Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all,
I'm new to the Corn Snake forum, but I'm thinking of getting one.
I'm gonna get a WC hatchling from Florida, around 12 inches in length. What all do they eat besides mice, rats, birds and frogs? How long will the baby snake be able to live in a 10 gallon tank? Do babies use constriction too? Anyone have pics of babies using constriction?
Michael

Michael's Place

Just curious but why not just buy a cbb one. That way you wont have to worry about parasites or anything like that. Im not trying to give you a hard time(my first snake was a wc) but I was just wondering. As far as eating you will only have to feed mice. In the wild they will take other foods but you dont have to worry about that. I dont remember my guys constricting pinkies when they were little. I think they just started eating it as it couldnt try and get away. Even now some of the older ones will just take the mouse off the tongs without even striking or constricting. Hope this helps some. EP
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Occupants not paying rent:
7 balls
2 corns(normal, candy cane)
1 pueblan milk
1 everglades rat
1 cal. king
1 gray band king
1 w. hognose
1 bearded dragon
2 fish
1 rat
5 cats

To tell you the truth, I don't want a cb because they are too expensive, lol, let me rephrase that, I can get a baby corn snake from florida for free. While pet stores charge $40 and breeders charge around $20. Also, what ELSE do they eat besides rodents?? I'm not much of a rodent person, I only feed pinkie mice to my ringneck snake once a week.
Michael

Michael's Place

in the wild they will eat lizards and frogs. I just think it will be a hassle to try and maintain a diet like that in captivity, especially when it gets cold. Of course its up to you but others here will probably tell you the same thing.
EP
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Occupants not paying rent:
7 balls
2 corns(normal, candy cane)
1 pueblan milk
1 everglades rat
1 cal. king
1 gray band king
1 w. hognose
1 bearded dragon
2 fish
1 rat
5 cats

The "lol" in your post, I'm assuming is because you're joking!

If that 20$ for a healthy snake is really too much for you, then I think your thinking VERY short term. Allow me to explain:

1) It's 20$ !!! Don't buy your next 20 cups of coffee, 20 chocolate bars, 10 beers or 5 packs of cigarettes (whatever you're into). I don't believe I'm sounding snobby when I say that 20$ for a pet you'll have for 10 years is not "too expensive."
2) You'll spend way, way more then 20$ on food, equipment, substrates (even paper towels or newspaper), books (which I'm assuming you haven't purchased yet) and other miscellaneous gear which I can't think of.
3) That WC will require way more than 20$ in vet bills.
4) You will never find a WC baby, ripped out of the wild, that will acclimate as well as a CB baby whose blood has been captive for several generations.

Do yourself and your animal a favour, find a local breeder and buy a nice, well-started, attractive CB corn snake for 20$.

Corns in captivity should eat rodents (mainly mice, but possibly appropriately sized rats).

Good luck,
Joel

"To tell you the truth, I don't want a cb because they are too expensive, lol, let me rephrase that, I can get a baby corn snake from florida for free. While pet stores charge $40 and breeders charge around $20. Also, what ELSE do they eat besides rodents?? I'm not much of a rodent person, I only feed pinkie mice to my ringneck snake once a week. "
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2.5 Leopard Geckos
0.1 Ball Python
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake
1.0 Blair's Phase Gray Banded Kingsnake
0.0.2 Crested Geckos

I'm going to have to agree. If you don't want to spend $20, perhaps you should wait on getting another snake. I have bought healthy captive bred and born corns at the Ohio show for $15. When I first considered getting a snake, I thought about just catching one. I now have 11 snakes and none are wc. Cough up the $20... you will be much better off in the long run, and you will be glad you made the initial investment. Duffy

If you did feed your snake a wild menu of frogs lizards and birds, you will spend a lot more than the twenty dollars you originally saved. EP
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Occupants not paying rent:
7 balls
2 corns(normal, candy cane)
1 pueblan milk
1 everglades rat
1 cal. king
1 gray band king
1 w. hognose
1 bearded dragon
2 fish
1 rat
5 cats

If money's a big problem so will vet bills,food,20 long,heat mat,pad,bedding,Those people that posted gave you honest and good advice.If your time is valuable, buy captive born and feed rodents.Do you really want to catch lizards for up to 15 years to feed it?...Paul.

I'm very different from all of you that replied, I keep only WC snakes, most of the snakes I keep you cannot find in pet stores or at reptile shows, etc. with the exception of corn snakes. I don't take any of them to the vet, it's really not needed, there are no herp vets in my area anyways.
Michael

Michael's Place

You are keeping wild caught snakes because they cannot be find in pet stores... corn snakes can be found in pet stores and tons of breeders produce them as well... therefore, no reasonable argument should compel you to seek out a wild corn snake... period.

I presume that you are also different than most of us in that you are very young.

He isnt wrong.He just does things different then some of us do.I read his web pages and while i dissagree with keeping multiple snakes in the same tanks he seems to know his s$#%.He has done his homework.I envy him in a way....Paul.

(if you are able to get a large enough supply of those items), the adults normally feed on rodents. Adults have also been known to eat bird eggs and birds, although I don't personally know of anyone who ever fed those items exclusively. If you really don't want a rodent feeder, you should consider something else, such as garters and waters that you could feed with fish and frogs.