New snake, some questions please.

[Radiotrades]

Hi, I have a new baby corn snake (born July 27, 2004). I have had him for about a 2 weeks. I have him in a 10 gallon aquarium. It stays about 75 to 80 in my room all of the time, therefore I have NOT gotten him any under tank heat source yet, is that a bad idea? Also notice he stays hidden all of the time or underneath a peice of wood. I have fed him last sunday 1 FROZEN pinkie (thawed in warm water then served warm , should I feed him more than one? I have not noticed any poop yet, but he might have pooped underneath the aspen, not sure. He is drinking water some. I have handled him and he seems "slow" at first but then speeds up after about say 5 minutes. Could he be "cold"? It is 78.9 in his cage right now.
I know I have a lot of questions, and I have been reading and checked out a ton of books from the library to help me care for my little baby! Also I notice he breaths kind of fast (faster than me) is this normal? I think it is from what I have read. He is VERY active at night (this is normal from what I read). Thanks so much for your answers.
Chad

 

[Radiotrades]

And another picture!

 

[Radiotrades]

And yet another picture (sorry, had to use my webcam, my digital camera is broke) This is his/her home!

 

[cka]

babies do like it a bit warmer than that, but corns are very "user friendly" in their toleration...Here's one very common solution that people use to heat an aquarium...the smallest size ZooMed Under tank heater plugged up to a rheostat type thermostat (think light dimmer) stuck on the bottom of one side of your tank would get the warm side up to 84-85 F...make sure you measure temps right above where the UTH is attached...also if you go this route UTH's get HOT...that is why i mentioned running it with a thermostat...you can always place the UTH on a heat resistant tile under your tank and raise/lower the tank over the UTH to get your temp to an acceptable...i going to recommend the use of the thermo..In my experience I have had zero problems, but I have seen pictures of burnt overheated UTH"s too...just keep doing your homework like you have; there are several alternative ways to heat an aquarium comfortably for snakes...also keeping your room a bit cooler will help in conjunction with the UTH to keep a temp gradiation in your tank...larger waterdishes help, too :*)

 

[Willis Wildlife Enterprises]

As Chris mentioned, you really should get some form of UTH for your snake. Hatchlings need to be warmer than an adult corn, and your tank is really a little too cool for an adult to be comfrtable. Once your snake is warmed up, you'll probably see alot more activity (that's why your snake gets more active when you hold it for awhile...you're nice and warm!).

That may also be why you haven't seen a poop yet...they need the warmer temps to digest better and the pinky you fed may not be done digesting yet. I prefer feeding hatchlings only 1 prey item of an appropriate size per feeding. Some hatchlings can handle an extra large meal (2 pinkies or 1 larger one), but not all. I just lost an amel because it was only eating live and the only live pinkies available were a bit large. He ate it, seemed fine overnight, but died sometime during the day while I was at work. This amel had been a problem feeder and was just finally starting to eat on a regular basis, but he was just unable to handle the larger meal.

I feed hatchlings every 4-7 days, depending upon their size, the size of the pinkies and how fast they digest. A good rule is that if you're not sure if your hatchling is ready for another meal, wait another day or 2.

 

[Radiotrades]

GOT UTH TODAY!!

Hi, thank you so much for the reply!! I got the UTH today, and it is 86 in the hot side of the viv and 76 in the cold side. I fed the little one today, 5 days after the first time I fed him, 1 pinky. He took it with no problems. I have another question. Should I leave the UTH on all the time or cut it off at night. Thanks for your help!
Chad

 

[cka]

you can leave it on all the time...also, a little hide on your cool side will give your snake a place to "chill" in comfort when it needs...good luck and enjoy your new snake :*)

 

[Radiotrades]

another question please..

Thanks everyone for your help. I do have another question. Is it normal for a corn to burrow under after it eats?
Also my temps are 85 on hot side and 72-75 (room temp) on cool side.
I fed my corn yesterday, and it went underneath it's hiding place, but this morning I woke up and it is not on top. I know it could not have gotten out because it is too secure on top, so it must have burrowed. I think it did this last time it ate, but not sure.
Thanks
chad

 

[Willis Wildlife Enterprises]

Yes, it is normal for any snake to go someplace very safe and secure to digest it's meal.

 

[Sand&SunReptile]

Yea, most snakes are considerably slower after ingesting prey.
They feel very much secure, and away from "predators" to whom they'd be easy pickings to, under the substrate.

 

[snakectr]

no dont feed him another mouse yet feeding to much may cause problems

do you notice a lump from the mouse? if yes than how long has it been there because if its there for less than 24 hours you may need to up the size of mouse or find a bigger size in the category
of mouse you already have
now if the lump is there for longer than a couple of days you need to downsize on the size of mouse you normally feed him or her
try feeding the snake a live pinky instead of frozen
i have never given my snakes frozen and they seem to be very active but you should check with your local pet store or vet

the heavy breathing is something you need to really watch
i have been noticing my albino corn do the same thing (heavy breathing that is)

for more questions contact me at [email protected] i have over 10 years of experience and will be delighted to help you
good luck with your new corn