Reptile & Amphibian Forums

You all seem like the friendliest group-and I have learned alot by lurking-thank you!
My six year old daughter begged and begged to have a snake-she has always been fascinated by them since she was very small. Her dad said NO WAY until the day she called him a chicken. So, he told her if she caught one, she could keep it. Well, didnt take her but half a day to bring in a baby garter snake. The next day, I purchased a corn snake and set the garter snake free. I didnt tell her this, of course, and she thinks her snake just shed into pretty colors. This was in August.
I really wanted one of the orange colored ones that were there in the same tank, however, I was replacing her snake, so I had to buy a normal one. The petstore told me that it would change colors to orange as it grew. Sounded rather strange to me because if that was the case, why werent all of them brown then-they were hatchlings. The guy also told me that they could live together if I decided to come back for another one. He said they had been feeding once a week, f/t pinkies, but I couldnt get it to eat for three weeks.
Long story short, I have been lurking and researching and have come to the conclusion that he is wrong- I do believe that the ten gallon tank I have her in is appropriate, substrate is fine, her hides, her temps, etc is fine. But should I try feeding her more than once a week? It has shed once (possibly twice, I cant remember) since August-is this normal for a hatchling? She sure doesnt seem to have grown very much. (incidently, the petstore guy sexed it for me as a female, but was probably wrong on that also).
My daughter LOVES "Lily", her brother and sister think she is a freak, but she doesnt care. I will try uploading a picture and will share-if I can figure out how.

What a great story, and a lucky little girl to have a mom who would do something so neat. That's great that you are supporting your daughter's hobby the way you are. If you can post pics we can tell you what morph it is. If it is a normal it should have some orange by now. Not solid orange, but at least some hint of orange on the saddles. If there is no orange at all and the snake is still black and gray then it might be an Anery. As for a second snake, doesn't sound like you were really pondering it, but you really should not house snakes together. They are quite content and less stressed on their own. The 3 weeks of not eating might have just been settling in time. Are you feeding in a separate container? This makes it easier on the snake since they will come to associate the container with feeding, and won't have the risk of ingesting their substrate. A small sterilite or rubbermaid "shoebox" would work good. As for feeding, you can try bumping her up to 2 pinks every 5 days, or 3 pinks every 7 days. She will grow slow until she reaches a size where she can eat fuzzies. Then they usually have a nice growth spurt. I have a non feeding Corn who is over 6 months and still small. I have to force feed her once a week and can only get 1 pinkie in her at a time. But she is growing slowly but surely. She's shed about 4 or 5 times. So only 1 shed since August is a low shed rate. Thanks again for sharing your great story!

Kids and Snakes make a great combo. I don't have any kids but I take my snakes to schools and scout meetings...

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Lyns Lair
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
8.0 Rats (Inky, Oy, Ben, Pinky, Templeton, Cotton, Bilbo, Carlo)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow/Everglades Rat Snake (Pumpkin)
1.0 Russian Sand Boa (Fang)
0.1 California King Snake (Boo)
0.1 Normal Corn Snake (Mysty)
1.0 Anery Corn Snake (Suezo)
1.1 Normal Corn Snakes het Pewter and Snow (Romeo & Juliet)
2.1.1 Eastern Milk Snakes (Uno, Dos, Tres, Snoopy)
1.0 Ball Python (Slytherin)
2.0 Smooth Green Snakes (Fred & George)
1.0 Northern Water Snake (coming soon)
0.1 Golden Greek Tortoise (Sunshine)
0.2 Mississippi Mud Turtles (Squirt & Shyanne)
1.0 Green Iguana (Norbert)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Moose)
0.0.1 Mountain Horned Dragon (Tiramisu)
1.0 Whites Tree Frog (Trevor)
1.0 American Toad (Bump)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.5 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Mystique, Freckles, Dotty, Zipper, Twister)

I would love to have another, however, I really am happy living here-if I brought another one home, I am certain that my guy would show me the door! He doesnt like snakes at all, however, he liked being called a chicken by a six year old even worse...the criteria isnt the same for me-lol!

