Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have 8 snakes. 4 of them corn snakes. They are all housed seperately in glass tanks. They are pets. I have a male ghost that is always very active this time of year. I took one of my other corns that I was told was a female an wanted to see what would happen.

Wow...he was VERY EXCITED when I put this female in with him. They locked up within a minute. Stayed together for at least 1/2 hour.

Now when I got into snakes it was never my intention to breed them but now that they have what do I need to do? I've been researching. No my snake are never brumated. This was a spur of the moment thing an now I'm wondering "what did I get myself into?"

How often will I need to feed my female? I dont' want to have this one time experience hurt her for any reason. Also if / when eggs do come I hope they will hatch. I only work part time so dont' have alot of extra money to buy an incubator. What can I use for a home made incubator?

Well, keep the bashing to a minimum please....

Well, keep the bashing to a minimum please....

Oh boy I think your gonna get it, lol. You tell these kids to use protection and they never listen. But seriously, Corn snakes don't require much of temperature drop to condition them to breed, so you just may have a good clutch of eggs on your hands. Like some one said earlier if you don't want the hassel just freeze the eggs overnight and throw them away. But you will want to put a nest box with moist spagnum moss for her to lay her eggs or she could become egg bound. Any plastic shoe baox with a hole cut in the lid will do. Then the basic Idea is to keep the eggs warm and moist but not soaked in some (Pure)Vermiculite, Perlite, or even the same spagnum moss you put in the nest box.It takes about 60 days for the eggs to hatch. She usually sheds about 10 days before she lays so keep track of her shed.
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

Yep, read the post below: "Was not expecting eggs", for a little more info.

Also I recommend Bill and Kathy Love's book, The Corn Snake Manual. It will tell you everything you need to know.

See their website in the breeders list on KS.com main page: CornUtopia/Kathy Love. You can order it there.

Feed the female as much as she wants for the next few weeks. She'll need it.
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Kent

0.1 Hypomelanistic striped cornsnake
1.0 Lavender cornsnake
1.2 Gray-banded kingsnakes, blairs phase

>>Yep, read the post below: "Was not expecting eggs", for a little more info.
>>
>>Also I recommend Bill and Kathy Love's book, The Corn Snake Manual. It will tell you everything you need to know.
>>
>>See their website in the breeders list on KS.com main page: CornUtopia/Kathy Love. You can order it there.
>>
>>Feed the female as much as she wants for the next few weeks. She'll need it.
>>-----
>>Kent
>>

like Kent said this topic is covered below.
read over that post/posts and if you have more specific questions post them

books
The Corn Snake Manual by Kathy and Bill Love
Corn Snakes: The Comprehensive Owner's Guide by Kathy and Bill Love
Corn Snakes in Captivity by Don Soderberg

three great books... don't get one... get all three.
And keep an eye out for Don's next book...hopefully it will be out soon.

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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

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>>I have 8 snakes. 4 of them corn snakes. They are all housed seperately in glass tanks. They are pets. I have a male ghost that is always very active this time of year. I took one of my other corns that I was told was a female an wanted to see what would happen.
>>
>>Wow...he was VERY EXCITED when I put this female in with him. They locked up within a minute. Stayed together for at least 1/2 hour.
>>
>>Now when I got into snakes it was never my intention to breed them but now that they have what do I need to do? I've been researching. No my snake are never brumated. This was a spur of the moment thing an now I'm wondering "what did I get myself into?"
>>
>>How often will I need to feed my female? I dont' want to have this one time experience hurt her for any reason. Also if / when eggs do come I hope they will hatch. I only work part time so dont' have alot of extra money to buy an incubator. What can I use for a home made incubator?
>>
>>Well, keep the bashing to a minimum please....

OK, we got ahead of ourselves
You just had them hook up and have no eggs yet.
Keep feeding the female same as you have....if it has been at least once a week, that is.
If you have been feeding her a normal adult mouse it wouldn't hurt to go up to a large adult.
Corn snakes will breed without brumation, happens all the time. They are as much, or more, sensative to photo periods as to temperatures. Even indoors they sense the seasonal changes.
Move the female into a seperate conatiner. No need to stress with repeated mating attemps by the male. A lot of people will put them together three, four or even five or more times but if they were hooked up for as long as you said I would be willing to bet she will become gravid.
Now that you have placed her in her own container keep an aye on her. In about three or four weeks she will start to go into shed. When she does, place a container of damp (NOT WET) sphagnum moss in her enclosure. They will usually lay anywhere from 7 to 14 days after they have shed.
now after you have eggs the information in the post below will help you out.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

_____

Thanks for your help.

I'm sure they were hooked up that long cause I was watching them the whole time an keeping an eye on the clock. After they stoped there was a yellow discharge like it says in The Corn Snake books. She does have a ravenous appetite. Good chance she is gravid sounds like from the books.

I've been watching her all the time. I put her back in her own enclosure soon after they broke up. They were ignoring each other so didn't want to leave her in there.

He is a ghost an she is normal colors with a zig zag pattern. I stoped an got a plastic shoe box for her to lay eggs in when time comes.

So just leaving the nest box in her enclosure (20 gallon long with UTH) will be enough for the eggs to hatch?? Or on a closet shelve? That would be super if they did. I also have a big enclosure for my JCP an its always warm on the top of that cause of the lights. I keep his red night light on 24/7 for heat..do you think if I leave the nest box on top of that they will hatch?

Thanks again for your help.

>>Thanks for your help.
>>
>>I'm sure they were hooked up that long cause I was watching them the whole time an keeping an eye on the clock. After they stoped there was a yellow discharge like it says in The Corn Snake books. She does have a ravenous appetite. Good chance she is gravid sounds like from the books.
>>
>>I've been watching her all the time. I put her back in her own enclosure soon after they broke up. They were ignoring each other so didn't want to leave her in there.
>>
>>He is a ghost an she is normal colors with a zig zag pattern. I stoped an got a plastic shoe box for her to lay eggs in when time comes.
>>
>>So just leaving the nest box in her enclosure (20 gallon long with UTH) will be enough for the eggs to hatch?? Or on a closet shelve? That would be super if they did. I also have a big enclosure for my JCP an its always warm on the top of that cause of the lights. I keep his red night light on 24/7 for heat..do you think if I leave the nest box on top of that they will hatch?
>>
>>Thanks again for your help.

as far as the box for her to lay in.
I would remove everything in the enclosure except the water bowl and the lay box.
this will make it more likely she will find and use the lay box.
just make sure to keep the moss moist.
Either use a temperature probe or lay a thermometer on top of the JCP enclosure for a day or so to give a good idea of just what the temperature is. I'm afraid that with the lights in the enclosure it may actually be a little too warm there. You don't want it over 85 F. If it turns out this spot is too warm then go to another area. heat rises so up is better. top of 'fridge, TV, DVD player something a little higher that does create a little heat.
mid 70's to low 80's is better. The only thing cooler temps will do is stretch hatch time out a little. just not too cool and especially not to hot.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

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