First time cornsnake owner, that's me. I need tips.?

Question

Anything, from how hot the tank needs to be, to bedding, to heating, to feeding, to how much it would approximately cost in pounds. Please don't tell me in dollars or other currency.

By the way the corns in my local pet shop cost £70 each.

Answer 1

£70 is way too much for a corn snake unless it is gold plated look around they are usually at the top price of £40-£45 anything from £20 upwards i have a 3 foot tank with an 18 inch heat mat with aspen chip bedding if it is a hatchling it needs to be fed pinkie mice twice a day costing 45p each as the snake grows the food will get larger as soon as he eats 3-4 pinkies go up to the next size feed and so on and so on 40 watt light in the viv will be enough with the heat mat during the day and a bowl of water every 4-6 weeks he will probably go off his food until he sheds you will know when this happens when his skin goes duller and his eyes will go milky blue he may get a little aggressive at this stage if you have probs with shedding then put him in a bowl of warm water and help him if you have any more worries don't hesitate to contact me

Answer 2

well the temperture needs to me like75-80 degress..

aspen bedding is the best thing for him,

if he is a baby you will feed him pinkies, once, or twice, a week.....and i dont know how much the stuff will cost in pounds......

sorry about this because you told me not to tell you in dollars but it would be like $30 heating and $6 for bedding, food is cheap and the corns in my area are like $40

Answer 3

I always used Astroturf as bedding it is easy to clean and cheep to replace.

Answer 4

i can only answer the heat part. if you have a desk lamp or something like that. USE THAT!! just put it so it shines into the enclosure or cage!!

Answer 5

70 pounds!!!! go onto RFUK (search it on google) you can pick one up for 10 pounds from a breeder (more if you want a morph)

Answer 6

For starters I would look elsewhere for a local breeder before paying £70 for a corn snake. I've seen them advertised for as little as £20 each. Buying from an experienced private breeder has it's advantages too.

As for the heat in the vivarium, the warmer side needs to be between 75 - 85 degrees. I keep mine at around 82. Then the cooler side being 10 degrees below that of the cooler side. The heat in the viv can be controlled by a DIMMING Habistat which you can get for around £45 - £65. Just shop around. The habistat will keep the temperature in the viv constant. I would advise against getting the on/off Habistat as they tend to blow bulbs.

Bedding (substrate) can be anything from news paper to woodshavings. DO NOT use pine. It's toxic to snakes. It all depends on how you want the vivarium to look. The snake don't care. You need to provide a hiding place for the snake too. Yet again what you choose for this is entirely your choice.

It all depends on whether you want the viv to be an eye catcher in you're living room, or you just want somewhere to keep a snake.

What you pay out on equipment you will save on food. it should cost around 50 -75p a WEEK to feed, and keep a corn snake.

They really are such an easy animal to keep.

Just one last thing for the first 12 months, a baby corn snake should be kept in a quarantine tank, that can be kept inside the vivarium. With the heat supply just creeping over the corner of the tank. The reason for this is that a snake thrives on enclosed spaces, to much space for a baby snake can cause stress. That can then result in feeding problems. I hope that helps!

Answer 7

This care sheet is a copy of the one i did for the international herpetological society and is the one on the northern branch web site.

Corn snakes are an ideal starter snake for a first reptile .They have an extremely calm disposition, are hardy snakes, and do not grow too large for people to handle easily. Fully grown they reach around 5-6 ft long. They are most active around dusk and early evening.

They originate from Central America, and come in, many colour morphs and phases.

Their diet mainly consists of mice and small rats, these can be purchased already frozen so only need to be defrosted before feeding.

HOUSING.

A suitable sized vivarium for an adult corn would be 36"L x 12"H x 12"D (90cm x 30cm x 30cm); this can consist of either wood or moulded plastic. Glass tanks can be used but they are not recommended as heat gradients and overall temperatures are harder to control, they are harder to make escape proof and unless three sides are covered up can cause your snake to feel a bit vulnerable. If you prefer a smaller plastic tank type container you can buy these from local pet shops or internet stores, but make sure there is adequate ventilation. These are the best option for hatchlings.  

For a hatchling Corn Snake, if going for a larger vivarium, provide plenty of cover and hides to make your smaller snake feel secure. These need to be placed at the warm and cool end of the vivarium. Many snakes do not feel secure unless they can feel the hide is securely around them, so it’s best not to use anything too big. If a snake does not feel secure then this can cause problems such as stress and poor feeding.  The use of plastic plants also provides security as well as giving your animal a much more natural environment.

SUBSTRATE.                                                                                                        

There are various substrates on the market that can be used for your animals flooring area. Aspen Bedding, Cork Bark, Repti Carpet (like astro turf),Repti turf or even plain old news paper or paper towels. Do not use cedar or pine wood chippings as the oils from this can harm your snake. Beech chippings are something quite often used and are easy to maintain. Also try and stay away from damp substrates such as orchid bark. To be really safe the best options are newspaper or paper towels which are cheap, readily available and easy to change, or Repti turf which is made of vegetable matter so if swallowed by accident is totally digestible and won’t cause impaction problems in your snakes gut.                                                                                                                                                                            

HEATING AND LIGHTING.

