Going to be getting a pet Corn Snake and...?

Question

I've never owned a snake so this will be my first time so I was curious if anyone had any advice, suggestions etc?

Like what size tank is good?

What does a baby corn snake yet? I know adults can eat mice but babies?

things to put in the tank?

Heating source? - Ive heard heat lamps and heating pads for the BOTTOM of the tank.

any and all advice will be appreciated.

Answer 1

everything that raychel said, i have snakes but not corn snakes, excet aspen bedding can kill snakes if accidentally consumed during feeding (you should feed in a separate tank any way) or if they are sick or malnurished snakes sometimes eat bedding..i just wouldn't risk it.. i use zoo med's repti bark, it's safe if it's ingested.

Answer 2

Care sheet

http://www.newenglandreptile.com/CareCor...

Answer 3

We have had a couple of them for the past several months.  The cage/aquarium is about 30X12X12 with a locking screen conver.  Have a rather large shallow water dish, a small branch and a little house.  We use the flourescent heat lamp on one end over the water dish for several hours a day.  You will need a small aquarium with aerator to keep small feeder goldfish in.  Place a fish in the water dish two or three times a week and the snake will find them.  With two, we have to take one out while the other eats, else the dominate snake will eat everything.

Answer 4

my boyfriend and i have lots of snakes. 12 to be exact. Each of our snakes have heating pads on the bottom of the tank and a heat lamp over the top. We have a little house type cover for them to crawl under to hide. then in most of thier cages we have some type of branch or something that they will be able to rub up against to help them shed. it will depend on how big the snake is when you get it for what it will eat. if you get a younger snake then it will probably be eating pinkies. we have put our snakes in cages from 10 gallons to a 75 gallon tank. if you get a really young snake i would probably start with a 10 long or a 20 long tank. and make sure that you get the tank toppers for your tank with some clips so that your snake cannot get out. Also you need to have some type of water bowl in the tank for your snake. you can go to different pet shops to get bedding to put in your tank there are lots of different types.

Answer 5

I normally keep my babies in small rubbermaid tubs until they are large enough to put into their permanent tank.  Usually adults are housed in 20-30 gl. tanks.  I use under tank heaters regulated with a thermostat as I find they are safer than having heat lamps that can be knocked over and start a fire. They also don't dry the air as much.  You will need a thermostat no matter what heat source you use though.  Baby corns eat day old pinkies. NEVER feed fish or insects. They don't digest them properly and feeder goldfish have very low nutritional value anyway...not fit to feed even a garter.  You can provide hides as simple as a paper towel roll cut in half and a small doorway cut in it that runs the length of the tank from warm to cool side, or you can buy a small hide for each side.  A cheap shallow bowl makes a good water bowl.  I also decorate with silk plants and branches to climb on.

Answer 6

well first of all.. good choice!! corn snakes are good snakes for beginners because they are pretty easy to care for.

when buying a snake, here are some questions you should ask the seller:  how old the snakes? how many times were they fed? when was the last time they were fed?  have you bred snakes before? and so on...

corn snake usually grow from 3-5 feet.  if you are just getting one i would say probably go with a 20 or 30 gallon tank.  also if you do not have a locking lid, i would seriously recommend placing something heavy on the lid such as books so that they cannot get loose.  corn snakes are very good at escaping.

as for feeding, babies will eat pinkies (very small baby mice) until they are about 6 months old. then they should be fed fuzzies which are a little bigger. and i only feed my corn snakes live mice because i believe that it is more natural and in a way is healthier for the snake.

they will be fed once a week so pick a feeding day, like mine is every friday night.  if ever your snake is a fussy eater, i would recommend placing the snake and the live mouse in a brown paper bag. fold it down about 3 times and tape it shut.  leave them in there over night and the snake should have eaten by morning.

corn snakes deff require a hiding place such as a hollowed out log or a rock that you can simply buy at a pet store. they should be place all over the tank, not just in one corner. that way if one side is colder than the other they can "warm up" by going to the other side and can still have a hiding place.

heating... i have an under heater for my tank.  i have it placed on one side so that the snake can choose which side it wants to be on, the "cold side" or the "warm side". i usually only have my heater on in the winter though because the temp gets too hot. you can also have a light on top of the tank just make sure that it is always turned off at night. that is when snakes are most active and they really appreciate the darkness.

Here are some websites with additional info:

http://www.anapsid.org/corn.html

http://members.aol.com/Kathandcam/Hawkhe...

Good Luck :)

and if you have any questions let me know

Answer 7

Use heat lamps a 20 gallon is good a baby corn can eat pinkies. They can also eat fuzzys

Answer 8

Congrats on your soon to be Corn Snake. They're lovely snakes.

If you get a small baby, they can live in a 10 gallon tank until they are 1 year old. Then you should put them in a 20 gallon long tank. They can live in the 20 gallon long the rest of their life, put a larger cage would be better for a full grown adult, as they can get up to 6 feet long; most only get 4 1/2-5 though. They should always live 1 snake per cage. They don't like living with other snakes; even if they are the same species and/ or gender. They are NOT social animals, and have been known to fight, over-breed (which can kill the female), and even canibalize (even if they are around the same size). They can live 15+ years if taken care of properly.

Babies eat mice too. There are different sized mice for different sized snakes. A baby should be eating pinkie mice. Never feed anything to your snake that is thicker then the widest point on your snake's body. So, if you are feeding your snake pinkies, but think they are too small for him, get a fuzzy and hold it up the the widest part of his body; if the fuzzy is wider then that part, it is too big for him. If it is the same or smaller, he can eat it. The mice sizes are pinkie, peach fuzzy, fuzzy, hopper, weanling, small adult, large adult. You can order f/t mice off of http://www.rodentpro.com/ for cheaper then you can get it in the petstore. Do NOT feed a corn snake fish or insects. Only give mice, and if he is big enough, you can offer chicks; but that is not nesecary; they will be happy on mice their whole lives. Some corns do get big enough for rats, so in that case, they can eat them too. NEVER fish or insects though!

Feedin frozen thawed is safer then feeding live because live mice can and do bite; they can bite your snake and kill/seriously injur him, even if you are supervising. There is also the possibility that they will have parasites/worms/disease that can be transfered to your snake. Frozen/thawed mice can't bite, and any parasites/worms they might have had would have died from being frozen. Just make sure the mouse is totally thawed out and warmed before feeding it to the snake.

For inside the cage, you'll need substrate. Aspen Bedding is good for corns. It is easy for them to burrow in (which they do), and it holds humidity without molding. You will also need at least 2 hides; one for the cool side, and one for the hot side. That way the snake can pick which temperature he would like to be at, but will still feel secure. You will also need a water dish so they can get a drink; sometimes they like to soak in it too. Keep the dish on the cool side of the tank.

As far as heat; heat pads (made for reptiles) that you put on the bottom (outside) of the tank are the best. They belly heat helps snakes digest. Put the probe from a digital thermometer on the bottom of the enclosure, over the heat pad to check the temps. If they're too warm, place a layer of newspaper or reptile carpet over the mat, so if the snake burrows, he won't get burnt. Then put the probe on the substrate of the warm side to make sure temps are good. Check cool side temps too.

You can use heat lamps for corn snakes without too many problems. The major thing is, they suck moisture out of the tank, so the necesary humidity levels drop. If that happens, mist your tank more often, and place a towel over 1/2 of the tank (if you have a screen topped cage). That will trap humidity, but still leave 1/2 of the screen open for ventilation of air. Use a digital hydrometer to check humidity to make sure levels are correct.

Here is a good site for corn snake owners; lots of good info here:  http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/

Good Luck!