Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,

I've just gotten a new little corn snake and I've fed her the first meal since I got her,only a few days, and she barfed the next morning./ Any ideas?

Here are a few things to think about:

1) Proper temperature: The cage should have a warm area in the upper 80s and a cool spot in the mid-to-low 70s.

2) Handling: Handling stresses out baby snakes. Corn snakes should not be handled until they are on a regular feeding schedule (have eaten 10-12 times) while in your possession. Snakes in general should not be handled 24 to 48 hours after eating.

3) Cage size: Baby snakes do best in small enclosures (like the size of a shoebox). Snakes are the agoraphobics of the animal kingdom. I have seen many, many baby "problem" corns that were being kept in 10-gallon aquariums - when moved to a smaller enclosure, they were "cured" of whatever ailed them.

4) Food size: Corn snakes will eat food items that are too big for them to properly digest. The width of the food item offered should be about equal to the widest part of the snake.

While internal parasites can cause regurgitation, improper husbandry is usually the culprit.

Tim

Third Eye

Thanks a whole lot. I can see I need to make a few adjustments.
Oh, by the way, really cool Third Eye. <G>

Good luck getting your snake "back on track!" I forgot to mention that after you make your adjustments, that you shouldn't feed your snake for 7-10 days after it regurgitated. Regurges are stressful to a snake and it will need a few days to recover, or it will end up regurging again.

Tim

n/p
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Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!

Tim!,That's a beauty!you need sunglasses to look at it! Jeff

Lynn,..........I couldn't have said it better than the reply that Tim just gave you!. If you just purchased the snake, and fed it,the worst thing you could do is hold it within 48hrs after feeding!. More than likely, the excitement of being held/and or,in addition to the new environment the snake is in is what caused the regurgitation.....this is very typical. I would add only one other thing to the list he suggested for you. That would be to cut a small "notch" in a very small deli cup or the like, and put at least one in the "shoebox" sized cage so it can hide!!. Snakes(especially hatchlings) must feel hidden and secluded from the movement going on outside the cage. This is extremely important that you do this!!. after doing the few things that were covered in his previous post in conjunction with the "hide-box" your snake should do very well.......One other thing........I can't stress this enough,..make absolutely sure the lid to whatever you use as a container for the snake fits TOTALLY SNUG!!! Or else you will be back on this forum asking how to find your lost snake!!!.....I speak from many years of experience!!!(LOL).......hope this helped some.....Doug
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Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!