If you are keeping a small snake (up to 18 months) in the small plastic tanks then the best way to heat is by a reptile heat mat. This should be placed under half of the tank only, as this will create the desired heat gradient. This ideally should be attached to a mat stat which will keep the temp at the required level .This needs to be 82-84° f warm end. The cooler end will need to be around 75° f with a night time drop to around 70° f. The cheap stick on thermometers can be used to monitor this and one should be placed at each end.

When you move up to a wooden vivarium or the moulded plastic type, placing a heat mat under one end will not provide any heat into the viv as the heat can’t penetrate through the wood. In this case the best option is to use a ceramic bulb and holder, connected to a pulse or dimmer thermostat. The ceramic should also be guarded by the use of a wire mesh bulb guard which are easily available. The same heat ranges should be applied and monitored as above.

If needed a small wattage light bulb (guarded) can be used for viewing purposes and this would be best kept on a plug in timer to give a day to night cycle for the snake i.e. 12hrs on and 12 hrs off to coincide with natural daylight times. Remember to place this at the same end as the other heat sources to maintain a heat gradient. The thermostat will compensate for any added heat.

Corn snakes do not need any uv lighting in their vivarium.

FEEDING.

Feeding Hatchlings should be done every 5 days or so. (Corns over the age of one year or yearlings could be introduced to a 7-10 day feeding pattern.)Newborn hatchlings will start with 1 pinkie mouse per feeding. When after feeding you observe your snake “hunting” for more, or the swallowed prey becomes less noticeable, then increase the feed to 2 pinkies and so on up to 3 pinkies. The next stage would be to feed fuzzies following the same procedure followed by small, then medium mice. But don’t be in a hurry to get onto the bigger prey. It is important to make sure your snake is comfortable with the size it is being fed and to make sure you don’t over feed as snakes can get overweight. It is also an important time to make sure temperatures are correct as they use heat to aid digestion. If these temperatures are not correct then re-gurgitation may occur. An adult Corn snake should be fed every 7-10 days, and by this stage should be on at least medium mice.                          

As a general rule snakes are better if taken out of their own viv and placed into a separate container or spare viv to feed. This not only stops your snake from swallowing any substrate that may stick to the mouse while feeding but will also stop the snake from thinking that every time your hand comes into the viv that it is feeding time and that it should be striking out. If you do feed it in its own viv then you could either use feeding tongs or place the prey onto a dish and then place this in the viv. Having said this there is something to be said by dangling a mouse for the snake to strike at and then watching it curl round and constrict its dinner. Fresh clean water should always be available and changed every other day .                                                                                 Regurgitation in snakes should always be taken very seriously it is extremely stressful for the snake and should be taken as the first sign that all is not well within the vivarium itself, check all the temperatures etc, perhaps a thermostat or heat mat is not functioning properly. Do not attempt to feed your snake for 10 days after regurgitation, even if the snake seems hungry, as its digestive system needs time to recover. The first feed after regurgitation should be just one very small food item. Feeding too soon can cause more regurgitation, and even death. If regurgitation persists even though conditions remain correct then there is no substitute for the advice of a qualified Exotics Vet, the animal should be taken for treatment etc as soon as possible as conditions in reptiles can go down hill extremely quickly.

SHEDDING AND HUMIDITY

Shedding or Ecdysis takes approx seven to ten days from start to finish. You may notice your snakes colouration being duller than usual, and after a day or two you will then noticed the snakes eyes become a bluish-grey .Your snake may also refuse food and become shy and reclusive. It is best to leave your snake alone while this process is complete(except for changing water) It is also a good idea to increase the humidity in the cage by placing an additional water bowl at the warm viv end, or supply a moist hide. Ice cream tubs with an entrance cut out and filled with damp sphagnum moss are ideal The snakes eyes will then totally clear again and the shed itself should start within the next week and hopefully you will get the shed all in one piece. If you are able to watch this process it is amazing.

Incomplete Sheds are an indication that the humidity isn’t right (see above for solutions to this problem).It is important to always check your snake’s eyes. You must make sure that the eye caps come off in shedding .This can easily be checked by examining the shedded skin from the head. If the eye caps do not come off then they can be very gently removed with a wet cotton wool bud and a steady hand. If you don’t feel confident to do this then get help from someone who has done it before or even a vet.  Remaining skin should be removed as well. This is so the skin doesn’t tighten around the snake as it continues to grow (common on the tail tip), restricting blood flow and causing discomfort and even the tail tip dying and dropping off. Bathing the snake in luke warm water and adding an emollient such as Shed Ease as instructed, should remove any unshed skin. Soak as per instructions and then place the snake into a towel and take a good grip so the snake has to really make an effort to crawl out. The remaining skin should be gently eased off the snake as it attempts to do this.

BUYING YOUR SNAKE.

The snake should be curious, tongue flicking and should feel strong, not limp. You should feel its muscle tone as it moves around your hand. You should listen to your snakes breathing, making sure there is no whistling sound. Nose and eyes should be clear. Check the mouth for swelling or sores (indication of mouth rot).                                                  

Stools should appear blackish with either white or yellowy semi-solid or solid patches. Problem stools to look out for include anything that is mainly or more than half made up of liquid, if the stools look jelly like or contain blood, or indeed if the colouration is nothing even close to resembling black or brownish, these are all indications of the snake having a problem and should therefore be avoided.

Check the snake over for parasites, mites and ticks. These can generally be seen or felt if you rub your hand over the snake’s body. A product called Tick Off and a trip to the vet to have them removed with tweezers is called for so best to stay clear. Also ask to see feeding and shedding records.