed items for snakes. When a wild mouse makes the fateful decision to be at the wrong place at the wrong time and becomes a meal for a snake, everything that is in the gut of the mouse at that time also goes into the gut of the snake to be digested. And that mouse's body has also become the result of it's own lifetime of eating everything edible within it's natural environment (in effect, they ARE what they eat). Now compare that to a captive raised mouse, that is only being fed what YOU feed it. Which is likely laboratory rodent chow, with little variation in the diet. While such chow is just great for the growth of the mice and providing the nutrients for them to breed, they in no way match the same nutrients that would be within a wild mouse.

Also, unless you provide vitamin D3 within the diet of snakes, the natural D2 that they get from their diet is not suitable to allow them to be able to properly assimilate calcium from their food into their own systems. This conversion from D2 to D3 takes place in the wild through exposure to ultraviolet light, which is highly unlikely to be provided in a captive environment. So pretty much, nearly all of the calcium provided in the diet is lost to the snakes.

Also, pinky mice have nearly NO calcium in their system unless it is the milk from their mothers. Obviously this is a critical time for the baby snakes eating the baby mice, since they NEED calcium for the proper development of their bone structure as they grow. Not only that, but calcium is critical during breeding season for the females so that they can produce properly developed eggs. So there are a lot of things that need to be considered as far as the diet goes, and it really is not prudent to assume that this is all coming from the captive raised rodents fed to the snakes to hopefully supply those needs.

I have ALWAYS provided vitamin and mineral supplements for my snakes throughout the years. And although I have heard some people complain about their production from females dropping off after a few years of breeding, I never had that take place except in cases of extreme age. And I have to say that this is likely responsible for the excellent production rates I have gotten from my animals over the years as well.

So in a nutshell, I STRONGLY recommend that snakes be given vitamin and mineral supplements throughout their lifetimes while in captivity to try to compensate for deficiencies BEING in captivity is going to impose on them through an insufficiently natural diet.

 

[[email protected]]

nice comments Webslave!

 

[CeaserGirl938]

Thank you for the comments Rich. Very good points made. I'll be sure to look into getting some vitamins and such then before I get my snake so I'm ready to feed him healthy food.

 

[SteelJawEmily]

I would hope you can cover that mesh with plexi glass or something, and even when your corn is grown, it will still escape out of there.

If you do go with that after making sure your baby/adult cant get out of there, it's up to you as to if you want to go with the lamp or not. Because It is wood, I would say go for the lamp, but I'm not sure about putting a rock or something like that under it, that could get too warm.

Usually the best way to go for a baby corn if you want to keep it simple and cheap is a 10gal tank, with a screen lid that's clamped shut. Then a water dish on the cool side, and a hide (like I said before, even a kleenex box would work) with a heat lamp on the warm side. And aspen bedding. The most expensive part of that will be the tank. And your corn can stay in that for the first year or so.

 

[Naagas]

Make sure you visit cornsnakes.com.

Get an adult. You will be so much happier. Babies die.. They are afraid, they bite, they don't like to be held as much, they get sick, they refuse food sometimes, they regurge.

I feed my snakes once a week. They get an appropriately sized mouse. I buy pre-frozen mice and warm them up. It is cheaper and safer. (mice bite snakes!!). Mice are all snakes need. They are cheap and easy. Don't feed anything else. Don't use supplements unless you have a problem.
Go here: rodentpro.com

Buy Kathy Love's book on raising corns.

BTW, you are going to love it. I started with one, now I have 7 corn snakes!