Thank you for your quick reply. I posted her picture under this thread somewhere.

You say that now, but I can promise you, everyone on this started with "Just one corn snake." Something about these pets gets in your blood, and you end up with 10 and two tattooed on your back...

AJ
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1.0 Hypo Okeetee - Wesley (Princess Bride)
0.1 Ghost - Sydney (Scream)
2.0 Striped Amel - Jay and Aiden (Kevin Smith movies)
1.0 Snow - Silent Bob (Kevin Smith movies)
0.1 Anery - Columbia (Rocky Horror)
1.0 Creamcicle - Brandon (Mallrats)
0.1 Zig Zag Anery - Pepper (didn't name her)
0.1 Normal - Bindy (Croc. Hunter)
0.1 Motley - Craven (Underworld)

we have:
two veiled chameleons,
a sulcata tortoise,
a bluetongued skink,
an African Grey,
a canary,
three tarantulas,
two rabbits,
two dogs,
three cats...
one snake...
one chinchilla.

I CANT make him accept anything more- every relationship has to have its boundaries...lol. He is my "adult" supervision so that I dont get everything I want.

I can totally relate. I think that is why my husband always comes with me to the reptile shows. (Cause he sure isn't into reptiles) I guess he tries to be my adult supervision...but with 69 snakes, two leopard geckos, one panther chameleon, three dogs, a cat, and a hamster...he is NOT doing a very good job! hahahahahah

so that he sees how 'good' I really am.
He only had a dog when I met him. *snicker*. His life was missing so so much.
He has grown used to loose crickets, pinkies thawing in a cup, and "salad" and other things,that isnt for him, but for the tortoise and birds, in the refrigerator.

It's true; nobody can have just one. It's only a matter of time. I have a few corns and a few lizards. The other day I went to a reptile show without 'adult supervision'. This time I returned home with a red-tailed boa. I told my wife that it followed me home. She said it was alright because she knew I couldn't go by myself without bringing home another snake.

if I figured this out correctly:

looking at the picture she seems bigger than she is, however, she is alot longer than she was originally. Hard to tell when you see them every day.

and great story. I started out with just one and 6 months later I went back to buy another one and ended up with 2 more. I now have 3 corns. And have been resisting buying anymore. What i wanted to say was if you do get one more it is best to house them seperately.
Thanks for sharing the pic and the story.
Chuck

Cute picture. You can see the little orange spots developing on her saddles. They will get more orange as she gets bigger. The yellow color in corns takes a while to develope. That's why young snakes will only have red color or brown or black. Then some of the red sections will turn more orangy once the yellow comes in, and some of the gray areas will slowly get yellowish or orangish. It's one of the fun parts about raising a baby snake, watching the colors develope.

Hatchling

Same snake at 2 1/2 years old

Your probably won't develop this much orange, this snake is a Normal, but because she is het for Bloodred she has a little brighter coloring. I'm sure you've been able to find pics online of a typical Normal adult which will give you a clue what your daughter's snake will grow up to look like.

Little different than an adult Garter...

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Lyns Lair
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
8.0 Rats (Inky, Oy, Ben, Pinky, Templeton, Cotton, Bilbo, Carlo)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow/Everglades Rat Snake (Pumpkin)
1.0 Russian Sand Boa (Fang)
0.1 California King Snake (Boo)
0.1 Normal Corn Snake (Mysty)
1.0 Anery Corn Snake (Suezo)
1.1 Normal Corn Snakes het Pewter and Snow (Romeo & Juliet)
2.1.1 Eastern Milk Snakes (Uno, Dos, Tres, Snoopy)
1.0 Ball Python (Slytherin)
2.0 Smooth Green Snakes (Fred & George)
1.0 Northern Water Snake (coming soon)
0.1 Golden Greek Tortoise (Sunshine)
0.2 Mississippi Mud Turtles (Squirt & Shyanne)
1.0 Green Iguana (Norbert)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Moose)
0.0.1 Mountain Horned Dragon (Tiramisu)
1.0 Whites Tree Frog (Trevor)
1.0 American Toad (Bump)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.5 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Mystique, Freckles, Dotty, Zipper, Twister)

