Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey everybody... I have been posting on the forum for a month or two now and guess what? I finally got my freakin snake! Local pet shop had her on sale at a local pet shop. Even though she was still overpriced after the sale....(I say she because I am HOPEING for a girl) ANYWAY! Never had to deal with a new snake so I have a few questions... I am thinking her tank is set up fine for her... I have her in a 10 gallon (she is a very young juevenile) She has a water dish 3 hides one hot cold and middle... reptibark substrate... dechlorinated water... uth...light, the works... So I don't think it is the tank... She has been hiding since I got her home, I don't know if this is normal.... I know she must be REALLY stressed after such a big move so I don't know if she is just really insecure or not. Because I thought corns were somewhat exploratory. Also, I got the medium corner tank water dish because the smalls didn't look big enough for her to soak.. the top of the dish is probably 2" off the ground (in the tank) I am wondering if she is smart enough to know that there is water in there.. I held her up to the water and she took a drink and later I even sat her in the dish just to make sure she knew.. Will she remember that there is water there? and my third question is this... I turned on the uth but not the basking light.. It was 78 where I live today but inside the tank the thermometer was reading 85... on the hott side... so why is it so hot inside the tank and how can I cool it down? Thanks to all of you who took the time to read all of this! And thanks even more for those of you who reply!

I forgot a thing or two... I got her today (Saturday) I figure Monday will be a good day to feed her? Give her enough time to settle in? I was thinking about feeding her Monday wednesday and friday I know this may be a little much so if she doesn't seem THAT hungry just Monday and Friday, is this a good schedule? Secondly, How fast should she grow? Because she is extremely small, probably just under a foot and slightly thicker than a #2 pencil... So how long until I can stop worrying about finding pinkies under a week old? Also, how old/long does a snake need to be before they can be safely probed? Thanks again!

I would say m w f is waaaay to much. When my corns are just babies I feed every 5 days. Another thing I would say is that you really need to let the snake chill for a week minimum before handeling or feeding. They do all their exploring at night. Also if it wants water and you have a dish in there it will always find it. Trust me after a couple days that snake will know every inch of the inside of the glass room you have it in.
Travis

How long is the earliest I should try to feed him? The pet shop had just got her in when I bought him and they had said they had no idea when the last time she had eaten was. Also in the day the WHOLE cage is about 80 degrees.... how can I bring down the temperature of the cage? The light isn't even on the cage all I have is the heat pad since it is so warm already. Any advice? Also sexing... when is the earliest you would have a snake sexed? Thanks again all!

In the future I would not recomend getting a snake that you do not know if it eats but it should be ok I am sure this guy will bre gulping them down for you. Put up some pictures. Unless it looks like it is thin and starving I would wait till 1 week after you put it in it's new home. They need to feel secure to want to eat. That means not disturbing them much while they are settling in. I know It's hard we all want to get out our new snakes and hold them.
Others will agree with me that 80 degrees is great for a corn snake. Mine live in 80 degrees all the time. They love it. Who told you that you had to keep it under 80 degrees?
T

She looks healthy enough, no excess skin or anything, Nobody told me you had to keep them under 80. it is just that in the day (without a spotlight on the cage) the cage is between 80-83. The only cool spot the snake has is the water bowl which she hasn't been in that I can see. I know she's nocturnal but I was up till 3 am last night and only saw her move once.... and I was watching. Is it normal for her to barely move from a hide at all the first day or two? I will post some pictures as soon as I figure out how....

Just a little to add to the other post. I would agree with waiting about a week and let it get settled in. The snake will be fine and should feel more secure. You dont really need to use the UTH or the light. You could turn it off and see what the temp says then. I wouldnt use them both at the same time though. As for sexing your snake, if you have a reptile vet in your area they can do it now by popping him/her. Also, dont overfeed the snake. One mouse every 5-7 days is fine. I feed mine every 7. Good luck with her.

EP
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Occupants not paying rent:
1.1.5 balls
2.1.8 corns(candy cane, creamsicle, ghost, 4 normal,
4 anery )
1 pueblan milk
1 everglades rat
1 cal. king
1 gray band king
1 w. hognose
1 bearded dragon
1 fish
1 mouse
3.3 cats

Don't u think it is a little late to pop him/her? I think it's about a month old. Anyway... here are the photos as promised. And the tank just in case anyone see's any problems with it.

They seemed so much clearer and sharper before they were uploaded...

And the final one for now.

If you have someone who knows what they are doing it shouldnt be a problem to pop. Your setup looks pretty good and the snake looks great. Good luck.

EP
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Occupants not paying rent:
1.1.5 balls
2.1.8 corns(candy cane, creamsicle, ghost, 4 normal,
4 anery )
1 pueblan milk
1 everglades rat
1 cal. king
1 gray band king
1 w. hognose
1 bearded dragon
1 fish
1 mouse
3.3 cats