Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just got a new corn snake last Saturday, she's about six months old. I have her in a cage with aspen and she has burried herself in it and has only come out when we have tried to feed her, which is not working either. She was captive bread and I know the breeder personally, so I know she comes from a good home. I just want to know if this is some what normal or okay? I'm really worried about her. She seems so weak and frail. How long can she go like this without drinking water or eating? Would it be better to get something she can't hide out in so she has to get use to her new home?

thanks for all your help.

>>I just got a new corn snake last Saturday, she's about six months old. I have her in a cage with aspen and she has burried herself in it and has only come out when we have tried to feed her, which is not working either. She was captive bread and I know the breeder personally, so I know she comes from a good home. I just want to know if this is some what normal or okay? I'm really worried about her. She seems so weak and frail. How long can she go like this without drinking water or eating? Would it be better to get something she can't hide out in so she has to get use to her new home?
>>
>>thanks for all your help.

They hide a lot. You need to allow this.
When you try to feed the snake place it in a small deli dish or something similar, with the pinkie, and place this back in its container. Leave them alone for a few hours and then check on them.
If it has eaten, great. If it hasn't then leave them together overnight.
Make sure the water dish is large enough for the snake to fit in if it desires and also make sure you have it warm enough in its container.
Please describe your complete set up.
There may be something there we can help you adjust.
Otherwise the hiding is normal for corns.

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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

Draybars Snakes

Yes, that's perfectly normal behaviour, especially for a new arrival. Remember that Corns are active at dawn and dusk, so you won't usually see them during the day.

I expect your Corn is coming out to drink when you're not about. I rarely see mine drink and I've had Corns for 13 years now, so don't be concerned about that. Just make sure that the water is always clean and the snake can take a drink whenever it wants to.

You definitely shouldn't force your snake out from under the substrate. In fact, you should provide as many hiding places as possible - they get very stressed if they can't hide themselves and this can lead to feeding and behaviour problems.

It might take a week or two for your snake to feel confident enough to venture out, so all seems well. If the tank is in a busy area like a TV room or hallway where there's a lot of movement, it might take longer to settle.

As Draybar says, if you could describe your setup that would help us to see if there might be any potential issues, but overall, it sounds like your Corn is behaving exactly as any newbie would.

Don't worry - this really is a fun hobby once you're over the initial concern about doing the right things!

Thanks so much for your advice. I feel a lot better knowing that she's okay. I'm just so nervous. It's like having a new born baby. I don't want anything to hurt her or to make her ill. She did finally eat last night. We put her in a deli cup and she ate right away.
She's in a 20 gal tank with some aspen as substrate and she has a coconut shell on the warm and cool side to hide in. She has a branch on both sides and some rocks. It's about 80-83 degrees on the warm side and 70-75 on the cool side. Her water dish is on the cool side and she's able to fit in it well. We use an infared bulb for heat so she can be on the natural day/night cycle.
Is there a way to regulate the humidity better? We spray her cage and the humidity goes way up, but then it goes way down once the water is evaporated.
thanks again for your help. it's nice to have something like this to turn to. the local pet shops don't know much.

When you said last Sat. did you mean Dec 11? You should only need to feed once per week. Your baby most likely wasn't hungry yet or was still getting used to it's new surroundings. The only thing missing from your setup is hide spots. Put one on the cool side and one on the hot. It can be as simple as a piece of newpaper or small hides from the pet store. Keep the hides small and low so they are close to the snakes body, it'll be more secure that way.

Good luck!
Cheryl

Don't make yourself crazy over the humidity - if your snake sheds and it doesn't come off in one piece then worry about it. You can do more harm than good misting all the time by creating mold in the bedding. If you're somewhere very dry, move the water bowl to the hot side and cover part of the top if you have a screen cover.

Cheryl

>>Don't make yourself crazy over the humidity - if your snake sheds and it doesn't come off in one piece then worry about it. You can do more harm than good misting all the time by creating mold in the bedding. If you're somewhere very dry, move the water bowl to the hot side and cover part of the top if you have a screen cover.
>>
>> Cheryl

As Cheryl said
Since you are using a twenty gallon aquarium I would assume you have a screen top. Cover about half of the top with newspaper or cardboard or a magazine or something. Just this minor adjustment with a decent sized water dish will give them just enough humidity to keep the mold down but the sheds good.
There is one other thing, though. I did not see mention of an under tank heater. You really should get an under tank heater or at least a normal heat pad and place it under the "warm" side of the tank. This will help your little snake thermoregulate better and give it a nice warm area to help aid in digestion.

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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

Draybars Snakes

my corns hide alot when they were babies. they need hiding areas. having no hiding places will make things worse. i used paper towel rolls when they were little. they loved those. they like something they can feel the sides of when they are hiding.
like the other posts say don't worry. he/she is in a new strange enviroment and needs time to settle in.
also don't stress him out trying to feed him everyday. what worked for me, and still does, is i take my snakes out, handle them a few minutes then place them in a seperate container to feed them in. it won't hurt them to gentle pick them up after they have eaten and put them back into their own house. this works for me and the snake won't be injesting any substrate.
only time you don't want to handle him for any length of time is right after feeding. best to wait at least 24-48 hours.
just my experience..