>>I personally feed my snakes on a once a week basis. Some feed more often but this works for me and my snakes are healthy.
They will sometimes go through growth spurts. One day you think "boy he sure isn't growing much" and a couple of weeks down the road you look and realize he is all of a sudden a couple of inches longer.
I wouldn't worry too much.
Of course she just may need a larger pinkie or two pinkies.
How noticeable is the bulge after she eats and how long is the bulge noticeable?
If the bulge is barely noticeable and doesn't last beyond the next day then you might want to try two pinkies a week.
When these barely leave a noticeable bulge move up to a fuzzie and just progress from there. my method anyway.
good luck
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

Draybars Snakes

you can see the bulge in the picture I posted. i wouldnt have let her take her out if I would have realized she still had it. I fed her on Tuesday night, so that bulge is from four days ago (barely).

>>you can see the bulge in the picture I posted. i wouldnt have let her take her out if I would have realized she still had it. I fed her on Tuesday night, so that bulge is from four days ago (barely).

four days ago, wow that brings us to something else.
I do see the slight bulge and wonder just how large it was when she ate.
Was it proportionately larger?
I mean, has it gotten smaller each day?
Can you tell each day that it is digested a little more?
I am just wondering because four days with a noticeable bulge seems just a little too long.
What are the temperatures in the enclosure?
Do you have some type of under tank heat or an area like a rock or something warmed by an overhead light.
Some place where she can get her body up to around 83 to 85 degrees?
It may be that the temps are just a touch low and she isn't digesting at an optimum rate.
let's see what we can come up with.
By the way....she looks great, she looks healthy and bright so this is nothing to worry about. Just some fine tuning.
and this is just my opinion and observations.

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

Draybars Snakes

It was um, pinky sized, before- it has shrunk down, same as it usually does, little at a time, each day.

I have a cool end, with a waterbowl and hide, and I have a warm end with a UTH and an overhead light, and rock hide- temp in that end is approx. 80 upwards to 90, goofy snake likes to hang out along the rim of the tank and is very active-goes around and around the tank, looking for an escape hatch Im sure. I can just see her thinking "I know they get IN up here somewhere, where is it?"

>>It was um, pinky sized, before- it has shrunk down, same as it usually does, little at a time, each day.
>>
>>I have a cool end, with a waterbowl and hide, and I have a warm end with a UTH and an overhead light, and rock hide- temp in that end is approx. 80 upwards to 90, goofy snake likes to hang out along the rim of the tank and is very active-goes around and around the tank, looking for an escape hatch Im sure. I can just see her thinking "I know they get IN up here somewhere, where is it?"

Sounds like conditions are pretty good.
Before you know it the little guy will be twice as big as it is now and you will wonder where the little hatchling went...lol
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

Draybars Snakes

I also weigh all my herps every month or so & keep a log of weights, feedings, vet trips, sheds, etc. It's REALLY hard to notice on a 15 gram baby snake when it's gained or lost weight. The records have really helped me diagnose a need for an urgent vet trip or something else in the past. I just bought a little gram scale at Walmart & place the snake in a pillow case & weigh them like that. It's also really cool to see how much they've gained in a month.
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2.1 Corn snakes Snake Plissken, Jack Skellington & Abby
1.1 Hog Island Boas Harley & Isaboa
1.3 leos, Yoda, Geo, Tang, Ginger
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink Indigo (Indy)
0.1.1 frogs Buffy the Cricket Slayer, Butrose Butrose Froggy
1.1.5 firebelly newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Juice Newton, Olivia Newton John, Helmut Newton & Thandie Newton
1.1 cats Gus & Mena