Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Help. I have a pregnant corn snake who doesn't seem happy with any of the nesting materials I have offered her. I can't find spagnum moss locally (though the local hardware stores have a "decorators' moss". Is this spagnum, is it OK to use, or do the decorators put some hideous preservative on it?). We have lots of moss in our yard, should I just dig some up for her (or are bugs a problem)? I've tried offering her damp paper towels, damp cotton cloth, some sort of peat mix the local pet store touted). She just keeps searching (and I don't think she can keep her legs crossed much longer). Also, Daddy is still in with her until I can get another tank set up for him. Could this be putting her off (he is very enthusiastic about the various nesting boxes (at the moment there are two in the cage, mostly to keep one empty for her). She had what I assume was her pre-natal shed 9 days ago. What are other materials people have used for nesting boxes?
Thanks
Corinne
dragonfly@w-link.net

I use moist vermiculite for laying and incubating. It holds the water well, and my snake likes it. I bought mine at either big apple or lll reptile on line, but some garden stores sell it also.

I tried moss, but both me and my snake thought it was a messy mistake, she didn't like it and it made a huge mess. But other people use it. I wouldn't use outside dirt or moss, bugs can be a problem, namely mites, and it would be just as messy or worse than any moss you'd buy. But I highly reccomend Vermiculite!
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Dianne
AKA IcedGoddess
1.2 Cornsnakes
1.3 Cats
1.0 Pionus parrot
0.1 Child
IcedGoddess Creations
Castle Serpents

Mine actually prefer damp vermiculite to moss, so I agree - give that a try.

I should boot Daddy out to batchelor quarters if he's being a pest. They can disturb the females and stop them settling down to lay. They can also decide to sit in the egg laying nest themselves, which doesn't help!

I would say that yes the male is a problem and the female will not feel comfortable laying eggs while he is still in there. So I would start with removing him. Wallmart, Home Depot, Lowes, Ace and most other stores with a garden center will have some sort of substrate that you can use,
Green Moss
Spagnaum Moss,
Vermiculite
Perlite (not my favorite for nesting)
or any other soft moisture retaining natrual substrate. I must ask a silly question, you are making the substrate damp right? I know it may seem obvious but I had forgot to mention it once and it was an issue?
I would avoid any outside material, but if you have to, bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 to kill any potential bugs or bacteria.
good luck
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Jim Hopkins "Hoppy"
Hopkins Holesale Herps
Hopfam1@aol.com

>>Green Moss
>>Spagnaum Moss,
>>Vermiculite

Oooh, I'm glad you mentioned this! I was going to ask. I haven't found Sphagnum moss (havne't looked too hard) but hubby anticipated my need and brought home some "Green Moss" yesterday (he's a sweetie!). I put some in on top of the vermiculite in the laying box for the one corn I have that shed yesterday. Should I just offer her two boxes, one with vermiculite and one with the moss? Last year my Cal king nested in Sphagnum PEAT moss, and my blotched king got vermiculite. This year they all have vermiculite laying containers and seem to love them. But the one who just shed started doing the "frantic wandering". I'll have to remember when I get home to remove her water dish. It's very shallow though.

I think this waiting is hard, because you don't even know how many babies they MIGHT have. Then when you know the number of eggs, you start wondering if they'll all hatch. Then they hatch, and you gotta worry about how many will eat. Aint it fun?
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~Sasheena

Also, something other people didn't mention is that sometimes females will lay their eggs in their water bowls if they don't have a suitable nest. This will drown the babies in the eggs, so if I were you, I would remove the waterbowl until she lays and in the meantime just offer your snakes water periodically.
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alstiver@hotmail.com

1.0 2001 Hypo snow cornsnake
0.1 2002 Pastel Ghost cornsnake
1.1 2002 Bloodred cornsnakes
0.1 1998 Het Hypo, Het Caramel cornsnake
1.0 2000 Hypo Het Caramel cornsnake

use whatever you can get.........

moss
peat moss
damp paper towels..(not great idea,,but along with damp cloth..it has been done).....)...
damp care fresh.......

.........

.........I never use vermiculite or perlite in with a snake....it really sucks and is more messy than anything else......

have fun.........

Thanks to everybody who suggested nesting materials. I finally put in two nesting boxes, one with vermiculite and one with sphagnum moss (which I boiled first to sterilize it). Took Daddy out (he's sulking about that). She waivered back and forth, but we woke up this morning to EGGS in the vermiculite!!! Probably about a dozen so far, but she's still going, and I don't want to disturb her until she's done (it's hard to count while peeking through the entrance hole).
Corinne
dragonfly@w-link.net

a rectangle plastic box with lid in my tank with black dirt and some moss.but when i incubate i use vermiculite.in my cage from babies to adults for 5 years my 3 females and 1 male have always been together.i get eggs every year twice from each female.they always eat on time and they sleep in one hide box(there is a hide box for each one but they choose to be together)after feeding though i dunk there heads in water to get the mouse smell off.